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The Monkey Wrench Gang (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) Paperback – December 12, 2006

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,536 ratings

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“A thing of beauty. . . . A wildly funny, infinitely wise, near to tragic tale of man against the bog god machine.” —Houston Chronicle

Edward Abbey's classic tale of rebellion, camaraderie, and environmental justice—a prescient, comic masterpiece of destructive mayhem and outrageous civil disobedience that speaks to us today—now available in a commemorative fiftieth anniversary edition.

When Ex-Green Beret George Hayduke returns from war to find his beloved Southwestern desert threatened by industrial development, it’s up to him to take the noxious bull by the horns. Joining forces with Bronx exile and feminist saboteur Bonnie Abzug, wilderness guide and outcast Mormon Seldom Seen Smith, and libertarian billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, Hayduke is primed to fight the power. Strip miners, clear-cutters, and highway, dam, and bridge builders beware!

Now, fifty years after the original publication, the Monkey Wrench Gang is on the move again. Featuring a new introduction by one of today’s most exciting contemporary writers, this beautiful and collectible anniversary edition of the environmental cult classic is a tribute to Abbey’s enduring legacy and a timeless call to arms for preserving the natural world.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mixes comedy and chaos with enough chase sequences to leave you hungering for more.” — San Francisco Chronicle

"Endangered as it is, the air in this novel is a pleasure to breathe." — Newsweek

"A romp of a novel with a bent toward sabotage, Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gangwill inspire you." — Terry Tempest Williams, The New York Times Book Review

"Twirls along full of joy, mayhem, daring, high jinks, and rip-roarin’ humor." — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Abbey masterfully weds the traditions of the romantic quest with the suspense novel as he follows the motley fellowship on its campaign to preserve beauty and do battle with corporate forces of destruction.” — Detroit Free Press

“[Abbey] is part of that great American tradition to which Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck and Sinclair Lewis also belonged: angry men who demonstrated that, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, it has so far been seriously outgunned by the bulldozer, the F-11 and—above all—by the dollar." — New Statesman

“Ribald, outrageous and, in fact, scandalous.” — Smithsonian

“Excellent high adventure.” — Playboy

"You can’t help but cheer on this likable but unlikely quartet of modern-day industrial saboteurs." — Kirkus Reviews

"Edward Abbey sits high in my pantheon of 20th century writers for his anarchic eco-activist novel The Monkey Wrench Gang."New Statesman

"Crunch! Kapow! Crash! Bang! The Monkey Wrench Gang is the wish-fulfilment dream of eco-Luddites everywhere." — The Guardian

The Monkey Wrench Gang is a quartet of modern-day vigilantes, with a social conscience and a vengeance." — Philadelphia Inquirer

"Edward Abbey may have invented a new fictional genre, the ecological caper." — Newsweek

“[Abbey] wrote with exceptional exactitude and an unusually honest and logical understanding of causes and consequences, but he also loved argument, churlishness and exaggeration.” — New York Book Review

From the Back Cover

Ex-Green Beret George Hayduke has returned from war to find his beloved southwestern desert threatened by industrial development. Joining with Bronx exile and feminist saboteur Bonnie Abzug, wilderness guide and outcast Mormon Seldom Seen Smith, and libertarian billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., Hayduke is ready to fight the power—taking on the strip miners, clear-cutters, and the highway, dam, and bridge builders who are threatening the natural habitat. The Monkey Wrench Gang is on the move—and peaceful coexistence be damned!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial Modern Classics (December 12, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061129763
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061129766
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 860L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1.08 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,536 ratings

About the author

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Edward Abbey
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Edward Abbey was born in Home, Pennsylvania, in 1927. He was educated at the University of New Mexico and the University of Edinburgh. He died at his home in Oracle, Arizona, in 1989.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,536 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and engaging. They praise the captivating story, descriptive prose, and skilled writing style. The book is thought-provoking and a great read for environmentalists. Readers appreciate the humor and character development. They love the portrayal of the American Southwest in this story.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

109 customers mention "Readability"109 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and entertaining. They say it would make a great movie. The narrator, Michael Kramer, does an excellent job.

