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Ed Abbey called The Monkey Wrench Gang, his 1975 novel, a "comic extravaganza." Some readers have remarked that the book is more a comic book than a real novel, and it's true that reading this incendiary call to protect the American wilderness requires more than a little of the old willing suspension of disbelief. The story centers on Vietnam veteran George Washington Hayduke III, who returns to the desert to find his beloved canyons and rivers threatened by industrial development. On a rafting trip down the Colorado River, Hayduke joins forces with feminist saboteur Bonnie Abbzug, wilderness guide Seldom Seen Smith, and billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., and together they wander off to wage war on the big yellow machines, on dam builders and road builders and strip miners. As they do, his characters voice Abbey's concerns about wilderness preservation ("Hell of a place to lose a cow," Smith thinks to himself while roaming through the canyonlands of southern Utah. "Hell of a place to lose your heart. Hell of a place... to lose. Period"). Moving from one improbable situation to the next, packing more adventure into the space of a few weeks than most real people do in a lifetime, the motley gang puts fear into the hearts of their enemies, laughing all the while. It's comic, yes, and required reading for anyone who has come to love the desert. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Ex-Green Beret George Hayduke has returned from war to find his beloved southwestern desert threatened by industrial development. Joining with Bronx exile and feminist saboteur Bonnie Abzug, wilderness guide and outcast Mormon Seldom Seen Smith, and libertarian billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., Hayduke is ready to fight the power—taking on the strip miners, clear-cutters, and the highway, dam, and bridge builders who are threatening the natural habitat. The Monkey Wrench Gang is on the move—and peaceful coexistence be damned!
Customer Reviews:
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.......2007-07-14
Fast-paced tale of anarchy and revolt against the destruction of the natural beauty and majesty of the American West. Funny at times and always gripping, this book is also disturbing in that it provides perhaps too much "how-to" information and could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Mr. Abbey's point is well made, though, and graphically brought home through his excellent descriptive powers of the West that Was vs. the West that Is Becoming. His deep love for nature and pain for its degradation are evident in every syllable of his writing.
Don't Read It for Its Literary Value.......2007-06-04
The story is fun, though, especially if you're familiar with the remote desert of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The dialogue was really terrible at times and the characters were interesting but strained credulity. The meat of the story is the landscape and the political implications of the tale. This book would make a perfect read on a backpacking trip in the Glen Canyon Wilderness area.
A Brilliant Adventure.......2007-05-09
This is one of the most memorable books I ever read. A super adventure in southern Utah. Don't miss it. "The Brave Cowboy," by Abbey is also good.
abbey is my hero.......2007-01-07
i still have not RECEIVED this book! You people are incredible (not in a good way!)
your service leaves EVERYTHING to be desired!!!!!
Eco-Terrorists as anti-heroes.......2006-10-04
I was familiar with this book several years before I chose to read it. I knew that it was about a bunch of "lawbreakers" who, in a spirit of environmental idealism, set about to ruin what they considered myriad evidence of massive anti-environmentalism. Their activities included the destruction of highway billboard advertisements, burning and exploding bridges that carried hugh oil tankers across them, as well as sabotaging the oil tankers themselves, and blowing up government built dams that resulted in the drying up of some of nation's most majestic rivers. The four members of the "Monkey Wrench Gang," Doc A.K. Sarvis, his feminist girlfriend Bonnie Abbzug, Joseph "Seldom Seen" Smith, a polygamist Mormon, and George W. Hayduke, also wanted some payback for massive deforestation and for the forced death of thousands of cattle and other animals who were fenced in by barbed wire, thereby prevented from escaping from fierce winter snows and related frigid weather conditions.
At first, I expected to detest these "weirdos" and their wooly headed schemes. The idea of "inconveniencing" the general public by destroying structures built by the government and by private interests (huge billion dollar earning oil corporations) for the so-called public good seemed excessive. Well, the proof was in the reading: these were four sincere, committed, environmentalists, true believers, who were fed up with governmental shennanigans and the general public's passive acceptance of these activities promulgated in the name of progress.
