• The Monkey Wrench Gang

  • By: Edward Abbey
  • Narrated by: Michael Kramer
  • Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,782 ratings)

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The Monkey Wrench Gang  By  cover art

The Monkey Wrench Gang

By: Edward Abbey
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Publisher's summary

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!

©1975 Edward Abbey, renewed 2003 by Clarke Abbey (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Mixes comedy and chaos with enough chase sequences to leave you hungering for more." ( San Francisco Chronicle)

What listeners say about The Monkey Wrench Gang

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,193
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Performance
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Story
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loved it!

not much else to say but what a great listen, loved the reader and loved the story, kept me in the whole time and wanting more.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story for high school students to read.

The book was really fun to read. The end is a letdown to some people and the Epilogue changes the entire feel of the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Lifechanging Book, Great Narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is in my opinion the best of Edward Abbey. His thoughtful description of nature mixed with amusing anecdotes really drive home the ultimate conclusion of this book. Forget Monkeywrench Gang, read this!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Two big thumbs-up!

Loved it! Absolutely loved it! I didn't want it to end. Narrated perfectly! I'll be screwed, blued, and tattooed!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Will wasn’t that fun!

Read the book in the 19 70s
Wanted a Audible book for our road trip thru So. Utah and Arizona canyon lands. This book had us in stitches, it was perfect.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story.

Read this in the late 70’s. Had forgotten a lot of the story. I could better appreciate the story now.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

yay!

The characters voices and personalities came through perfectly!

I'm glad I finally got to consume this story!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Crazy Fun Book

This was a fun action packed drama with a collection of crazy, irreverent characters that the narrator brought to life. Growing up in Arizona I remember billboards with "Save Our Deserts" painted over them. Super fun story, but I can not believe that this work of fiction actually motivated people back in the 1970s to take subversive action.

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Timeless Story

The Monkey Wrench Gang was published 50 years ago, but the story is just as relevant today. Abbey descriptions of Southwestern landscape is captivating. It's easy to imagine you're right there watching the story unfold!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hayduke Lives!

If you could sum up The Monkey Wrench Gang in three words, what would they be?

Eco-terrorism Reigns Dear

Who was your favorite character and why?

George Hayduke is too obvious. I enjoyed Bonnie Abzug balancing the attentions of two men simultaneously while bringing her female perspective to every escapade.

What about Michael Kramer’s performance did you like?

You eventually accept his personal characterizations of the player's voices.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Knew of this book for forty years but hadn't read it. As a younger man, it could have inspired eco-anarchy in me .

Any additional comments?

Edward Abbey is particularly adept at describing the southwest landscape. I live in Tucson, Arizona. During the late 1970's and into the 1980's bumper stickers that said "Hayduke LIves!" were common in the area.
One can occasionally find one... even today.

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4 people found this helpful