"Great book! If you’re in for a good laugh and all." Read more

"...Regardless, I will be purchasing Desert Solitaire which is another great Abbey book which saw is also on audio now, with the same reader I assume...." Read more

"The Monkey Wrench Gang holds up well; is still entertaining and thought provoking. All of the characters are flawed, but that may be the point...." Read more

"...It is great fun to read, but you can draw your own conclusions to the meaning of these events...." Read more

56 customers mention "Story quality"47 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the story's engaging narrative and twisting plot. They find the book has an intriguing tale with adventure, suspense, and love triangles. The narrative never slows down, and the characters are well-developed. Readers describe the book as a quirky adventure of anarchy with one of the best endings they have ever read.

"...I had memories of this exciting novel of loveable rebel rousers who were raging against the machine, saving the desert from wanton development etc...." Read more

"...For a 400+ page book, Abbey's narrative never slags - there's always a race, a crime, or a good yelling match keeping the book moving...." Read more

"This is an intriguing story of four unusual individuals hell bent on preventing progress in the desert and canyon s they love" Read more

"40 + years ago everybody knew at least title or a synopsis of this great story. It even tells you how to make thermite ... (911)...." Read more

41 customers mention "Writing quality"38 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the author's writing style. They find the descriptive prose lyrical and the travel descriptions excellent. The book is described as an interesting story told by a skilled storyteller who breathes the soul of the desert into his work.

"...His descriptions of the merry band's travels through it are lyrical and show a great knowledge of the desert features and flora and fauna of the..." Read more

"...was no doubt that this author loved the American west, knew the plateaus and cliffs, the wildlife...." Read more

"...As a book, Abby is a good writer, even though I had trouble differentiating between Hayduke and Seldom Seen Smith..." Read more

"...He has got the perfect voice for this kind of story and sure knows how to read it...." Read more

40 customers mention "Humor"33 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it hilarious, fun, and irreverent. The book combines a serious environmental message with riotous humor, inspiring a generation of activists. Readers appreciate the loveable rebels and their rebellion against human societal power.

"Great book! If you’re in for a good laugh and all." Read more

"...I had memories of this exciting novel of loveable rebel rousers who were raging against the machine, saving the desert from wanton development etc...." Read more

"...So enjoy the humor, the descriptions of the West and your trip back in time with one of the books that inspired the environmental movement." Read more

"...history observation in a scientific, yet layman, mode, to political rant, to incredible fiction...." Read more

39 customers mention "Thought provoking"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. It takes them on a journey through the lives of environmental stewards and activists. The philosophical side shows up in the writing, making it one of the most thoughtful books they have read.

"...The sad reality is this book was perfect for the times, but would never even be published today...." Read more

"...And then there's that philosophical sense, which shows up in asides throughout the book, making Abbey's writing a lot like a Vonnegut or Tom..." Read more

"...environmentalist movement, the vandalism as civil disobedience...." Read more

"The Monkey Wrench Gang holds up well; is still entertaining and thought provoking. All of the characters are flawed, but that may be the point...." Read more

31 customers mention "Character development"23 positive8 negative

Customers enjoy the characters. They find them humorous and well-developed, with a loving portrayal of the Southwest.

"...all over again, the American Southwest is beautifully, lovingly portrayed in this story...." Read more

"...This book is full of amazing characters you come to love and hate. Its landscapes and images of the American west will fill you with wonder...." Read more

"...Abbey fans, yet due to the political climate today, it is harder to embrace the characters than in 1977ish when I first read the book...." Read more

"...And in these divisive times, the four main characters are still completely believable, caught up as they are in the passions of their time...." Read more

18 customers mention "Love of the west"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's descriptions of the American Southwest. They find the desert and wildlife depicted beautifully. The book takes readers on a wonderful tour through Indian Country, showing how once pristine areas have become degraded. Readers appreciate the author's knowledge of desert features and flora and fauna. Overall, they appreciate the story's awareness of the natural beauty that is slowly disappearing.