Doc Sarvis, the organizers of the gang, always insisted that no people ever be hurt in their destruction of the myriad anti-environmental structures. Both Bonnie and Seldom Seen Smith were humane, ever loyal to their group and to their ideals. In fact, all four of them were likeable and even loveable individuals. I found George Hayduke, a Vietnam War veteran, a member of the Special Forces, the most loveable of the four. On the surface, he appeared to be a strange man: inordinately hairy, bearded, unkempt, sloppy, almost derelict looking, he lived by his wits and his natural intelligence. Despite the obvious personal and psychological baggage that he carried from his Vietnam days, he possessed an elemental force that proved valuable to the group and to their plans time and time again. Hayduke's earthiness, his liberal use of foul language, to the constant dismay of one of the gang, gave him an extremely funny, if, somewhat "psychopathic" persona. Some of the things that he said and did, and seemingly got away with, should and must be taken with a grain of salt.
_The Monkey Wrench Gang_ works as an exciting adventure novel, a cautionary tale on the habitual, governmentally engineered environmental abuse, as a character study of four very brave, if foolhardy, environmentalists, and quite simply just an incredibly fun book to read.
Customer Reviews:
Wise, moving, shame about the title.......2006-04-14
I finished this book and read it all the way through again less than a month later. There are lots of things to like about it. Mainly, though, I like it because it conveys a sense of joy in work, in writing, in the less spectacular aspects of life that can be as much a source of happiness as can the great gifts that come along once or twice in a lifetime. And the stories are told in such an engaging way you don't really realize Levi is showing you a way to make life bearable. The sad thing is that Primo Levi apparently couldn't do for himself what he did for so many of his readers.
I also like that though a good part of the novel takes place in the former Soviet Union, Levi, with the exception of one chapter in the book, says nary a word about communism. The Soviet regime is, for the purpose of his book, completely irrelevant. Lesser writers would have stuck to the "one-man-against-the-regime" template.
That said, I do have some gripes, mostly to do with the translation. Levi has been very badly served either by his translators or, more likely, by his American publishers. Why this book was called _The Monkey's Wrench_ is beyond me. There's a wrench, and there's a monkey all right, but there's nothing so patently ridiculous as a wrench belonging to a monkey. _The Wrench_, plain and simple, like Levi's prose, would have sufficed.
Gracefully narrated stories of a tradesman's jobs and values.......2003-12-10
Meet Faussone, an able tradesmen who sets up cranes around the world and enjoys his work. Most of the several short stories in the book centre on him recounting some interesting job he's been involved in.
Rather than remain invisible and let 'Faussone' do all the talking, the listener/narrator is also allowed to take on a role - the stories are clearly placed in a setting of Faussone talking to the semi-autobiographical persona of Levi. We learn a little of why he's putting down these stories, his own speculation on whether writing is a worthy 'craft' compared to that of the tradesman, and he even drops in a work story of his own (as a chemist - Levi himself was a chemist) to conclude. Levi highlights the importance of the listener and the context to the stories, which, while entertaining enough to stand on their own, are enhanced by tangents of setting and response. Moreover there's room for just a little plot and relationship development winding alongside the stories.
As close as I can think of are the James Herriot stories, although I suspect some of Levi's fans would be a bit horrified at the comparison. That being said, I suspect 'Herriot' himself would have enjoyed the book. Levi's stories, however, are not nearly as formulaic (or as funny), and Levi is a more able painter of characters that feel more authentic, and don't necessarily need to be pigeon-holed. Amusing that Faussone feels more authentic than some of Herriot's doubtless 'real' recollected characters: in a postscript Levi says,
"Faussone is imaginary but "perfectly authentic," at the same time; he is a compound, a mosaic of numerous men I have met, similar to Faussone..."
