Abbey Books

Great series for young and old looking for a mental shut-down for bed book.

This book started out a little slow but, the more you read the better it gets. It was a great book Wot Wot! It starts out in Riftgaurd, an evil fortress ruled by Ferrets. Triss (Trisscar), the squirrel, and two of her friends, are escape slaves. Princess Kurda
and Prince Bladd are determined to capture them.
In Redwall the dibbons (toddlers) are out of control when two escape into the woods! Find out what surprise is in store in Mossflower.
This book was exciting and fun, another great book by Brian Jacques. I recommend this book to you. (I suggest you read the first one before you read this) Don't forget the other Redwall books these are good books also!

Great stuff, wot! I really enjoy the way that Jacques uses dialogue and poetry in his stories. I can almost hear the medieval music playing in the background. Triss is an excellent protagonist. It's great to see a female hero for a change, especially one with such a driving desire to do justice and set wrongs to right. Sagyx, Scarum, the dibbuns, and even the "baddies" in this tale send me far away from the drudgery of everyday life. Keep up the great stuff Mr. Jacques, I'll gladly return to Mossflower Woods for as long as you can take me there! Redwall!!! Eulalia!! Logalog!!!

The fifteenth Redwall novel, Triss is the story of slaves, pirates, treasure, and riddles. Triss is an escaped slave from the north, hotly pursued by her captors and a Freebooter crew. Meanwhile, a young badger and a hare leave Salamadastron to begin an adventure on their own, and Redwallers discover clues leading them towards Brockhall, the badger home and safehouse from the days before Redwall. The three stories come together when Triss meets up with Sagax the badger and they are chased deep into Mossflower Wood. All of the usual aspects of the Redwall books are here--riddles, adventures, travel, battles, lots of food, as well as a variety of cultures and accents, yet in Triss they seem different: over-exaggerated in many places and unusual in others. Accents are almost comical, the emphasis on food is heavy-handed, and the riddles come in the form of a coded language. Furthermore, the diverse storylines in Triss remain independent almost all of the way through, and the text only feels united and complete in the last through chapters. Despite my love for the Redwall series, I wasn't impressed with this book. I found some characters annoying (a first for this series) and didn't find the plot very exciting. This was just a bad book for Jacques, and it's the first Redwall book I wouldn't recommend.

No doubt that the books in the Redwall series all operate in the same way: they all contain adventures, battles, cultures, accents, food, and riddles. Jacques makes each story unique, but those underlying aspects are almost always there. They are also present in Triss, but it feels like Jacques uses them in a different way in this text. Many of the aspects, food, accents, and riddles in particular, are exaggerated even to the point of being foolish or annoying. Others, the adventures in particular, are isolated from one another, split into too many concurrent plots that don't come together until the end. It seems to me that Jacques was trying to do soemthing new with this book: mix up old aspects, make something funny/more extreme, and approach the plot in a new way. I consider it a failed attempt. Triss doesn't read as smoothly as most Redwall books, and the food and accents actually make some of the characters annoying--something I've never seen before in the series.

That said, Triss isn't a bad book. Jacques is still a solid writer, and even while experimenting with new interpretations of his themes, he manages to write a good, exciting plot with a number of interesting and admirable characters (the warriors, and the protagonist specifically). The book still reads quickly, the sea travel in particular is well described, and journey towards Brockhall should excite longtime readers of the series who will remember it from Mossflower. I do wish that there had been more about Brockhall, however, beyond the final battle there, but I was happy to see it regardless.

Nonetheless, this is the first Redwall book that I wouldn't recommend. It's not a bad read, doesn't take much time, and is probably interesting to longtime Redwall readers. However, it's a poor example of a Redwall book and it feels like a failed experiment on Jacques' part. It's a book you can skip--nothing too important to the larger Redwall chronology occurs, the characters don't stand out, and you'll save yourself some aggravation by avoiding the annoying character that crop up. Unfortunate, but true. I don't recommend this book.

I gave Triss five stars because I really enjoyed it. I loved the poems and songs, especially how they help the charactors of the story. I also enjoyed the fact that all of the charactors in the story were animals. I like how the dialogue really went along with characters,and every animal has its own accent and uses different choices of words. I really found the story very intersting. It had some adventure (which I liked) but mainly dialogue and description. One thing I found most amazing was that at the beginning of every chapter the author makes a beautiful description of the setting. I really enjoyed the story and I hope many people do too.

a quirky and exciting idea, but like my fellow disappointed readers, i found myself skipping whole chapters towards the end, and then otherwise skimming. if i could do it over, i would only read the first 200 pages of this book, and then make up my own more exciting ending, involving jean lafitte. at least that would be a curveball in the plot resolution, which comes at you like a huge, slow, unstoppable, and entirely predictable freight train from the middle of the novel onward.

My idea of a great beach read (for people who aren't into reading Candace B.)

I have been collecting Wes's work since a friend showed me a video on MTV "The Devil In Me" and a live performance of "Cathy's New Clown". His concerts are fantastic (and very affordable), his music is very entertaining. I know of no other book that came about from a song (Miss Fortune)...movies yes, but not a book. The details in the book are so belivable, that I was actually thinking that some of this book must have been written as a loose historical biography.
Buy the book, buy the CD "Songs of Misfortune" by the Love Hall Tryst. Yes this book has a soundtrack. Listen to the songs as they come up in the book. Buy the DVD "A Bloody Show" John Wesley Harding & Friends Live at Bumbershoot 2005 and watch him perform the songs live on stage. Make it a fun and interactive book.

I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, but very long. It took a while for me to get through only because I don't have an abundance of time to read. I found myself putting it down from time to time and picking up another bood to break up the time spent witht the same story.