"...merry band's travels through it are lyrical and show a great knowledge of the desert features and flora and fauna of the gorgeous and desolate..." Read more

"...to fall in love with this country all over again, the American Southwest is beautifully, lovingly portrayed in this story...." Read more

"...So enjoy the humor, the descriptions of the West and your trip back in time with one of the books that inspired the environmental movement." Read more

"...The book takes you on a wonderful tour through "Indian Country" showing how these once pristine natural resources are being laid to waste...." Read more

16 customers mention "Classic content"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the classic content of this book. They find it timeless, exciting, and a true classic of American literature. Many describe it as a holy grail for Edward Abbey fans, yet it feels fresh and appropriate today.

"...is two pronged: the first is that this book is a the holy grail for Edward Abbey fans, yet due to the political climate today, it is harder to..." Read more

"...It is fast, paced, classic Ed Abbey. Perhaps not his "best" book but certainly one of the more exciting. The MRG spawned Earth First!..." Read more

"It's the book Pulitzer forgot to award. A true classic of American literature. Comic magical realism and an ideal for all to follow." Read more

"...20th century literature, preferring 19th and 21st....This is an absolute classic I wish I had read when it was first written; yet it feels current,..." Read more

Great Read
5 out of 5 stars
Great Read
If you like the desert southwest you'll love this book. Hayduke was my kind of guy.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2012
    I read this book 35 years ago when it came out and only remembered that I enjoyed it. Well, I enjoyed it even more the second time around! We get introduced to the four characters in the gang in the beginning who all share in varying degrees a love of the Sonoran desert and a hatred of the forces who are destroying it. They share their views sitting around a fire at night in a raft expedition down the Colorado river and agree to meet later to begin their futile crusade against the overwhelming forces of development, energy and ranching. Follow this merry band of "eco-terrorists" through a number of twists and turns to the surprising end.

    The forces that they fought are even more in control these days, with even more weapons to discourage anyone getting in their way. I think Abbey was hoping this book would encourage more "eco-terrorisim" but except for an occasional strike against the dark forces, the battle has been lost. I live now in Scottsdale where Phoenix, once a medium size town of orange and grapefruit groves, farms and dirt roads when we moved here in 1948, has become another gigantic LA plopped down in the middle of the desert.

    I recommend this to any and all who love the Sonoran desert. His descriptions of the merry band's travels through it are lyrical and show a great knowledge of the desert features and flora and fauna of the gorgeous and desolate canyon lands of Utah, and Arizona.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024
    Great book! If you’re in for a good laugh and all.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2014
    I burn through a good four audio books per month. As avid listener can tell you, in this format the narrator (reader) can make or break the book. With that said, here is my review:

    So was looking for a few audio books and it suddenly hit me- I wonder if anyone has put some Edward Abbey books on tape yet? It had been years since I looked and could never find one. There is was; his classic ; The Monkey Wrench Gang. I immediately ordered it and it was here in a few days.

    I have listened to the first few chapters. My review is two pronged: the first is that this book is a the holy grail for Edward Abbey fans, yet due to the political climate today, it is harder to embrace the characters than in 1977ish when I first read the book.

    I had memories of this exciting novel of loveable rebel rousers who were raging against the machine, saving the desert from wanton development etc. However, I can't go back to the 20 year old I was when I first read and loved this book. The reality is they are eco-terrorists and would wind up in Gitmo today. The sad reality is this book was perfect for the times, but would never even be published today.

    So for existing fans of the book, one has to treat it as you would any other classic and accept that it was written when times were different and most importantly it is a work of fiction, as Abbey himself was compelled to say many times prior to his death. You have to just accept the premise was right for the times, similar to watching a classic old movie. This goes with the territory when listening to a 40 year old story. For example, try watching a old Burt Reynolds move with his curly top perm and fu-manchu mustache- what looked like macho tough guy kicking ass in 1976, looks more like a Saturday Night Live comedy skit today- well, enough on that.

