The wind pushes your bouldering feet up the mountain. The breathtaking view behind you gives you breath and spurs you up the mountain face. You are supremely wowed by God's creation. Just when you think it couldn't get any better, you notice a glint of metal at the summit. The pastoral peace is soon curtailed by obnoxious car horns and snacking auto hikers.
If you have ever been horrified at man's blight upon nature, The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey is the book for you. This book, detailing four unlikely crusaders' quest to cure creation of man's ignoble taint, is extremely relevant now in light of the recent eco-terrorist arson fires in New York.
Abbey's colorful characters are fleshed out so evocatively that the reader can feel their indignation over dams, can see their nervous hands gripping chainsaws as they bore into billboards, can sympathize with their vendetta against human encroachment on the wild. Dr. Sarvis is a surgeon whose hobbies include ridding desert landscapes of unsightly billboards and loving his bonny Bonnie. George Washington Hayduke is a grizzled Vietnam veteran who measures road-trip miles by the six-pack and has a strong penchant for revenge. A Mormon river-rat named Seldom Seen Smith loathes the bridges and dams that destroy the beauty of his love. And there is also Bonnie Abbzug, a woman living in a dome and searching for some work that is meaningful for her. None of these environmentalists are tree-huggers--they are more the militant militia of Mother Earth.
Abbey's story is brimming with humor on every page. Although these outlaws are working against the law, their incredibly likable and entertaining personalities endear them to a thoroughly amused audience. The quartet's awkward forays into felony will keep the audience laughing, and their priceless conversational gems will inspire the reader's mimicry. Lines like, "I piss on you all from a considerable height" and "I'll be screwed, blued and tattooed" are nothing if not profound.
For all the hilarity in this book, though, there is also an underlying serious commentary on modern society.
These four idealists are fighting a culture that seems to thrive on conquering the wilderness and defacing it with man-made conveniences. Many of their complaints about America resonate with readers. Although their actions are extreme, most people can sympathize with their reasons. The Monkey Wrench Gang is the story of a small group of politically incorrect outdoor enthusiasts united by their strong passion for environmental change. The reader is almost willing to overlook the countless laws they disregard, because their Robin Hood mentality of "doing wrong to do right" seems to accomplish more than bureaucratic methods ever could.
In the lingo of The Monkey Wrench Gang, this book is not half bad -- it's all good.