Starts off with a bang and keeps you turning the pages. The character descriptions are often efficiently precise. You know just who these people are with only a couple of sentences of description. On the other hand, it is sometimes hard to tell exactly in what period the story is set -- sometimes it seems Elizabethan, sometimes Early Industrial. Doesn't really matter, it's an enjoyable read.

I would recomend this book to people.This book is scary but not the scary that gives you nightmares.On the scary meter its in the middle.Also it is great because it leaves you wanting more at the end of the chapter.When Billy finds out he is goin to Camp Nightmoon hes really exited.Once he boards the bus he meets mike. Mike seems cautious and scared to go to camp. Then the bus stops in the middle of nowere and drives away.Then the kids here growling noises and suddenly mysterious animals appear.When Billy is finaly settled in, some strange thing start to happen. Campers suddenly start to disapear and no one seems to care!What will happen to Billy? Will he disapear? Will he escape? To find out, you have to read this amazing book.

Welcome to Camp Nightmare is likely the scariest, most suspenseful Goosebumps book. The story is about a group of children who go to a summer camp, where mysterious things happen. Without ruining much, I'll say that I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

However, the book's ending is unexpected... in a bad way. You'd expect a such a suspenseful book to have an incredible twist at the end, as Stine usually ends his Goosebumps series, but the ending to Welcome ot Camp Nightmare oozes of unoriginallity, and is a giant cop out. R.L. Stine ruined what could have been his greatest book.

This story by R.L. Stine is taking place at "Camp Nightmoon", but its nickname is "Camp Nightmare". A little boy named Billy had never gone camping before. He was scared because during the camp, campers were disappearing. The camp counselors were just saying that the campers never existed. Most of the campers went to the "Forbidden Bunk" and disappeared. The "Forbidden Bunk" is a bunk room where no one is allowed to go, and if they do, they disappear. The camp counselor, "Larry" told everyone about a red-eyed monster called "Sabre" who lives in the "Forbidden Bunk" and eats a camper every night.
In the end, it was not true, it was all a test for Billy. If he passed the test, he would go to another planet called "Earth", for a dangerous mission. The campers weren't really dissappearing, they were all in on the act. "Uncle Al", the camp director, told Billy that he passed the test. Then all the other campers and all their parents came out of the bushes and congratulated Billy.
I liked the book, but it wasn't great. I didn't like the ending because I thought they were already on earth when they were really on a different planet.

This story by R.L. Stine is taking place at "Camp Nightmoon", but its nickname is "Camp Nightmare". A little boy named Billy had never gone camping before. He was scared because during the camp, campers were disappearing. The camp counselors were just saying that the campers never existed. Most of the campers went to the "Forbidden Bunk" and disappeared. The "Forbidden Bunk" is a bunk room where no one is allowed to go, and if they do, they disappear. The camp counselor, "Larry" told everyone about a red-eyed monster called "Sabre" who lives in the "Forbidden Bunk" and eats a camper every night.
In the end, it was not true, it was all a test for Billy. If he passed the test, he would go to another planet called "Earth", for a dangerous mission. The campers weren't really dissappearing, they were all in on the act. "Uncle Al", the camp director, told Billy that he passed the test. Then all the other campers and all their parents came out of the bushes and congratulated Billy.
I liked the book, but it wasn't great. I didn't like the ending because I thought they were already on earth when they were really on a different planet.

As Welcome to Camp Nightmare begins we join a lively group of youngsters headed to the sleep-away camp, Camp Nightmoon, called Camp Nightmare by the campers...and with good reason. In this volume we meet 12 year old Billy who is headed out for his first time at sleep-away camp, we join him on the bus ride with his fellow campers, including two girls who are headed to the girls camp of the same name, just across the river. Billy hits it off with one of the girls and hopes to see her as the summer goes on. They are let off abruptly and left alone at a station where they are nearly set upon by large wild dogs. They are whisked away to Camp Nightmoon where he is assigned to Bunk 4, just down the hill from the ominous "Forbidden Bunk" which they are told to stay away from at all costs or a wolf like monster called Sabre will kill them. They are also warned against bear attacks...all of this seems highly causal to both the reader and to Billy who wonders why his parents would send him off to a camp that is so dangerous.

Almost immediately things head down hill for Billy and his bunk mates; Larry (their camp counselor who isn't around much and is indifferent when he is), Roger, Jay, Collin and Mike. Snakes attack Mike whose hand swells up, Billy comes through with a plan to get the snakes out of the bunk, but it's too late for poor Mike's hand...even worse, there's not nurse at the camp and Neither Uncle Al (runs the camp) nor Larry seem to care in the slightest. From there, it's a downward spiral for Billy and his bunkmates as one after another mysteriously disappears and as fear mounts for Billy wondering why Larry and Uncle Al seem so oblivious and unconcerned about something that is very wrong at Camp Night Moon...will Billy escape the fate of his bunkmates? You'll have to read to find out.

Overall, Camp Nightmare is an over-the-top, no holds barred near-parody of the classic sleep-away camp horror/thriller story. We are given a camp where EVERYTHING is wrong and where our hopelessly frightened protagonist is faced with a monster, the "forbidden bunk," disappearing bunkmates, a cruel counselor, a possibly psychotic Uncle Al, and a steadily mounting feeling that Billy's days are numbered! Camp Nightmare manages to be both suspenseful and horrific in a tame sort of way...one that makes the reader want to stop all the action and shake the character while screaming NO WAY...stop and think about it...but he never does and in the end we are given a totally unique twist (that is equally as unrealistic as the rest of the book) when the book comes to a screeching halt, concluding very abruptly! All the loose ends are tied up and the story IS entertaining, though your brain will scream NO WAY for most of the book, I give it four stars (instead of three) because I totally didn't see the ending that Stine gave it, so despite the over exaggerated plot details, he "got" me in the end. This is the type of book you read for the sheer entertainment of it...you know it's not right, you know it's unrealistic...yet you are compelled to read it to the very last page and you walk away with a little giggle and rolling your eyes...but you have been entertained and that makes it worth reading.