    The second prong is that for me, the reader is an acquired taste. I would have liked to hear a bit younger reader and a little less monotone approach. However, Edward Abbey spoke in a similar fashion so for the purist, I suppose it is very close to a book that is read by the author. I always imagined a more upbeat voice, but when I saw him speak once in Scottsdale AZ, I remember being surprised at his deadpan tempo. I am sure by the end of the book I will be used to the reader.

    Regardless, I will be purchasing Desert Solitaire which is another great Abbey book which saw is also on audio now, with the same reader I assume. I appreciate the Abbey family who apparently are making sure his books get to audio- given the choice between this and no audio book at all- I'll take it.
    21 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2025
    Picked this up a second time after the 2024 election. Go figure. Now where did I leave those fencing pliars?
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2013
    I decided to read Monkey Wrench Gang because one book of Edward Abbey's or another was always sitting at my late father's bedside table. My Dad tended to read existential, philosophical novels and was a big fan of Hemingway and Camus. Clearly I had the wrong idea of what Abbey was about. The Monkey Wrench Gang does occasionally wax philosophically, but only in the midst of one character whining or thinking about the bourgeois influence of sanitized American adulthood on the natural environment. Most of Abbey's energy in Monkey Wrench Gang is spent having a good time - following a troupe of 4 troublemakers each shaking off their own shackles of middle-aged boredom to help fight for environmental freedom. But what I found I liked most about Abbey was that, if that was his plot, it's devoid of any sentimentality, any politeness, and even just the occasional whiff of sympathy, even for the characters we care about. At its center, George Hayduke, the beer-guzzling sorta-traumatised vet who never met a can of cheap beer he didn't like, is so fun to watch not because of his drive, but because his drive to clean up the environment seems to come from nothing more than his hatred of anything besides open land, and even then, he'd never be able to put that into words. For a 400+ page book, Abbey's narrative never slags - there's always a race, a crime, or a good yelling match keeping the book moving. And then there's that philosophical sense, which shows up in asides throughout the book, making Abbey's writing a lot like a Vonnegut or Tom Robbins - prone to smart observations that make you like the writer even more than you thought you already did. Take this observation, on women going to bed before men while camping: "The ladies first. Not because they were the weaker sex - they were not - but simply because they had more sense. Men on an outing feel obliged to stay up drinking to the vile and bilious end, jabbering, mumbling, and maundering through the blear, to end up finally on hands and knees, puking on innocent sand and befouling God's sweet earth. The manly tradition." Observations like that show how punchy Abbey can be in making a point, even is his point is that civilized westerners, to the environment and beyond, have been pretty annoying.
    34 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Clyde Scobblelotcher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Edward Abbey is hilarious!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 27, 2024
    Actually he is dead. But the humour lives on.
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on March 18, 2017
    Good
  • Hector
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings - Du pour et du contre
    Reviewed in France on February 16, 2017
    A good joke. Have a laugh but don't imitate these guys. What I don't laugh at, are the coments on Indians.

    Un livre écrit dans la bonne humeur, ou comment commettre des crimes pour la bonne cause : ne le prenez surtout pas comme exemple ! Mais une chose m'y déplait souverainement, ce sont les épithètes adressés aux Indiens : paresseux, lâches, sales, incultes. Ce n'est pas vrai.
  • E. J. Bucher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Traumteam: Edward und Robert
    Reviewed in Germany on April 28, 2015
    In dieser wunderbaren Edition kommt ein Traumteam zusammen! Der kritische Griesgram und Zyniker Edward Abbey und der kongeniale Illustrator Robert Crumb! Das Visionäre Buch nimmt den Kampf gegen die Zerstörung unserer letzten Naturparadiese zum Thema, und inspiriert Widerstand und Action gegen Grosskonzerne und deren Helfer in Politik und Establishment.
  • C R Evans
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, thought provoking and a great story!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2013
    Edward Abbey's classic tale of environmentalist/anti-capitalists traveling around the US south west undertaking schemes of direct action is a thrilling romp of a tale that engages and enthralls. Well written, well paced and providing enough information about the causes to make you want to know more, whether you agree with them or not!