There's a grace there as well - which some would find bland - this isn't sensationalist fiction with a sting or a belly laugh. Levi does have an agenda - to suggest that a worker who takes pride and pleasure in his trade is as good a subject (and hero) for a novel as any super spy or renegade cop or tortured academic or whatever. There's also an acknowledgement of giving some praise to Levi and Faussone's fathers in this, so perhaps he can be forgiven if his picture is a bit eulogistic.
The 'wrench' (if the translation got this right) isn't just a symbol of blue collar labour, it's also the wrench between the metaphysical profession of writing books and that of actually making tangible things. The 'Levi' of the stories is struggling with this, and Faussone's parting advice to him is:
"...I tell you, doing things you can touch with your hands has an advantage: you can make comparisons and understand how much you are worth. You make a mistake, you correct it, and next time you don't make it..."
and earlier 'Levi' speculated that perhaps so many writers have bad stress because they can't test their work with a level or a gauge, and are working blind half the time.
So, if you're in the mood for something reflective, diverting, and well written - go ahead. If you're after some action or melodrama, wait for another mood.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH DELIGHT.......2002-03-01
Excellent series of vignettes/stories generally related within the novel by a crane/derrick rigger to the author, a chemist. For those with no inclination to industrial engineering and chemistry, this book makes the two subjects seem interesting, and uniquely identifies them with the human condition. Quite beautiful.
Witty, Poingnant, Haunting Barely Begin to Describe Levi.......2000-09-20
There are some people who you can never hear enough of. Levi is certainly one of those. He combines one of the greates talents as a writer in this century with a wisdom uncommon for any age.
This book is not an adventure story in the typical sence of the word, but reading it is an adventure, and I for one am a better man for having opened its covers.
I don't think that Levi has ever written a book that I would only read once. This book, I look forward to revisting many times over. The maximum length of this review is one thousnd words. If all those words were supperlatives, I would not come close to doing this book justice.
A ghastly book: poorly written, dull, pointless.......1999-09-02
What could be more attracitve? Here's a book about travel in countries all over the globe, and it's made up of conversations between two practical men of the world. A theme--engineers construct things, authors construct stories--ties the chapters together.
A great idea, but, alas, one that has been turned into a dreadful book. We're warned in the very beginning that the speaker might, at times, be a bit imperfect: repetetive, full of himself, prone to get lost in details. But the first chapter shows him, despite these short-comings, to be fascinating. Nonetheless, in the chapters that follow, he turns out to be every bit as insufferable as we'd been told in that first page.
Each chapter is filled with mind-numbing details of construction projects, only relieved, at times, with brief passages that are more interesting. Levi's book does justice neither to world travel nor to Italian literature.
Customer Reviews:
A bit disappointed...irritated by the seemingly disjointed sentences in many places!.......2006-03-23
I bought this book without browsing it first & without being influenced by other readers who gave negative reviews. In fact, I was more intrigued by the main title. I also had the notion that I could learn a lot about the origins of hardware tools. Sad to say, I was a bit disappointed, although I could read about the apparently incomplete history of tools in a hardware store. Moreover, I found that the writing style was not to my taste, as I kept on encountering seemingly disjointed sentences in many places. (Strangely, I generally don't like books with story telling style!)
Nice trip through the hardware store.......2005-05-24
Of the three books by Vince Staten that I have read, this one is the best. It stands to reason: Staten is on familiar turf here. He practically grew up in a hardware store, because his father owned one from the time Staten was a young boy until he was well into adulthood. Staten has plenty of hardware stories to tell, and he is at his best when he sticks to his personal experiences. The two other books by Staten that I have read, "Kentucky Curiosities" and "Do Pharmacists Sell Farms?" are so full of factual errors that to me, any information cited as fact by Staten is automatically suspect. I know very little about hardware, but wouldn't trust this book as a source of accurate information about hardware. Using this book as a reference book would be at your own peril. If what you want is a fun, entertaining read, this book will do.
monkey business.......2003-04-10
Mr Staten might have worked in a hardware store but he still lacks some basic knowledge like what the difference is between a stillson wrench, a pipe wrench, or a crescent wrench.
