The Fool’s Progress

An Honest Novel

By: Edward Abbey

Narrated by: Danny Campbell

Length: 22 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The Fool's Progress, the "fat masterpiece" as Edward Abbey labeled it, is his most important piece of writing: It reveals the complete Ed Abbey, from the green grass of his memory as a child in Appalachia to his approaching death in Tuscon at age 62.

When his third wife abandons him in Tucson, boozing, misanthropic anarchist Henry Holyoak Lightcap shoots his refrigerator and sets off in a battered pick-up truck for his ancestral home in West Virginia. Accompanied only by his dying dog and his memories, the irascible warhorse (a stand-in for the "real" Abbey) begins a bizarre cross-country odyssey - determined to make peace with his past-and to wage one last war against the ravages of "progress".

©1990 Edward Abbey (P)2018 Tantor

They found the perfect narrator for Ed Abbey

I'm just loving this audio book. I have read all of EA except Hayduke Lives and this one. I have listened to audio tapes of EA narrating certain pieces of his own Desert Solitaire. Anyone who reads this review, I want to emphasize that THIS narrator makes EA live again. Danny Campbell makes this a joyous listen, in the same way Len Cariou makes Harry Bosch a profound listen. Something in the delivery is just right.

I'm born 1952 in Tucson, so you know this work describes a life more from my generation's perspective. If you're born after, say, 1975, you may not get a lot of the perspective. EA describes a life of poverty, into WWII, Korea, the Beat generation, to the Hippies, to the plastic onslaught of Progress running murderously over everything we love about the West.

Anyway, I'm so happy to listen to Mr. Campbell read Ed Abbey.

Horny On The Road with an ass who is also a saint. An homage to the West, to Appalachia, a condemnation of modernity.

Abbey was a hero. You will squirm, cringe, weep, but you can’t stop until the end, then you’ve exhausted and want more.

His End of Life

I wasn’t too sure how I wanted to rate “The Fool’s Progress.” At first I thought it was beyond terrible because it’s some old geezer going on a road trip and trying to boink everything that walks on two legs. Then I remembered the writing style of Edward Abbey. He has always been very candid and after reading the synopsis, I finally realized that he was telling his life story as a middle aged man. It took me to the end of the book to understand that he was telling his end of life.

So pleasantly surprised

This is the perfect match of author and narrator. I had no idea what to expect with this book. I happened upon it and took a chance, and absolutely loved it. I’ve listened to dozens and dozens of books and this is one of the few I’ll gladly listen to again.

Definitely a fat masterpiece

Never a dull moment. Poetic in the oddest ways. The voice of the reader is perfect for this tale.

Love this book!!!

Henry HolyOak Lightcap is my hero. This book makes me run the full gambit of emotion. Reading it never gets old. I laugh... I cry... I get sad... I get mad... I feel melancholy... regret... wanderlust. When it is finished... I read it again. It is vile, human, truthful. I miss Ed!

A must if you love Abbey

A beautifully crafted, sprawling, anachronistic, self indulgent American classic. A fat masterpiece by and about a somehow charismatic scoundrel.

Abby always delivers!

Fools Progress hits exactly as you’d imagine from the complicated yet compassionate man. Great book!!

terrible

I have listened to over 200 books. this was the worst ever. what a complete waste of time.

Great story, narrative so-so

Narrator slaughters the pronunciation of several places and items mentioned by Abbey that a characteristics of the Southwest.