 "A different kind of biography" | 2008-06-17 |
| - Reviewed By jhobson10 |
| This is the biography of a man who has spent his whole life in the woods, living off the land. The difference between him and the many others who live off the land? He has flourished. Plus, he does it partially to convince others to give up the trap of luxury and return to a simple nature-centric lifestyle. The author gives us a solid background then weaves interesting tales about the "last american man" and how hardworking and different he is compared to an average man. A well-written book that drags a little in the end reiterating the same dogma that keeping up with the joneses is futile. However Elizabeth Gilbert hadn't quite polished off her writing style as she does in Eat, Pray, Love. A worthy read for anyone disinterested in suburban sprawl along with Into The Wild. |
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| "Reluctant Disciple" | 2008-03-31 |
| - Reviewed By mb5810 |
I enjoyed reading this book and I have often dreamed of living the type of lifestyle that Eustace Conway lives, though not quite so harsh. It seems to me that his many hang-ups have created a personal "river" that no one is able to cross and join him. He seems to be a carbon copy of his father, with just enough minor differences to convince himself that he is nothing like him. Sadly, he has decided to turn away from the only source that could give him true happiness, a relationship with Jesus Christ. I think the old saying, "no one is as blind as he who refuses to see" fits Eustace well. His desire for acceptance from his father has blinded him to the joys of life. The disatisfaction that his apprentises experience and which Eustace cannot understand appears to stem largely from his use of them as slave labor. The expectations of those who come to work on Turtle Island are not the expectations of Eustace himself, which seems to be based on a phylosophy of, " hey, I dug a one hundred foot long ditch, three feet deep through solid rock! It took me two months and nearly killed me, and though I didn't really learn anything about living off the land, by golly I know I can dig a ditch through solid rock and knowing that gives me a warm feeling about who I am." No. The book gives the impression that the apprentises thought they were there to learn how to live off the land but Eustace failed to tell them that they were there to find out what he himself had always practised, "I will do one thing no matter how hard or how impossible it may seem until it kills me or I master it. Then I can stand straight and in my mind know that I am worth something if to no one but myself."
This is somewhat of a harsh review of a book about a man I've never met but it is based on the impression I got from the book. I wish you eventual happiness Mr. Conway. You've certainly strived for it.
I recommend this book. |
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| "Very interesting! Wonderfully written!" | 2008-03-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1VJ6YJSC1P3C4 |
I really enjoyed this book. It gave an unbiased account of a man, who even in his best intentions, falls short of what he wants to be. Contrary to some of the negative reviews, Gilbert DOES see all that is not right about this man, and she tells us about it.
This book is a journey through the mind and heart of a troubled man and those people who were raptured by his personality and then inevitably disappointed. I loved it! |
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 "Eustace" | 2008-03-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3C9KJMLMJP4XX |
| I have purchased approx. 10 copies of this book-- I find it entertaining, amusing and cannot decide if I liked this man at the end or not. As I live in North Carolina; not far from the subject- guests often think it would be fun to meet him and see how he as aged. Great gift book for -mostly the men in ones life. |
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| "A fascinating mirror" | 2008-03-11 |
| - Reviewed By louispalmer |
This book is more than the biography of an American eccentric. It allows us to look at our own, peculiarly American, mythologies through the lens of one person's life. Many American men aspire to the kind of skills and challenges that Eustace Conway provides for himself. We have a long tradition of reinventing ourselves by way of trials-by-nature. And we are running up to the end of an oil-based economy that has given many Americans unprecedented freedom and mobility, as well as the luxury of ignoring the limitations imposed by natural systems. It is good that Gilbert, with her gentle sense of humor, has documented Conway's achievements and philosophy for us by way of the durable technology of the written book. It may come in handy in years to come. |
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| "A really fun and exciting read" | 2008-02-15 |
| - Reviewed By qacwac3 |
| As a Christian, there are certain things about Eustace Conway's life that I cannot approve of, but I still must admit that many of his views and practices are good and need to be heard. This book helped convince me to quit my job and take the road trip I'd been dreaming about for years. I wish I had read this when I was younger and had less obligations keeping me from adopting or following in more of his footsteps. |
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| "More great writing from Elizabeth Gilbert" | 2008-02-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A9F6TMETARLZL |
I purchased this book after reading and loving "Eat, Pray, Love." I was not disappointed. This is a wonderful portrait of a human being who is so different, yet whose character strikes a familiar cord. Elizabeth's writing is wonderful and a pleasure to read. If you liked Eat, Pray, Love, you'll love this book as well!