A bit of history, and nostalgia.......2003-03-08
I've been seeking out and reading books that bring back a sense of nostalgia and "what made America great" type books. I felt the author didn't put the essence of that into this book. One of the reviewers was quoted on the cover of my edition of this book - that Staten provided "odd facts and interesting tales" and there WERE some odd facts but the tales for the most part, left a lot to be desired.
Everyone has a memory of the corner hardware store, all the assorted "stuff", fasteners, paints, stains, ladders and knife display cases. The author grew up in hardware stores, his father owned hardware stores, yet there just wasn't any sense of enjoyment or adventure, nor a sense of excitement of this in the book. I know I would have been there everyday exploring and getting the scoop on everything.
I may have been expecting more out of this book than could be delivered. I recently read Tools of the Earth and Tools of the Trade, both by Jeff Taylor. I think I was looking for what Taylor was able to deliver in his books. You may want to check these titles out if you're interested in the subject.
John Row
Amusing... but sloppy........2002-09-18
I bought this book on a whim in the middle of a major house remodeling project as a bit of a diversion from all the technical reading I was doing on architecture, construction practices and so forth. Like a lot of guys (and some girls) I'm a bit of a tool freak, so what could be better recreational reading?
Well, lots of things, actually. Staten's book isn't bad, and it does have a lot of interesting stories and a few out of the ordinary facts. But it has a few problems, too, like the huge number of factual errors. There are, for example, retellings of long refuted myths, like the one about Thomas Crapper and toilets. And then there are some downright dangerous misstatement, such as the claim that a string-type weed whacker won't cut flesh.
What I found most offputting was Staten's writing style. He likes the short. Punchy. Sentence.
And lots of new paragraphs.
Of one sentence.
Each.
After a while this really starts to grate, as does Staten's idea of what passes for a joke. But taken in small doses- and with a large grain of salt- the book is still reasonably entertaining. Keep it in your toolbox for reading on breaks, or atop the porceline convenience.
Customer Reviews:
Great read!.......2004-01-09
To the previous reviewer, actually it is her GRANDMOTHER she comes back to visit. Susannah Atkins is a small town girl who found success with her tv show 'Oh Susannah!' that she works on in Milwaukee so it leaves little time to return to her hometown of Tyler. But her grandmother, Granny Rose, starts showing signs of illness and Tyler's contractor that is doing repairs in Rose's home notices... He calls Susannah and she comes back to town. She intends on only staying a couple days and then vacationing for the holidays on a warm beach. But her stay in Tyler makes her re-evaluate her priorities and rethink her life's direction...
This was a great book. And it was especially great for me because I was able to identify with the small-town contractor since that is what my husband is :) Great book and great series. I only have the first four books of this series and I can't wait to be able to get the rest of the series!
Another GREAT Tyler story!.......2000-04-18
Monkey Wrench is a GREAT book...4th in the Tyler series. A small town girl turned tv star, returns to help her aunt and comes face to face with a man who makes her question everything about her life. Prepare to be swept off your feet!. Bravo Nancy Martin!
Book Description
From universal human rights and a justice system based on truth to new concepts in education and public transportation, author John Muir presents his highly original, often outrageous common-sense ideas for creating a world based on peace and harmony. An ideal gift for any afficionado of sixties-era nostalgia.
Customer Reviews:
Glad it's back in print!.......2003-11-29
I used this book in teaching social philosophy for a number of years. The author applies an engineer's mentality to carefully laying out a detailed design for a bioregional utopia. One should not be put off by the 60's era hippie writing style and mixture of some eastern obscurities. The illustrations by Aschawnden are also excellent. This book is provocative and well worth reading. I'm glad it is back in print!