The is a great way to get all the books at a crazy low price! The only drawback is the big book. As, I read from home it's not an issue.There are also illustrations. Love these stories!

I do not recommend this book based soley on the miniscule size of it's print.
I have read Austen's books before and wanted the whole collection. I am unable to read this one without a magnifying glass because the print is the size of the worst phone book you have ever tried to read. I intend to get a new collection, this time with readable print. What a mistake this one was!!

Received book in perfect condition. Book arrived within a few days. Very satisfied with seller.

Whoever is acquainted with Jane Austen's novels probably understands that her place in literature is almost unique for the period in which she wrote. She traveled her own road, and in the process published some of the most entertaining stories of any era. Don't bother to look hard for a hidden theme or complex plot. I've never been able to uncover any such thing. But for sheer artistry in description and narrative, she ranks with the best. With Austen you get entertained, much like a good movie. The present volume offered by Shoes & Ships...publishers contains nearly all that Austen ever wrote and squeezes it between two covers. No frills at all. No Introduction or Commentary even. Just solid Austen at a bargain price. You'll get a delightful look at how things were with the English upper & middle classes at the turn of the 18th century and hardly even notice the slight dent in your charge card.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK ----- LETTER TOO SMALL TO READ!
All book letter size is like disclaimers...letter size is 4 or 5

This is one of those odd books that is remarkably hard to categorize, even though it does fit quite neatly into the fantasy section of any bookstore. You see here we have a book about Elves, who live in faire, and the women can all "shape" things (such as fabric flowers out a piece of a thread, or pain into flesh, or healing) while the men forage for any supplies needed-in the mortal world.

These elves don't really do anything but farm (or their servants, the gnomes, dwarfs, and so on) farm, so they need almost everything from the mortal side of the "veil." Meanwhile the elves have tons of children, since they're immortal, and most of these kids turn into gnomes or dwarfs or some other kind of fairy creature, occasionally even a dragon. There are also ogres about, and to be protected from these beasts, goblins make bargains to protect the homesteads of each elf couple (yup, just like in the Wild West) in exchange for iron chains which the women shape as their induction into adulthood.

But this land is full of secrets, upon secrets, upon secrets. Mostly about why all of the children that our heroine has keeps turning into something else when she so desperately wants them to be elves. And there's some kind of goblin conspiracy, a whole lot of weird religion stuff (and I do mean weird) and some fairly odd interactions with the mortal world.

All in all this isn't a bad book, it's just strange. There's a constant shifting of perspective which makes things a little hard to track, and I will never understand why the elf husband married the elf wife in this first place-I mean he seemed so disinterested and then all of a sudden he's head over heals in love. In general, the book was kind of blah. I can't even remember the names of the main characters, which shows you how much I cared about them.

In all, could have been worse, could have been better, so three stars.

I usually can read a 500 page novel in about 4 days. Jerlayne took me over 2 weeks - and I really pushed myself to finish!

This book had very little explaination about how/why certain things were happening. I felt like I was reading the second book in a series the entire time. The characters were totally uninteresting - even the title character Jerlayne was a bore. I had no sympathy to anyone in this book because they were 2-dimentional sadsacks. I would have liked to read more about the relationships between the characters instead of being told "they loved each other." I wish we would have been shown more than told.

If you like books that are about having children and housework, by all means, read Jerlayne.

If you like books that have a smooth plot, interesting/believable relationships, and intelligence please, read something else.

This was a wonderful read. The portrayal of elves as immortals who filch whatever they can't produce in Fairie (iron, non-stick frying pans, synthetics, etc.) was new and intriguing. From the first few pages Jerlayne is established as an exasperating, intelligent and clueless woman. Witness, for example, her brilliant mastery of the twenty link chain and then her subsequent overdose of bryony to cure the iron-poisoning.

I look forward to reading more about this new version of Faerie, and sincerely hope that they are in the works.

While I wouldn't call it literature, this book is a spellbinding, if deeply flawed, depiction of a well conceived and well fleshed-out world that even those not fond of the elf/fairy/gnome genre will enjoy. I found it extremely enjoyable and resonant in the way that good mythology is, but you have to stick it out through the first hundred pages or so to get to the good stuff. What sets this book apart is its refreshing injection of an unflinching and boldly drawn modern-day mortal realm into the otherwise mostly bland and sweet Faerie. It's like adding rocket boosters to the story. Look to meet a character you won't soon forget. My biggest problem with the book was the unevenness of the writing and the lack of emotional payoff (at least for me) at the end. Sometimes the dialogue is so good it crackles; other times it is confusing or ingenuine. Some of the plot elements seem forced as well. Author Lynn Abbey does such a skillful job in the book's thick middle section of building a strong plot and character conflict that I expected the resolution of those elements to be of comparable high quality. But Abbey seems unsure how to resolve them, especially the lopsided sexual/romantic competition for Jerlayne's love between heroic Goro and tender but weak Aulaudin. Abbey goes to great lengths at the end to counter Goro's strong presence and appeal (ladies, prepare to fall for him) by bolstering Aulaudin's manliness, but it is not convincing, and ultimately Jerlayne's character becomes lackluster as Abbey fits her to remain happily with Aulaudin. Throughout most of the book, Jerlayne's character is quite likeable, even if her "cluelessness," as another character puts it, sometimes makes her seem less than heroic, and she seems to stumble across the truth more than she seeks it out. Her claim of being the one who "changes the world and saves Faerie" is also dubious considering that it is another character's willingness to pay the ultimate price that seems to save it; look for some sometimes disturbing Christ imagery. It is also dissatisfying that this character's sacrifice seems to go unappreciated by the other characters. However, there is a fairly satisfying redemption of another character, and a grisly death for another. The supporting characters are often richer and more interesting than Jerlayne, and you will find that you care about some of them most, including the fierce and mournful Evoni; tormented Cuz; loyal Joff; mischievous Maun; other characters that it would blow the plot to disclose; and Goro, who is the most vividly and sympathetically drawn. If the plot falters sometimes, nevertheless the story is always interesting and complex. Abbey also includes some "cool" concepts such as riding shadows and skirting two realms to shorten traveling distance. With all its faults, this book is a page-turner and I have found myself rereading my favorite parts over and over again. And writing long reviews. Enjoy!

