Eustace Conway is awesome. They don't make men like that anymore. This is worth the read for anyone interested in self-sufficiency and alternative lifestyles. This biography chronicles the life of Eustace as he works and lives off the land deep in the Appalachian mountains.
Show lessEustace Conway is awesome. They don't make men like that anymore. This is worth the read for anyone interested in self-sufficiency and alternative lifestyles. This biography chronicles the life of Eustace as he works and lives off the land deep in the Appalachian mountains.
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I found [The Last American Man] to be fascinating on many levels. It is a wonderfully told biographical story that describes Eustace Conway's world from both a micro perspective of his personal life and relationships as well as a macro perspective of the American cultural icon of a frontiersman. [[Elizabeth Gilbert]] examines the personality of frontiersmen and addresses the way these personality traits contributed to the development and expansion of the United States. Some of the mythical stories are perhaps "debunked" or perhaps just told more honestly, such as those of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Eustace Conway is compared to and considered as a modern version of this icon and lives much of his life in the woods of North Carolina, learning to survive and thrive by killing and eating his own food, making his own clothes, etc. His micro story is that of an abused child finding escape. For readers interested in the psychohistory of the U.S. this is a must read. Is Conway driven by post traumatic stress disorder of which he has many symptoms, or perhaps bipolar disorder? This would be a great text for a psych class to analyze and diagnose Conway with detailed descriptions of his personal relationships and interactions. At the same time, if that is poppycock to you, it's just a great adventure story of living in the woods, as well as riding a horse across the continental United States. This is one of my all time favorites!
Show lessI found [The Last American Man] to be fascinating on many levels. It is a wonderfully told biographical story that describes Eustace Conway's world from both a micro perspective of his personal life and relationships as well as a macro perspective of the American cultural icon of a frontiersman. [[Elizabeth Gilbert]] examines the personality of frontiersmen and addresses the way these personality traits contributed to the development and expansion of the United States. Some of the mythical stories are perhaps "debunked" or perhaps just told more honestly, such as those of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Eustace Conway is compared to and considered as a modern version of this icon and lives much of his life in the woods of North Carolina, learning to survive and thrive by killing and eating his own food, making his own clothes, etc. His micro story is that of an abused child finding escape. For readers interested in the psychohistory of the U.S. this is a must read. Is Conway driven by post traumatic stress disorder of which he has many symptoms, or perhaps bipolar disorder? This would be a great text for a psych class to analyze and diagnose Conway with detailed descriptions of his personal relationships and interactions. At the same time, if that is poppycock to you, it's just a great adventure story of living in the woods, as well as riding a horse across the continental United States. This is one of my all time favorites!
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A true story, Eustace Conway is born in North Carolina into a family where his father is extremely hard on him and a mother that doesn't squeal over the critters he brings home during his childhood. He eventually sets out to live in the wilderness. The book goes on to talk about Elizabeth Gilbert's own personal encounters as well as stories that Eustace has shared with her. He believes in living off the land, not using electricity, etc. He is definitely not a hermit, he believes in teaching others survival skills on his land in the mountains of North Carolina.My biggest complaint is that while the story is extremely captivating, her writing style is a big turn-off. It is auto-biographical but she also includes herself in as a character at times.
Show lessA true story, Eustace Conway is born in North Carolina into a family where his father is extremely hard on him and a mother that doesn't squeal over the critters he brings home during his childhood. He eventually sets out to live in the wilderness. The book goes on to talk about Elizabeth Gilbert's own personal encounters as well as stories that Eustace has shared with her. He believes in living off the land, not using electricity, etc. He is definitely not a hermit, he believes in teaching others survival skills on his land in the mountains of North Carolina.My biggest complaint is that while the story is extremely captivating, her writing style is a big turn-off. It is auto-biographical but she also includes herself in as a character at times.
Read more...