Illustrated with loving care.......2001-08-09
I have an original, July 73 First Edition, and I've never finished the text because of the illustrations. I always get stopped at one. My copy is clear and sharp and that's a good thing because the excusite illustrations have miles and miles of tiny detailed work. Too fun. Much in the same style as R. Crumb, but more positive, the illustrations and the book nicely combine to reflect the late 60's, early 70's sentiment.
If you've seen the"...keep VW alive..." books and marveled at the illustrations, and the light hearted words of John Muir as he helps you fix your bug, you'll love this. I do.
A good read spoiled by poor quality printing........2001-08-04
A fun book to read, but it's a shame that the printing and reproduction of the illustrations is not up to the quality of the text. The original publication had sharp, clear print and clean, narrow lineweights in the graphics. In this edition, much of the illustration text cannot be deciphered. I recommend finding a used copy of the original edition with multicolor cover.
its great.......2000-09-22
just read it its a little hard to get through, but definitely worth it WOW
Back In Print.......2000-09-20
I notice the reviews for The Velvet Monkey Wrench say they reviewed an out of print edition. This book is back in print, the magenta edition as pictured, with an afterword by me, Eve Muir. Richard Polese of Ocean Tree Publications writes: "A revolutionary classic of social philosophy --- and just in time --- to challenge the assumptions of greed and corporate capitalism that have left us yearning for a more human system." I happened to have it the other day at the park and remembered: it's also quite funny.
Book Description
For 11 years, turning a traditional pattern into an original masterpiece has been the mission of the Museum of the American Quilter's Society's annual international challenge. The Monkey Wrench block became the symbol of freedom in our country's early quiltmaking. The block is typically based on a Four-Patch, Equal Nine-Patch, Unequal Nine-Patch, or Square in a Square block. Enjoy 18 marvelous interpretations of this familiar design from award-winning quiltmakers. Meet the winners and finalists as they share insights into the inspiration for their quilts with colorful photographs and stories. AUTHORBIO: The Museum of the American Quilter's Society (MAQS) is an exciting place where the public can learn more about quilts, quiltmaking, and quiltmakers, founded in 1991 by Bill and Meredith Schroeder as a not-for-profit organization. Through collecting quilts and other programs MAQS focuses on celebrating and developing today's quiltmaking. REVIEW: Monkey Wrench: New Quilts From an Old Favorite offers inspirational suggestions and insights from seventeen winners and finalists of the annual museum of the American Quilter's Society contest. Especially focusing on new patterns and applications that make the most of the classic favorite monkey wrench quilting block, Monkey Wrench combines full-color photographs with artistic insights for a superbly inventive and highly recommended needlecraft resource.
Customer Reviews:
Especially focusing on new patterns and applications.......2004-07-09
Monkey Wrench: New Quilts From An Old Favorite offers inspirational suggestions and insights from seventeen winners and finalists of the annual museum of the American Quilter's Society contest. Especially focusing on new patterns and applications that make the most of the classic favorite monkey wrench quilting block, Monkey Wrench: New Quilts From An Old Favorite combines full-color photographs with artistic insights for a superbly inventive and highly recommended needlecraft resource.
Average customer rating:
- delightful contender!
- Eva Breaks The Mold
- Unforgettable, Irresistable Heroine!
- A tour de force
- Mysteries look different to a professional wrestler!
|
Monkey Wrench
Liza Cody
Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Musclebound
-
Bucket Nut
-
Backhand
-
Gimme More (Bloomsbury Paperbacks)
-
Head Case
ASIN: 0446404578 |
Customer Reviews:
delightful contender!.......2005-08-01
Just came across this and I'm going to read the next one in the series immediately! The other reviews explain this unique female lead and her environment. I like the book because it is quirky, consistent, a bit of an inspiration, and slyly humorous. Eva Wylie is a contender!