Jerlayne was a fantastic novel. It took me almost 2 weeks, maybe less. this book had millions of twists & turns. Once you thought you knew something for sure, it'd change like that. There's so many lies in this book, also. It's very imagative how elves are born. Cuz is very funny in this book. Time goes fast in this book & the mortal realm changes fast. I can't believe Jerlayne [interacts with] a goblin, who's blue! It's a krazy story. Plus Aulaudin never gets angry at Jerlayne for cheating on him. If you love fantasies with romance & comedy then you should read Jerlayne. I couldn't stop turning the pages. It was so interesting & thrilling. It kept me at the edge of my seat. It's 1 book i'll read again in the future. There better be a second or something like it soon!

"Out of Time" follows the story of E--, a 51 year old librarian, who discovers that her sleep is filled with more than just dreams. E-- uses her newly discovered powers to rescue a young college couple from a mysterious malevolence.

The setting is modern day, with dream-magic and curses. the plot is interesting, the characters well developped, and all quite well described. The cats & computers & setting are well portrayed, and the conversations skillfully written. The point-of-view sticks with E-- like glue.

E--'s life is filled with morose happenings, which she feels obliged to dwell upon constantly. Two messy divorces, no dates or love life, a distant relationship with her dad (now deceased), abandoned by her mother when one year old, said mother when she finally shows up quite callous, two grown stepchildren who never call or write, no siblings, no close friends, a borring career that is going nowhere, and no hobbies. Whew. Emotionally, the mood of "Out of Time" is so very depressing.

Overall, "Out of Time" is suitable for a rainy afternoon read.

Lynn Abbey has always had the happy knack of writing what I wanted to read at the time I needed it. (I'm excluding her franchise work here.) This book is no exception.

The main characters in fantasy works are often very young. The theme is often coming of age. This is a fantasy for the sandwich generation, the one caught between the demands of children and aging parents. The story opens with the heroine essentially an orphan. Her father, who raised her after her mother's death, has died. Romantic relationships have failed her and all she retains of her last marriage is an attachment to her step children. However, she finds herself reluctantly playing maternal figure to some troubled college kids while her mother reappears.

It turns out her life is a great deal more complicated than she expected. There are going to be great demands placed on her but she is going to have great personal resources to meet these demands.

Watching the heroine discovering who she is and essentially coming into her power is a positive experience. I found myself cheering her on as she copes with the unexpected burdens she finds laid on her, both magical and mundane. Of the three faces of the goddess-- virgin, matron, hag, this is the one that is shown the least and I'm very happy to have Ms. Abbey fill this lack.

Kept me interested throughout. Unusual concept of time travel which seems to work well with the story. I also liked having a 50 something heroine for a change instead of a sweet young thing!

Emma Merrigan is a 40-something librarian raised by her professor father. She lives in academia: a community that doesn't take a lot of risks and generally doesn't have a lot of adventures.

Emma offers help to Jennifer a young student who's clearly been battered. The girl's presence in her life, in her home, brings back nightmares from a past Emma didn't have. When Jennifer's boyfriend shows up, Emma believes the young man suffers an ancient curse, which she sets out to moot. In doing so, she discovers powers and history she never expected.

Emma, a 50 year-old university librarian, has led a fairly normal existence until the day she stumbles upon a strange box in her basement. Her real name, Merle Acalia, is written across the yellowed cardboard. Inside she finds a book of charms and spells and old letters, all left to her by Eleanor, the mother who abandoned her when she was very young. To her distress Emma becomes involved in a world of dimensions she had never imagined, a frightening world where curses take on form and must be hunted through time and destroyed lest they cause terrible suffering for those who live in the here-and-now. With reluctance Emma takes up the mantel of hunter-witch. Out of Time has a brilliant plot and intricate, believable characters. There is a proper ending, but with one part of the plot left unresolved, leaving it obvious that there is a sequel. I searched Amazon.com to discover the title - Behind Time. I can't wait to read it!

Jail breaks, gun fights with lawmen, cooking beans in the desert -- I love it!

If you're a fan of Ed Abbey, you really ought to read this book. It's not his best work, because his views are presented with a very thin plot. The image of the cowboy riding down the freeway was lovely, however and it doesn't feel too preachy. I would recommend Monkey Wrench Gang or Desert Solitaire to anyone just breaking into Abbey's work. They're simply better peices and frankly, they appear to have been written for a more educated audience than Brave Cowboy.

Brave Cowboy is a quick, easy read that will entertain you and will help clarify Abbey's views on freedom, men and women. It's unlikely you'll agree with him, but the subtext of the book will make you think more than the plot itself.

While other reviews will give you a plot synopsis and their reaction to the book, or a comparison with the movie, "Lonely Are The Brave," I will limit my review to a few off the wall observations. First, I liked this book a lot and believe the adaptation by Dalton Trumbo to be one of the most faithful by any screenwriter. Often it is difficult not to think of the movie a book is based on while reading it (if you've seen the movie first). But Abbey is so good he made me forget I'd seen the movie and allowed me to lose myself in his words and story. So, a great book, well written, that didn't back away from some of the political hot potatoes most writers and publishers would rather avoid (draft dodging, property rights, etc.).

