|
| Cactus Eaters, The | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: HarperCollins e-books
Category: EBooks
List Price: $11.95
Buy New: $9.56
You Save: $2.39 (20%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  28 reviews
Sales Rank: 9968
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 400
Dewey Decimal Number: 917.9
ASIN: B00192MNKS
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, a distance of 2,650 grueling, sun-scorched, bear-infested miles. When Dan White and his girlfriend announced their intention to hike it, Dan's parents -- among others -- thought they were nuts. How could two people who'd never even shared an apartment together survive six months in the desert with little more than a two-person tent and some trail mix? But when these addled adventurers, dubbed "the Lois and Clark Expedition" by their benevolent trail-guru, set out for the American wilderness, the hardships of the trail -- and one delicious-looking cactus -- test the limits of love and sanity.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...
 Ordinary Joe on Extraordinary Trail June 21, 2008
11 out of 25 found this review helpful
While I've never been on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (I'm an accomplished hiker but mostly back east), the trail is surely so tremendous that it deserves to be highlighted in many more books. But this particular book would be better for readers looking for a slightly funny take on a guy's personal travails and hardships, rather than readers hoping to learn about all that the PCT has to offer. White did indeed complete the massive 2,650 miles of the PCT over two seasons, and in some areas he includes great descriptions of the scenery and hardships of the trail itself.
But much of the book is a rather tiresome "nonfiction narrative" (in White's description) of his own soul searching and quest to [...yawn...] find himself. Such self-aggrandizement via nature reflection is a played-out epidemic in the mainstream book trade. Even though White's origin as an ordinary non-hiker who decided to tackle the PCT in earnest is rather unusual, there is little to be learned from his personal travails. Much of White's journey is described via embarrassing personal details about himself and his girlfriend (who hiked most of the trail as well and later dumped him, with good reason), and his post-trek ennui and confusion are described with an annoying vibe of self-obsession, rather than the existential insight that other outdoorsy folks have articulated in more successful nature journals.
Another problem is that White describes fellow hikers and friendly trail assistants in largely unflattering ways, creating thin caricatures of fellow souls who at least added variety to his trek and may have even saved his life on several occasions. Granted, White is a fairly funny writer and he gains some occasional insights into the relations between regular pampered folks and the hardest realities of nature. But successful books of this type should healthily combine personal reflections with the amazing discoveries found on the trail to which the writer is trying to pay homage. This book just has too much writer and not enough trail. [~doomsdayer520~]
 Just couldn't put it down June 27, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I heard Dan on a local radio show describe his adventures/misadventures, telling how he set off to hike the PCT with very little experience and lots of ideals. Based on that, I had to get the book.
I really enjoyed the book - a believable narrative of someone who may have bitten off more than he could chew. The characters he meets on his travels ring true; they run the gamut of helpful, to weird to downright bizarre. I had to keep reading until the end so I could see how everything turned out.
When I was younger, I often wanted to through hike the Appalachian Trail, but I have a feeling that this is how it would have turned out if I did!
Dan White seems to have found the same narrative style as Bill Bryson (In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail), a mix of laughter, adventure and "Oh my God!".
This book is certainly not a guide book for the PCT, but it is a very enjoyable read for adventurers and for couch potatoes. I had initially purchased an electronic version of this book for me, but I liked it so much, I went back an purchased a print copy for my husband.
Cactus Eaters is sharp and tasty! June 24, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I loved reading The Cactus Eaters because Dan White has written it using vivid, luscious and sometimes strange details. For the price of a few lattes, I traveled with White as he came upon one moment of truth after another, and got to see the consequences of his choices. Along with being a great travel narrative, White has crafted a funny, sad and beautiful true story - well told and timed. I particularly enjoyed the realness of this book - White did not sugar-coat things, even when his actions ended up being wrong or ill-thought through.
A Blistered Kind of Cactus Eater July 14, 2008
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
Dan White is a funny dude and I enjoyed The Cactus Eaters - especially in the early-going when White's humor was fresh. The pacing of the story is excellent and he explores the challenges of couple-hiking in an effective (if one-sided way). Several aspects of this book aggravated me:
1) White never tells us when exactly he hiked the trail although his references to popular culture would date the hike in the early to mid 1990s.
2) Some of the drama and dialog seems contrived - which given the likely time lapse between the hike and the manuscript, would not be surprising
3) White's self-flagellation becomes a little repetitive and there were 2-3 too many references to cosmic payback
4) The timing of his two-season hike (he starts in June) leads him to miss much of the culture of the trail. His contact with other thru-hikers is minimal. I can't help but think that if he and Allison had done a traditional thru-hike that he would have had much richer inter-personal material
5) The specific content of this book is eerily similar to A Blistered Kind of Love - which tells the story of a couple hiking the PCT from a dual voice standpoint. This might just be coincidence or maybe not or maybe I am biased.
Overall, I would recommend The Cactus Eaters as a well-written and humorous narrative, but if you are looking for an authentic PCT book, there are better options out there.
Hilarious and poignant June 29, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I read all the reviews of this book, and I find it interesting that a couple of the critiques say there's not enough "trail" in the book. Clearly people read for different reasons. Personally, I found a lot of trail in the book. I loved all this book's descriptions of the realities of the beauty and dreariness of the trail--and I found myself looking forward to relishing Dan White's hilarious (and often deceptively poignant) riffs on what all of this means to him. This is a memoir, not a travel guide, which the subtitle ("How I lost my mind and almost found myself on the PCT") makes clear.
This is about someone facing adversity, boredom, beauty and physical pain--all shaped by good writing into one riotous scene after another. It's not just about exploring a trail but about exploring one's coming-of-age existential questions about what to do with one's life.
That said, the humor of this book cannot be overstated. The book often reads like David Sedaris meets the Three Stooges. I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud so much while reading.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
