Confessions of a Barbarian

By Edward Abbey

Book Overview

Edward Abbey was an anarchist, activist, philosopher, and the spiritual father of the environmental movement. He was also a passionate journal keeper, a man who filled page after page with notes, philosophical musings, character sketches, illustrations, musical notations, and drawings. His "scribbling," as he called it, began in 1948, when he served as a motorcycle MP in postwar Italy, and continued until his death in 1989, totaling twenty-one volumes.

Few have cared more about American wilderness than the irascible Cactus Ed. Author of eco-classics such asThe Monkey Wrench GangandDesert Solitaire, Edward Abbey reveals all his rough-hewn edges and passionate beliefs in this witty, outspoken, maddening, and sometimes brilliant selection of journal entries that takes the writer from his early years as a park ranger and would-be literary author up to his death in 1989. Also included is a detailed index and original sketches made by Abbey himself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555662870
• ISBN13: 9781555662875
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Johnson Books
• Length: 418 Pages
• Weight: 1.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An Essential Companion for any fan of Ed Abbey's

First of all, I can't believe I haven't already written a review of this book, since it has long been one of my favorites. These journals are incredibly well-written; a lot of it reads as well as anything he ever had published. I have all but one of Ed's books ( the first one, Jonathan Troy, which is impossible to find unless you have in the neighborhood of $7,000 to spend on a rare copy ) and I count this as one of my top three. Ed was a real man, a genuine human being who was mad as hell about a lot of things worth being mad about, a dreamer and romantic, a Great Voice howling in the wilderness of a civilization gone stark raving mad. Plus he mentored a lot of folks, including me 21 years ago with his great book Desert Solitaire. We need Ed's voice now more than ever, and if he can't be here the rest of us will have to read ( and re-read and re-read!) his words to keep his vision alive.

Life is precious

Ever since I decided to try my hand at writing, I've been curious - more than curious really - driven, to determine what makes us write. I may not be any closer to understanding this after reading "Confessions", but I do know that the need to express oneself this way is shared by many. Edward Abbey was one of those afflicted with the need to write. And in addition to all his many public works, Abbey kept a series of journals.And so now we have "Confessions of a Barbarian", a compendium of Abbey's journals, gracefully and affectionately edited by David Petersen.Here is a very rare opportunity to see into the mind of (at least near) genius - a graphic picture of a life, captured from young adulthood to until Abbey's death at the age of 62. (I say "near genius" because how one measures genius is certainly varied. I don't believe that Abbey thought of himself as a genius, and heaven knows, I sure don't want to offend him - not even now!) Here was a life richly experienced, analyzed, self-criticized, and most of all, transcribed - on and on, until the "kows" finally came home.Contrast this with my review of "One life at a time, please", where I accused Abbey of not being quite honest. I stand by that statement, but here, in "Confessions", at least one mask comes off. Instead of one merely critical of the external world, we finally see the man critical of himself. He did write to make a buck. He wrote for many reasons. The point here is that he wrote.Call Abbey what you will - environmentalist, philanderer, curmudgeon - all true from time to time. But Abbey was a writer, first and foremost. That is the one thing you can say about him that always holds true. He couldn't stay married. He couldn't take adequate care of his children (a self-confession - of sorts). His vision of paradise, such as it was, was inconsistent and self-defeating. He had racist, and anarchistic tendencies. (How common to have them - forgive us all - but how rare to find them in print!) But always he wrote. He wrote to himself. He wrote to the world. He wrote at times when he should have been taking care of the problems he was writing about. Books, letters, articles, and of course this journal. Abbey had the heart of a writer. He was, as they say, driven.Abbey's favorite place was the western frontier. That's where he wanted to be with all his heart. And it was his favorite writing topic. It was more than a place and subject matter. It was his obsession. The West taunted Abbey like a seductive, young woman. (And we all know now how Abbey was attracted to young women!) The West's rich colors, profound relief, and intense climate were like an addiction, and Abbey soon mainlined himself. But as far as I can tell, that is the one thing no one seriously tried to talk him out of.The West is big - or was anyway. Big enough to fill a young man with big dreams. As Abbey matured, his public works were driven toward a single theme: to communicate the tragedy

This book is like a Bible for me

This book hooked me into Edward Abbey. It is uncensored and honest. It is also amazingly wise and funny. I read it all the time.

His Greatest Book

This book is a must-read for all fans of Edward Abbey. Throughout his life, Abbey strove to write that one "great" book. He may have died believing that he had not accomplished that task. However, as it turns out, his life story is, in fact, his greatest "book".

The Building blocks of an American Literary Legend

Confessions of a Barbarian allows the reader to truly see the genesis of many of Abbey's stories and essays. His life, viewed here, becomes the canvas upon which his other writings are painted upon.