41 pages • 1 hour read
Edward AbbeyDesert Solitaire
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1968A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Desert Solitaire is Edward Abbey’s 1968 memoir of his six months serving as a park ranger in Utah’s Arches National Park in the late 1950s. Throughout the book, Abbey describes his vivid encounters with nature in various forms, from animals and storms to rock formations and mountains, emphasizing his reverence for the natural world and disdain for humanity's intrusion. Abbey resides in a small trailer, befriends gopher snakes, and avoids human company, seeking deeper communion with the wild. His adventures include a cattle rescue, a manhunt for a lost tourist, a horse search, and explorations of remote areas. Abbey interacts with stoic companions and has one notable conversation with a visitor. The book deals with themes of loneliness, death, and nature's harsh realities.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey has received acclaim for its evocative and poetic descriptions of the American Southwest, providing a profound meditation on nature and solitude. Critics laud Abbey's sharp wit and environmental advocacy, though some note a contentious tone and dated social views. Overall, it stands as a compelling, if divisive, classic in nature writing.
Who Should Read Desert Solitaire?
Readers who cherish profound reflections on nature, solitude, and environmentalism will find solace in Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. Fans of John Muir’s My First Summer in the Sierra or Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring will appreciate Abbey’s evocative narrative and impassioned defense of America’s wilderness.