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| "Powerful Person, Powerful Prose" | 2007-12-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A38TUSFXIU448E |
Whether or not you appreciate Elizabeth Gilbert's writing style, The Last American Man will have a lasting effect on you. His accomplishments, his inadequacies, but most of all, his admonishments:
His accomplishments are no joke - he has completed more physical feats than I ever hope to do. He pushes himself to achieve and be as disciplined as possible.
I believe a large reason why it had such a powerful effect on me was because Gilbert portrays Eustace as a human character. Folk heroes and legends are awe-inspiring, but not actually inspiring. You need someone to which you can actually relate in order to be affected.
The message contained in this book will keep you awake at night thinking, as well as awaken you in the daytime by raising your level of attention.
The writing style is the only controversial part of this book - the readers seem split. Fellow readers either hate the style or love it. There is very little gray area. However, Gilbert does, in my opinion, a great job acting as a impartial author with an occasional slip-up, giving us insight. And biographers should do so; otherwise, it's just a novel, fiction.
Overall, the best biography I have ever read. So if that is your genre of choice - pick this up and turn some pages. |
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| "fascinating study on the psyche of an unusual person" | 2007-12-05 |
| - Reviewed By jkobres |
My son attended Eustace Conway's camp at Turtle Island when he was about 11 years old. That would have been around 1991. It was truly a unique experience. For about a week after my son returned home from camp, he didn't even turn on the TV. He just made things out of wood and whatever he could find around the house and yard.
I must admit that the picture I came away with of Eustace Conway after reading Gilbert's book was quite different from what I had imagined him to be like. It's very easy to idealize someone who runs a camp like Turtle Island as being such a totally peace-loving, back to nature type guy. For instance, I would never have imagined that growing up Eustace had had such difficulties with his father. Well, I guess that was just silly and naive on my part.
Anyway, I'm really glad I read this book. Gilbert is such a good writer and did such a great job of getting at the psyche of Conway. And I thought she was very even-handed and appropriately non-judgmental in her treatment of Eustace's family members, even his father.
This was a wonderful read! |
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 "Limited portrayal" | 2007-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2PK5OMCPUBWSM |
Gilbert writes that she had "doubts about writing the book" but when someone said "wouldn't you rather make a mistake by doing something than make a mistake by not doing something?" she felt compelled to write Conway's story. And that's the sad part because had she listened to her own doubt she might have postponed writing this book until she became a little older and wiser. Although a gifted writer, I believe it would have been a different story. I can't help but think that because of her focus, Conway will be reluctant to allow another biographer such access. This is a man, who has lived an incredible life, little of which we are privileged to see in this portrayal.
How we like, in certain intellectual circles, to tear down people--to focus only on the defect not the accomplishment, not the journey--not comprehending that life unfolds in its own beauty. Very little, unfortunately, was written about the remarkable accomplishments this man undertook and completed. Traveling down the Mississippi River, hiking across Alaska, scaling cliffs in New Zealand and living with the Navajo of New Mexico, surviving in the wilderness--all are given short shift. Instead the focus of her book is on Conway's troubled relationships with family, later with staff at Turtle Island and through out the book, in great detail, with the women he tried to bond with along the way.
And then there's Gilbert's commentary--about politics, feminism, men's rituals, his family relationships--difficult at times to ascertain fact from tongue--in--cheek, admiration and pure condemnation. A powerful story tells itself--it doesn't need commentary. Let the readers draw their own conclusions. It sometimes felt as if Gilbert needed more pages turned out, thus the commentary--but come on--what a great story to tell, so many more things much more interesting to know . . .
Finally, people notice different things. Some pay more attention to feelings and things, others to nature, logic, art, science. Besides choosing different information to focus on (which often says more about ourselves than others), we also have access to different information. We tend to believe as if we have all the important information there is to know about another, but we don't and so what we choose to focus on is limited by what we see. Age often, but not always, expands what we are capable of seeing. And that's my main problem with this book.
Gilbert was young when she wrote it, most likely struggling with her own relationships, her own identity as a woman and thus the focus of her book. She repeatedly states, for example, that Conway's father was verbally abusive yet writes little concerning two extraordinary attempts of both father and son at reconciliation and yet, isn't this the more poignant story? Did she just have a deadline to meet? (And let me reveal my bias!)
Her portrayal is of a damaged man, not a man in the process of becoming. Becoming what? I don't know but from direct quotes of his conversations with her, a man willing to reflect upon his own life. This could have been a great biography and I'm not stating Gilbert shouldn't have delved into Conway's troubled relationships. I'm simply saying it is only part of the story, filled with commentary when the story could have been presented more powerfully and more simply merely by letting the story tell itself while including the extraordinary with the ordinary.
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