Desert Solitaire

To most, the desert is viewed as an arid wasteland with very little value, beauty or importance. However, there are those few who appreciate nature for everything it is and represents. Edward Abbey is one such person. In his collection of essays, Desert Solitaire, Abbey explores the intrinsic beauty, the brutality and the necessity of undeveloped wilderness while living alone in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. When published in 1968, Arches had yet to be commercialized; there were no paved roads, parking lots or vending machines. In the early “primitive” years of the park, Abbey became the park ranger, living alone in a little trailer in the middle of Arches, surrounded by terrain that had yet to be transformed at the whims of humans.

Desert Solitaire is more than just a book of anecdotes recounting Abby’s time as a ranger, it is in fact a philosophical book questioning nature’s place in our society, our place in nature, the effects of rampant industrialism, and our own beliefs. Abbey states, “If industrial man continues to multiply his numbers and expand his operations he will succeed in his apparent intention, to seal himself off from the natural and isolate himself within a synthetic prison of his own making.” Later arguing, “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.” In this modern day, around half a century after Desert Solitaire was published, his points are completely valid. How will our civilization and race survive if we cut ourselves off from the planet on which we live? Because of our industrialization and consumerist mentalities, humans are slowly altering/destroying the planet, an act Abbey wishes to forestall.

Throughout the book it is apparent that Abbey is very opinionated. He dislikes all that will try to destroy what he feels to be sacred, the untamed regions of Earth. However, we find Abbey to be full of contradictions: the apparent love of wilderness we experience on a raft trip down Glen Canyon and the days spend wandering the Maze do nothing to stop him from littering right out the back of his little trailer. For him, solitude and escape from modern civilization are vital; but later he says that the only thing better than solitude is society. This only lends to his main goal of provoking thought. His observations, opinions and theories may attract a few and be completely rejected by others, but the true power of the book lies within the feelings and opinions Abby’s writing evokes.

I found Abbey’s writing to be graceful and flowing, basic but incredibly complex at the same time. He is truly a master of the description. Throughout, the reader is entreated to stunning passages painting a complete picture in one’s mind. In the book’s entirety, there is not a single sentence that does not belong and the problems of the exploitation of nature by the oil and tourism industries presented are just as relevant today as they were in Abbey’s time. It is a fantastic read for those who have experienced living firsthand in and with nature.

Abbey wrote Desert Solitaire to say this, “A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, power lines, and right-angled surfaces. We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to set foot in it. We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope; without it the life of the cities would drive all men into crime or drugs or psychoanalysis.” The wilderness provides that which most seek throughout their lives; a peaceful refuge, and a place of relaxation and beauty. Just the idea that such a place exists allows many to function in their hectic, business and money driven lives. Without the wilderness we would go crazy.

Do you agree? Read this book and you will come to know the answer.