Few books have made me cry at the end -- usually it's when I think of the time and money wasted on them. This one left me in tears because of a profound sense of loss of another kind, the loss of men such as John W. Burns, the loss of the maverick, the loss of a true voice of the west, and the loss of a west that we will never know except through books and movies.

But one thing impressed me as much as the contents of the book -- its binding. Rarely does anyone discuss this, but I have to say that this edition is the best bound I've ever read. The spine was not stiff and the pages were very flexible allowing me to read one handed almost anywhere. If all paperbacks used this same binding, I wouldn't have to replace my often-read books every eight or nine years. So, from this perspective, the publisher is allowing Abbey's work a much longer life in one edition. Possibly a tribute to Abbey's philosophy, or merely a coincidence, either way I remain impressed by this. This may be the only paperback I own that I can pass to my grandson, as is, for his enjoyment in the future.

This book has been in my bookcase for sometime and I am not clear where it came from. Perhaps a Christmas present. Perhaps an impulse purchase as I enjoy this author, even though we are politically poles apart.

Regardless, I noticed it a few days ago and started reading it and was once again immersed in Edward Abbey's view of life from fifty-two years ago.

Jack Burn's and Paul Bondi are friends that go way back although they have drifted apart. Burn's rides back into the Bondi's life on the back of a fractious young horse he has named Whiskey only to find that his friend is in the County Jail awaiting transfer to a federal penitentary for failing to register for the draft.

Burns has an idea that if he can get into the jail, he can break his friend out and they can though go live in the mountains until the law gets tired of looking for them. He manages to get himself arrested and it looks as though his screwball plan may in fact work...except Bondi will have no part of it. He has two years to serve and a wife and child to return to. His days of protesting and supporting anarchy are over.

Burns and a couple of others manage the escape and part their seperate ways. It has come to the attention of the authorities that Burns, like Bondi has protested the Draft Registration Law and are interested in interrogating him. But first they have to find him.

The balance of the book is taken over with the search for Burns by the authorities which allows Abbey to trot out many of his political views in an entertaining way in the point and counterpoint action between the hunters and the hunted.

Even fifty-six years after it's original publication this is a book still worth reading notwithstanding the preface that Abbey writes:

"This is only a story. None of it really happened. How could it? How could such people be? The prisoner is probably a professor. The sheriff loses the next election. The truckdriver died of emphysema. And as for the cowboy, that character, why nobody even knows where he is anymore. Or even, to be honest, if he ever really was."

Right. Only a story. But, there are stories, and there are stories. This is one you will remember.

It was one of Edward Abbey's regrets that he was appreciated more for his nature writing ("Desert Solitaire") than his fiction. And it was another regret that he was mostly forgotten as the author of the story on which the movie "Lonely are the Brave" was based. However, after reading "The Brave Cowboy," I'd have to vote with those who find his nonfiction far more inspiring and satisfying. It's a novel that still rewards the reading, but almost 50 years after its publication in 1956, it seems somewhat dated, while "Desert Solitaire" remains as fresh and relevant as if it were written yesterday.

Abbey was still in his twenties when he wrote this novel, and its point of view is that of a young man full contradictory passions and attitudes. The brave cowboy of the title, a prototypical figure on horseback, is the central character in maybe half the pages of the novel. A younger college friend, imprisoned for refusing to register for the draft, is another character. The local sheriff gets a large section to himself. The novel also follows the progress of a long-haul truck driver across the country. The lives of these four characters intersect in the narrative, while each of them also represents a different perspective. And they don't all quite converge in a single point of view. But that was Abbey, an outspoken man who wasn't afraid to contradict himself.

To its credit, the novel can be read on more than one level. It uses the cowboy to represent free-spirited, libertarian ideas set in conflict with brute ignorance and repression. It decries urbanization and celebrates the limitless, stark beauty of the mountains and desert (the novel is set in northern New Mexico). It's also a prison drama, and it tells a satirical yet gripping story of heavily armed but mostly inept law officers in pursuit of a fugitive. A reader interested in a 1950s view of the West and its people in post-war transition will find much to enjoy in Abbey's youthful book about a mythic cowboy's adventure and the lives it disrupts.

As a companion volume, I'd also recommend James Galvin's "Fencing the Sky," which tells a similar story about a cowboy pursued across a Western landscape by the law.

Damn fine novel. A comabtive and comic work from the "Desert Anarchist". Find out where all that "Hayduke Lives!" grafiti is coming from.

Read "The Monkey Wrench Gang" first - that is where the characters are developed. Unfortunately, Abbey wastes our time in the first few chapters of this novel trying to redevelop them. However, "Hayduke Lives" recovers with a bout against the all-encompassing American Goliath. When you realize that your government is against your best interests with your national treasures (NPS = National Parking Lot Service), then you will know it is time to pick up the monkey wrench. For example, Yosemite National Park just cut an acre of trees for new development on the valley floor after declaring them a "fire hazard." I am pro-Abbey and a resident of the American Southwest, also a kindred spirit. His "Rule #1 'Don't get caught.'" is also my own. Carry on for the sake of all things living.

