Ben E P reviewed The last American man by Elizabeth Gilbert
Review of 'The last American man' on 'GoodReads'
4 stars
Tells the story of Eustace Conway, an adventurer and outdoorsman who left his parent's house for an extended stay living in the woods and off the land for the first time at the age of 12, eventually moving into a tipi for 17 years, then buying up 1,000 acres to use as a "primitive" farm and outdoor classroom for countless volunteers, school groups, etc. Conway wants (or at one time wanted) to save humanity by convincing folks that escaping the 9-to-5 rat race and reconvening with nature weren't far-fetched goals.
Overall, I think Gilbert does a great job of expounding on not only Conways triumphs, but his failures as well. She seems to format her book based on the reader's expected emotional response to various parts of her story, which I found really interesting. I enjoyed the celebratory tone of certain romanticized anecdotes, as well as the juxtaposition of these …
Tells the story of Eustace Conway, an adventurer and outdoorsman who left his parent's house for an extended stay living in the woods and off the land for the first time at the age of 12, eventually moving into a tipi for 17 years, then buying up 1,000 acres to use as a "primitive" farm and outdoor classroom for countless volunteers, school groups, etc. Conway wants (or at one time wanted) to save humanity by convincing folks that escaping the 9-to-5 rat race and reconvening with nature weren't far-fetched goals.
Overall, I think Gilbert does a great job of expounding on not only Conways triumphs, but his failures as well. She seems to format her book based on the reader's expected emotional response to various parts of her story, which I found really interesting. I enjoyed the celebratory tone of certain romanticized anecdotes, as well as the juxtaposition of these stories with the crushing tragedy of Conway's shortcomings (his tumultous personal/social life and weakened relationship with his family members). A good read; inspiring, with Gilbert remaining uncompromising in her thorough examination of the contexts in which Conway exists as a hero, a near-villain, and everything in between.