Fire on the Mountain

In the fictional "Fire on the Mountain," published in 1962, it's pretty clear that Edward Abbey's ideas about individual liberty and wilderness preservation are pretty well developed, but not yet completely evolved. That philosophical evolution comes to it's glorious apex in "The Monkeywrench Gang," a dozen or so years down the road, but nevertheless, "Fire on the Mountain," is vintage Abbey of his "Desert Solitaire" period and well worth reading.The way I read Abbey, it's clear he inserts himself into his fictional characters. Fire on the Mountain is no exception and you can see Abbey in all three of the heroes of the book. The book itself is about an aging, but very spirited and independent small rancher, John Vogelin, who's ranch property in New Mexico unfortunately butts up against the White Sands Missile Range, which for purposes of "national security," is being expanded in area. Vogelin's ranch will become part of the WSMR and Vogelin won't have a choice in the matter. Vogelin then fights back.The other heroes are Vogelin's junior-high age grandson, Billy Starr (Billy's from the East and he's on summer vacation -- he visits his grandpa every summer) and his onetime ranch hand-turned-real estate entrepeneur (and idol of young Billy), Lee Mackie.The story is about Vogelin's bitter struggle with the US government and the bureaucrats working for the "G" in charge of getting Vogelin to accept the government's terms (generous for those days) and get Vogelin "resettled." Vogelin won't leave his ranch and indicates he'll shoot and kill "the first man that touches my ranch house" and that he'll have to be killed by the US Marshals in order to leave. Billy loves the land as much as his grandpa and would stay to the death with him if he could. Mackie is torn between sticking with the old man and persuading him to accept the reality -- and inevitability -- of the situation and leave peacefully with his life and a fattened bank account. Vogelin won't take the government's money and he refuses to leave.Abbey's utter contempt for a governmental institution that would take away our personal liberty while destroying wilderness is expressed in the resolute John Vogelin as he struggles against all odds to keep his ranch and his land. The impersonal, yet slick bureaucrats in charge of trying to get him off his land and their less-than-bright operatives providing the muscle are both treated with equal disdain by Abbey in the book.Vogelin's ranch land is part of a wild, rugged, spectacular high desert landscape and with Abbey describing Vogelin's, Billy's and Lee's various sojourns into the surrounding land and mountains, it's clear he's traveled those roads and trails on horseback as did his heroes. In my opinion, Abbey is almost peerless in his ability to describe the often overlooked subtleties in a wilderness landscape -- especially of a desert wilderness. Sometimes, it's those little points of observation by Abbey that helps us to see even more in what is already stunning beyond imagination. I digress, but the fun part is to walk those same trails, ride those same rivers and trails and put one's own powers of observation to work....There are a number of twists and turns in the plot, but in general, it's a pretty straightforward and credible story. I'm not going to give away the ending, but it's a good one and one I think an Abbey reader would like. I think Ed saw himself in all three of his main characters at that point (and throughout the book -- even in the conflicted Lee Mackie) and in some way, it was a bit prophetic too, as he faced his own mortality in the late 80s.I'll give it 5 stars, with the caveat that while it's probably not his best work -- it's still really good.

I appreciate Abbey’s knowledge of the natural world and the country which he writes about in Fire on the Mountain. While not as “naturalistic” as some of his other works, like Desert Solitaire or Down the River, he is still fulminating and commenting on society and people in this fictional piece. You can’t help but think maybe this is part autobiographical? I know I thought about that possibility in almost all Abbey’s books (some are autobiographical like the latter two that I mentioned). I re-read Fire on the Mountain just recently after a 30 year hiatus and I appreciate it even more today. You can re-read Abbey over and over and get new impressions, feelings and insights each time you read it.

Based on his other books, it will be a great read.

Although the premise of Fire on the Mountain isn't much different from Abbey's first book, The Brave Cowboy, his delivery of the material is superb. A delicate mixture of nature writing, political and philosophical musing, and witty prose makes for a combination that can be visited over and over again. Like The Brave Cowboy, we're introduced to two characters, one is a stubborn cowboy born too late and the other a reluctant participant of modern society, who's friendship hinges on similar principles. Add an overbearing governmental presence and you have classic Edward Abbey. The reader is dropped into the desert, into this relationship, and into a heated debate over the rights of a man and the rightful place of a government. Abbey brings this to us through the eyes of an adolescent boy visiting his grandfather's desert farm during his summer vacation.Abbey hooks the audience with the character of his protagonists' and brings them to life with his quintessential descriptive narrative. Never does he overload the reader with too much or irrelevant information. His plot is tight and continuous. If you're any Abbey fan, this is a must read.

a classic view of the conflict between the old and new in the post-WW2 american southwest. although unrelated plot-wise, this book prepares the mind for "The Monkey Wrench Gang" a good read and well worth the time spent eyes closed imagining Abbey's landscapes.

The eloquence of the words of description carries your mind to the barren west and you can feel the heat of the Sun and the grit of the blowing sand. A small boy is overwhelmingly struck by his grandfather's passion for his land, his home. Great story.

If you've ever been to New Mexico, especially the southern part, Abbey's writing captures the essence and feel of the area in this book, as he does in some of the other novels he's written. "Fire on the Mountain" makes the reader think not only about childhood memories but also about eminent domain and government vs. private ownership. A good read!

This book brings to light the challenges people of the west face. Today we are consumed by the environmental movement and often have no sympathy for the people who have fought for the land. They have been on the land for multiple generations and they want some one to be there when they are gone. Trust in people and have faith in them to do the right thing.

Edward Abbey is the best writer the American West ever saw.Compared to the anger in his books The Monkey Wrench Gang and Hayduke Lives!, or the stoic resistance of the hero in Brave Cowboy, this book is downbeat and its ending sombre.However the author's love for the barren rocks of New Mexico still shines through, and whilst, as in his other books, Abbey is careful not to paint the forces of modernity as pantomime villains, it is clear that Abbey mourns the loss of the Old West deeply.For many in America, from George W Bush downwards, the West is remembered as the beginning of the era of modern America, Capitalist, violent and ecologically destructive. But for Abbey the West was an ending, the last time that individuals mattered more than the state and Nature was respected rather than exploited.Not his best book, but well worth reading.

Well-written with an engaging storyline, but somewhat sad towards the end. However, highly recommended reading. Just a shame Edward Abbey is no longer with us, since he had a knack for spinning a good story, much of which was based on his own experiences. As a consolation, I am about to read Black Sun, followed by James M. Cahalan's biography, Edward Abbey: A Life.

marvellous details to be read again and again

Lire et relire ce roman sur l’amour de la nature et l’attachement d’un petit fils pour son aïeul