Mike Zinsley, author of The Rapture of the Deep

In "The Monkey Wrench Gang," Edward Abbey told the story of four friends who decide to do whatever possible to stop the explotation and overdevelopment of the West. Mainly, they blow stuff up and wreck machines, but they have a fun time doing it.
In "Hayduke Lives!," the sequel to that book, Edward Abbey returns to those characters and tries to stir them up to action once again, this time with the threat of a giant bulldozer about to destroy a beautiful canyon.
Yeah....
First of all, do not read this until you've read "The Monkey Wrench Gang" first. And even then, think about it carefully before reading this half-formed, rambling, disappointing sequel.
I loved "The Monkey Wrench Gang"--I've read it multiple times--and so the first fifty pages or so of this were just a lot fun to me, being reunited with the characters from that book.
But then, the story never really goes anywhere. The novel constantly digresses to describe sex scenes or Earth First! rallies, and it's not until page 270(!) of a 307-page novel that the four original members of the Monkey Wrench Gang finally reunite.
The book rambles on in an unfocused way that damages the characters that were so nicely formed in the first book, constantly digresses, and ultimately, unfortunately, becomes much more violent than "The Monkey Wrench Gang" ever did.
The writing is occassionally good--sometimes even great--and some of the scenes are exciting, but none of it ever goes anywhere. There are too many characters and not enough character development, and the whole thing with the bulldozer comes across as lame and cheesy, especially when the first book set up their next goal to be something much bigger and more exciting--the destruction of Glen Canyon Dam.
Read this only if you absolutely LOVED "The Monkey Wrench Gang," but even then, be warned that this might dampen your enthusiasm even for that book. It's pretty disappointing, especially coming from an author that we all know was capable of much, much better.

This is definitely a worthy sequel to the classic Monkey Wrench Gang, though here Abbey's writing gets rather cranky and hyperbolic. The Gang has reunited, with crazy Hayduke working undercover and in a variety of subversive guises, to pull off the ultimate humungous eco-activist caper of the century. The villain is the hubristically enormous earthmoving machine G O L I A T H, which is literally moving mountains in Abbey's beloved slickrock country, at the behest of industrial and government lackeys. Abbey unleashes an unceasing torrent of his enviro-anarchist philosophy through the mouths of the characters, both the good and bad guys, though this leads to characters who often make huge voluminous speeches, as opposed to believable conversations.

Abbey throws in some perceptive criticism of less committed and under-informed nature lovers, while lambasting the typical money-hungry developers. This is great for the thinking reader, but unfortunately the book takes on a rather cranky and unforgiving tone overall. There are some plot problems, with under-elaborated characters such as the Colonel, the presence of the Monkey Wrench Gang book in this book's universe (Abbey does not explain this phenomenon well at all), and the presence of the mysterious Lone Ranger character, who is from a different Abbey book that I thought took place in a different reality and time stream. The shifting behaviors and attitudes of Bonnie and Hayduke in particular are also real problems in character construction. But in the end, if you're in the right frame of mind and of the proper political stance, Abbey's philosophy as contained here is incredibly thought-provoking. And the climax to this novel, in which the Gang pulls off an act of sabotage that's G O L I A T H in size and audacity, is hugely uproarious. [~doomsdayer520~]

The name Edward Abbey is a foul couple of words for some, and is followed by foul language off the tongue of the same people. But, it shouldn't...both for his great body writings and for his fierce appreciation for everything that makes the American West great. "The Monkey Wrench Gang" and its sequel "Hayduke Lives" are classic American Literature as well as important social commentary on who we are and what should matter to us as a society and a country. (This review is for both books so might be a bit longer than usual.)

Yes, Abbey was an environmentalist; but, a he was also flawed just as we all are in this area - when he was younger on his first visit to the Grand Canyon, he rolled a tire over the edge because he could. He already appreciated the American West, but the human side of him did it anyway. Yes, Abbey was a curmudgeon; but, it worked - he got the attention of everyone, on both sides of any issue.

With "The Monkey Wrench Gang", Abbey spun a fantastic tale of a hodgepodge band of characters that were bound by a love for the west, and distaste for anything that they saw as ruining it. Bonnie Abbzug, the exile from the east who couldn't stand cheap talk and always wanted action; she found a place in the canyons of the Southwest where one could hear her own thoughts - unlike the canyons of New York that she fled. Doc Sarvis, M.D., a doctor with a passion for his hobby - the burning of any billboard that ruined everyone's view of the landscape (which were pretty much all of them). Seldom Seen Smith, a few wives, a Colorado River Boatman, and a few steps ahead of the Bishop...'nuff said.

And then there is George Washington Hayduke III...this former Green Beret will not stop until he gets to the bottom of who is messing with his desert; and he intends to put a stop to it. I had a college professor like Hayduke.

At its heart, "The Monkey Wrench Gang" is a buddy movie written in words' a buddy movie about the American West. An American West that is being overrun by those fleeing the east and looking for more space and a better life, but cannot but help but bring everything wrong with where they are coming from with them; at the same time, this is a book about those entrenched in the west for generations that can't control themselves when it comes to growth, progress, and the American Way: GREED. This is a book about those who care enough about the human race to actually do something to keep it from destroying itself. This is a book about the self-determined people of the west; a group that sometimes loses its way - a fear of the decadence of East (and California), but who can't help but let a little greed get in they way of their way of live as they build and build and build to accommodate the every expanding needs of the new exiles from more crowded locales.

"The Monkey Wrench Gang" is a book about a system gone wrong and a band of idealists looking for a way to head it off at the pass before it plummets over the edge into the abyss.

As much as "The Monkey Wrench Gang" is a book about idealists, "Hayduke Lives" is a pessimistic book about idealism gone a little wrong. "Hayduke Lives" was Abbey's last book, and it was his last will and testament in a way as well. For all that "The Monkey Wrench Gang" inspired a generation of environmentalists, "Hayduke Lives" is Abbey's critique of the fourteen years that come in between. He is critiquing what he sees is a movement that has lost its way; not just his views of where the Sierra Club went wrong, but also how Earth First! stumbled and fumbled their way off the right path. But, at the same time, Abbey is screaming for us to find our way and find a balance before it is too late.

I think that while "The Monkey Wrench Gang" is universal in its message and unambiguous - a message that everyone, environmentalist and developer alike, can learn from - "Hayduke Lives" is more philosophical and introspective...introspective for the reader as well as Abbey. In "Hayduke Lives", Abbey's message is more subtle and more undefined. What I came away with was his disgust and disappointment with a movement wandering the wilderness lost; but at the same time, I found a message of hope between the lines, a message that we better find a way to get along and work together or destroy each other and ourselves.

