The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert

Gail selected this title as this month's book discussion (I will be at ALA in DC, and thus unable to lead the discussion), and I wanted to read it, particularly after so enjoying Eat, Pray, Love by the same author.

This is an odd non-fiction book, chronicling the upbringing and life of Eustace Conway, who chose at a young age to strike out and live entirely off the land, and then wanted to spread the word to others, thus carving out a place of his own, avoiding his abusive father, and helping other Americans live off the land.

This is a bit of a "car wreck" book...you watch the descent of Eustace from tolerant and amiable to a man so much like his father in terms of emotional abuse. I really enjoyed reading about the "nature" bits more than the "emotional" bits - I guess I wanted more Bear Grylls and less Sigmund Freud.

Still, this was a fascinating bit of creative non-fiction, and I read it quickly. Of course, just as Eustace wants, I have a teeny, tiny desire to strike out and spend a few nights under the stars (but with a flush toilet nearby, which kind of defeats the object). ;-)

Labels: book review