Eva Breaks The Mold.......2003-12-15
Eva Wylie returns in her 2nd book and once again she's up front about her outlook on life. In fact her philosophy is summed up right there on page 1 of the book when she says:
"What's the point in being nice to someone who can't remember how nice you've been? Tell me that. The only point in doing someone a favour is if they remember and do you a favour back."
She's no saint and is happy to let everyone know. You get a pretty good idea how she came about that philosophy when she actually does a favour for someone and then is promptly plagued by one problem after the other as a result. When a local prostitute is murdered, the girl's sister and a few of the other local prostitutes come to Eva to ask her to teach them self defence. They figure Eva would be a good choice owing to one of her jobs as a professional wrestler, where she fights under the guise of The London Lassassin. Of course, Eva's first response is a resounding "Sod off!!" until the mention of a financial incentive is forthcoming. In a very entertaining chain of events, Eva's life begins to crumble around her.
This second book admirably complements the first (Bucket Nut) with Eva's defiance still the overwhelming emotion. Liza Cody's heroine from her other series of books, Anna Lee, becomes a little more prominent in this book, much to Eva's disgust. Although for the most part, the story is a humorous one, there is an underlying tone of desperation and the beginning of despair. But it doesn't seem to matter what's thrown up against her, Eva still manages to get by with her own unique rationale.
Unforgettable, Irresistable Heroine!.......2002-09-06
I wish there were more Eva Wylie books. I would read them non-stop if I could! Eva is so loveable and funny even with all of the tragedies of her life. She views life from her own desperate background, and her viewpoints are endearing. Her vocabulary is entertaining, with the London slang.
A tour de force.......2000-08-19
A jacket quote notes that the LA Times reviewer called this book a tour de force, and I have to agree. Liza Cody does a wonderful job of telling a story from the viewpoint of a lower class, not-very-bright, abused-as-a-child, female professional wrestler in London. The narrator is simultaneously sad, horrifying and funny. I'm sorry the book is out of print. I'd like to read more by Liza Cody, and especially more with the one-of-a-kind character of Eva Wylie. If you want a unique point of view and a good read, keep and eye out for this one.
Mysteries look different to a professional wrestler!.......1998-04-04
The usually simple formula of a detective story has been hopelessly convoluted by dirty reality, and Eva Wylie's slightly twisted perception of it. I've
never met a protagonist so ugly, tough, and stubborn,
and she's female!
Eva's arms look a lot better than
her face; the wrestling fans don't call her Bucket Nut (Bucket
Head) for nothing. But underneath her hard-as-nails
exterior, she's way more vulnerable than she wants
to be. Eva ends up using her muscle and street know-how
to try to even up the score in one of the oldest
battles known to the city scene. Prostitutes in the
area are getting brutally killed, and one of them
happens to be the sister of her old sidekick, Crystal.
Crystal wants justice for her sister, and she doesn't
hesitate to manipulate Eva into helping out. Eva
just wants peace - a few good workouts, a wild
fight in the ring now and then, and hanging out
with her junkyard dogs. But Crystal has the tenacity
of a Monkey Wrench, and won't let her be until she
feels her sister is avenged.
It's a non-stop ride
through the seamiest streets of London, with the
most unusual, nasty, oddly laughable and ultimately
admirable heroine I've
ever read. Go, Bucket Nut!!
Product Description
paperbacks
Books:
- The Monster of Frankenstein
- The Once and Future King
- The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides (Penguin Classics)
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)
- The Road to Disunion: Volume I: Secessionists at Bay, 1776-1854 (Road to Disunion Vol. 1)
- The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty
- The Sight (Warriors: Power of Three, Book 1)
- The Silent Angel
- The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America
- The Three Musketeers (Barnes & Noble Classics)
Books Index
Books Home
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Desert Solitaire
Hayduke Lives!: A Novel
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