In the end, these two books must be judged by each individual reader; the reader must find their own path to meaning and purpose in Abbey's words. Glen Canyon Dam, at the focus of both books, is a monstrosity to some and a godsend to others; to some, it has destroyed a magnificent canyon, and to others it has made unchecked progress in the west possible. The real answer, I think, is somewhere in between.

If you advocate for the dismantling of the dam, then be honest about what that actually means: that overgrown metropolises in the dry desert such a Phoenix and Las Vegas will have to cease to exist; that people in Ohio won't get good, fresh lettuce in the winter; that first people must understand what John Wesley Powell tried to tell everyone well over 100 years ago...the American West cannot support a limitless supply of humanity, that the American West has a FINITE amount of water to go around. Until everyone affected understands what is truly at stake, then the message of tearing down the dam is empty and hollow...and maybe a bit self-centered.

If you fight to defend the dam, fine, but check your own greed (five bedrooms and 3000 square feet for a husband, wife, and two kids is greed - how many storage units do you rent for all of your stuff?). Yes, the dam has brought progress to the American West, but at what cost? What is the carrying capacity of the West? Are we approaching it? Has it passed us by and we are just waiting for it all to collapse? How low does Lake Powell need to go next time before we wake up and realize that water is not a limitless resource in the arid west?

Glen Canyon Dam was built before I was born; but, if the effort were being made today to build it, I would fight with all of my energy - resistance is never futile. But, it is there and nothing that I do, or the Sierra Club does, or the Glen Canyon Institute does will change that...not without educating Americans to what we are doing wrong and how we can do it right. Geologic time will take care of Glen Canyon Dam; it could be in 200 years, 500 years, 1,000 years, or longer, but it will remove the dam - larger natural dams have existed across the Colorado River and nature has always removed them eventually.

Read these two books. Read the writings of John Wesley Powell. Visit the area, tour the dam, and figure it out for yourself. Then, lets all figure it out together.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

This was so good, it kept me up all night. Scary and suspensful you really feel the creature creeping up on you, and forces you to examine if there could be a monster under the bed. He is a master at the good vs evil plot line, incredible fight scenes and plenty of action. This is a fast paced page turner. I think this will make a wonderful movie if handled correctly. The hero was sympathetic and I really appreciated the spiritual theme. I would recommend this book.

Wow, I'm surprised there aren't more people who like this book. I thought it was great. I've never read another book by this author, but it seems from reading the other reviews that he was a lot better with his earlier books. I guess some people were spoiled by them. . . But whats so bad about this book? Its fast paced, short, its got an interesting story and interesting characters, and theres a ton of action. . .

Well whatever, I thought it was a good book and was a lot of fun. . .

Pros: Great story, fast paced, 2 out of 10 characters are interesting. Exciting action. The trips to back Calvary make the book very meaningful.
Cons: Very poorly written. Choppy and sometimes hard to follow even though the story is very basic. Huggins needs to hire an editor to fix all the mistakes or at least a good friend that'll proof read it first. The many fight scenes get confusing so you have to read them without trying to figure them out, especially the fight in the stairwell. Made my head spin trying to figure out where all the characters were. Many characters are shallow at best and then they just disappear from the story altogether.

I'm not sure I'll ever pick up another Huggins book but maybe he's improved since Nightbringer. I sure hope so. I'd hate to see such a good story idea go to waste on such poor writing.

This is the first Huggins's book I've read. After reading about him for years, I finally decided to dive in and see what all the fuss was about.

Well, I was both impressed and disappointed.

First I'll get the disappointments out of the way. The writing was quite sloppy. I can't even count how many times a sentence started with And or But. I know this is acceptable and I agree: when used correctly it can add great tension to the writing. In this case, however, it did not. The use of the conjunction at the beginning of the sentence is supposed to add surprise, make a strong point, give the sentence greater meaning, etc. When it is used nearly every other paragraph and in some cases back to back to back, it just becomes tiring and weak.

Also, the almost constant use of ellipsis (. . .) is irritating. After seeing them so many times, I just gave up trying to apply them to the scene or dialogue they were supposed to strengthen.

Finally, the repetition of words--such as blood. I know Huggins values a simple hand off from writer to reader, and describing blood as a crimson flow of life-producing liquid could damper the scene. Equally dampening is a non-creative use of the same word again and again. It looses potency and the reader feels cheated, like the author didn't take enough time to edit the book so it flowed smoothly.

With concerns to the writing, this felt like a first, and very rough draft to me. I don't doubt that Huggins can write better than this--maybe this was just too rushed.

Okay, on to the praise. The mere fact that even after all this ranting I still give the book 3 1/2 stars is testament to the power of the story. Tourists visiting an abbey hidden in the mountains and becoming stranded by a snowstorm then hunted by a monster sounds like great fun! Throw in a centuries old warrior who like big guns and swords and is almost superhuman--now we're cookin'! Yes, the story was thrilling and at times very creative and unique. It's a shame that the writing couldn't stand up to it.

Had the story been weak, I probably would've left Huggins's other books on the shelf. However, the story was great and I plan to read his new offering: Sorcerer.

I was on the way to check out at a small book store when the cover art caught my eye. The book had been left on a table by another customer or I'd never have discovered it. I don't think I have EVER browsed "religious fiction" in my life! But what a find! The book is a quick read - much because of the unusually large font, but mainly because it is action packed!
The author tells a tale weaving together the stuff of legend, history, nightmares and the Christian religion in a very entertaining plot line. I was not thrilled with the character of Gina(female FBI agent) but did like the way he softened her character by adding her two young children to the mix of innocent people trapped through a snow storm in an ancient monestary with an evil force more ancient than the abbey itself. I found the story so intriguing, that I plan to dig into the notion of the Nephilim (half human half demon figures who supposedly are the legend behind Goliath and things that go bump in the night). Cassius was a familiar character - the centurion who speared Christ on the cross to prove his death thus healed of coming blindness when Christ's blood spilled onto his face. He appears here as a Christian himself - a believer who suffers through the guilt of his participaption in the crucifixtion and wages an eternal battle against the evil Nephilim.

While I didn't find the author's writing to have the same polish that would earn it 5 stars -I enjoyed it enough to finally locate the religious fiction section and to pick up another of his books!

A WORLD OF THEIR OWN...

LYNN ABBEY
POUL ANDERSON
ROBERT ASPRIN
JOHN BRUNNER
JOE HALDEMAN
ANDREW J. OFFUTT

Have created Sanctuary, and people it with wonders: One-Thumb (The crooked bartender at The Vulgar Unicorn); Enas Yorl, magician and involuntary shape changer (he lost a duel with another magician); Jubal, ex-gladiator and slave who is now a pillar of the community (he made his money selling slaves); Lythande the Star-browed (his magic is in question, his sword-play is not); Cappen Varra the Minstral (the only honest man in Sanctuary). These are just some of the unforgettable players you will meet on a stage where murder, mayhem, and skullduggery - with always a bit of magic - are the order of the day.

A shared world anthology to come out of a science fiction convention meeting between a group of established authors.

Thieves World : Sentences of Death - John Brunner
Thieves World : The Face of Chaos - Lynn Abbey
Thieves World : The Gate of the Flying Knives - Poul Anderson
Thieves World : Shadowspawn - Andrew J. Offutt
Thieves World : The Price of Doing Business - Robert Lynn Asprin
Thieves World : Blood Brothers - Joe W. Haldeman
Thieves World : Myrtis - Christine DeWees
Thieves World : The Secret of the Blue Star [Lythande] - Marion Zimmer Bradley


Reading, writing and spells.

3 out of 5


Card reading can be scary.

3.5 out of 5


Down and out godrobbery, and sikkintair swordplay.

3.5 out of 5


Wanding, women and whipping.

3 out of 5


Gladiator commerce is death.

4 out of 5


Dog racing dodginess and stabbing.

2.5 out of 5


Really old and really good looking is handy for running a brothel, but a bit off-putting for the average bloke.

3.5 out of 5


Master magician duel and horizontal mambo mojo inflicted.

3.5 out of 5

Thieves' World, edited by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey is an excellent book. The small city of Sanctuary, a city where every resident, down to small children, must thieve, cheat, or scam every earning they make. It is in this waste-land that Robert invited other published fantasy authors to place their characters, each of which could be used by the other authors, within certain limits. For example Mr. Brunner couldn't kill off Poul Anderson's character, or alter him to an extreme. However, the collection of stories piece together the history of Sanctuary, a seamless mosaic of literary genius. Thieves' World is not to be passed by.

I picked up this little, actually rather large book, at the library and became intrigued at first by its title: Sanctuary. The picture on the front depicted people of a time long ago, in a medievil setting...even more interested, I flipped through a bit. Hmmm...three books in one. I must say, this is the most interesting anthology that I have ever read...you get the feeling as you read along, with all of the different perspectives of so many authors, that the story just came together at the end brilliantly. That being said, I cannot find the book on amazon containing all three books, I will begin with "Thieve's World."

A marvelous first short story introduces us to Enas Yorl, a mighty magician with a terrible curse. Is he good, or evil, or neither...interestingly enough, he is depicted as both sensual, and downright disgusting...if that can make any sense without giving the story away. Anyhow, he is an extremely interesting character who will make many more appearances as you read on. Unfortunately for Jarveena, she kind of falls out of the story, so do not get too attached to her! You will, however, also meet Illyra and Dubro, who are vital occupants of Sanctuary. Again, you get different versions of them from different authors, but they are basically harmless, but still rather important.

This is also the first introduction to the charachter of Molin Torchholder. You will love to hate him, even though he is a supposed man of the cloth. However, the gods in Sanctuary are quite different than the gods that are revered today. Remember, this town is very medievil, and even a bit mythological, as well.

In my opinion, one of the most important, if not the most important, character of this series is introduced in the fourth story, Shadowspawn, or Hanse the thief. A brilliant example of why females love the bad boys! Oh, how we do love their soft and vulnerable sides. Just read about him and you will also fall in love instantly!

Than, of course, their is the mage, Lythande, who holds a heavy secret in order to be a part of the Blue Stars. What will become of him in stories to come?

All in all, I think the authors worked really hard at bringing an illusionary world to life. The characters are all amazing, not to mention the extra twist you get from seeing the other authors points of view on some of the more important characters. A great read, indeed, you will be begging for more of that desolite town!

The darkly grim city of Sanctuary was an immediate hit with readers, and not surprisingly, gamers wanted to adapt the city to their fantasy game settings. The Thieves World roleplaying game (ISBN 093363501X) was released in 1981. Greg Stafford, et al at Chaosium, worked with with some of the brighter lights of the RPG industry (Dave Arneson, Steve Marsh, Midkemia Press, Marc Miller, Steve Perrin, Lawrence Schick, Ken St. Andre, and many others) to make the Thieves' World RPG compatible with 9 RPG systems: AD&D, Adventures in Fantasy, Chivalry & Sorcery, DragonQuest, D&D, The Fantasy Trip, RuneQuest, Traveller, and Tunnels & Trolls.

Truly a Rosetta Stone of early roleplaying, the box set includes 3 source books and 3 fold-out maps (A map of Sanctuary, the Maze, and the Maze Underground). Gorgeous!


Wayne Gralian
Wayne's World of Books