Man Bites Log: The Unlikely Adventures of a City Guy in the Woods
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Book Overview
Max Alexander had been the executive editor of Variety and was the senior editor at People magazine in charge of all Hollywood coverage, when he decided one day that the glitz of Tinseltown and the glamour of New York didn't quite hold the allure they once had. So Alexander turned down yet another fancy magazine job, and family in tow, moved to a farmhouse in rural Maine, where he suddenly found himself forced to confront neighbors who "speak slowly but are hard to understand, and drive slower but are impossible to pass." In the course of this both sobering and hilarious how-not-to, Alexander covers the gamut, from doing his best to avoid burning down the barn, and occasional intrusions from his previous life, to what E.B. White calls the "basic satisfaction of farming"--manure. Approaching what passes for small-town life in rural New England with the gusto and nose for a scoop of a seasoned Hollywood reporter, Alexander puts a new spin on the tradition launched by Thoreau's reportage from Walden. Man Bites Log is an essential collection for readers of back-to-the-land literature, and anyone convinced that la dolce vita can be found in a pile of dung.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0786714123
ISBN13:9780786714124
Release Date:August 2004
Publisher:Da Capo Press
Length:304 Pages
Weight:0.85 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 5.6" x 8.4"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
A very enjoyable read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Max Alexander is an insightful writer. And "Man Bites Log" is an intelligent book. It is not a how-to book for anyone interested in looking for a country house. The book offers first hand experiences of adapting to country life, and social conflicts between newcomers and farmers who have been living in Maines for generations. I thoroughly enjoyed the reading.
Very funny
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
I loved this book. Alexander is a great writer. His descriptions of the characters were so vivid that I actually felt like I could see them. Like the french carpentaire - I could just see him running circles around Alexander in a whirlwind of sawing, bracing, hefting, hammering, and chainsawing. And a lot of the stories were so funny, I laughed outloud many times - to the annoyance of my husband (who is now reading the book by the way.) The other thing I liked about this book is that Alexander manages to get a little social commentary in - his thoughts about the horribleness of trailers and why there couldn't be a nicer looking, less toxic way for people to get a low cost home or the ludicriousness of asking people to go into debt for the sake of patriotism are questions I would like to see asked more often. I can't say that every single story in this book was a gem - but most of them were really great. I highly recommend this book.
He got it right.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Max Alexander ran a big risk with his book "Man Bites Log". Having recently moved to Maine from "Outastate", his comments on the locals and their scene could have alienated him beyond the pale. As one of his subjects in this work, I was apprehensive, to say the least, when the book came out. Instead, I found a totally honest and somewhat funny approach to the life up here in the woods. Max captured the flavor and feel of our community, warts and all, and as a good reporter, he got it right. His comments on the actual events surrounding our neighbors are refreshing and honest. Even if you don't agree with his political views, he lays it all out as it is, and none of this is made up. Life can be hard but the humor he finds in these events is precious to those of us who lived through it all. I look forward to the sequel! I highly recommend this book, especially if you are contemplating moving to the woods.
Man bites log--E.B. White reborn
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
One Man's Meat may well have been a log, at least judging from a back-to-back reading of E.B. White's "One Man's Meat" and Max Alexander's "Man Bites Log". The prime difference lies in the time frame: Mr. White writing from a pre and WWII time frame and Mr. Alexander from a turn of the century (21st). Having shared the same back roads and shopping experiences with Alexander, I find his thoughts on the contrasts of urban and rural lifestyles to be honest and witty to say the least. Maine is "The Way Life Should Be" and to those of us who make this state our home, it is the way life is. Alexander captures the heartiness and joy of this lifestyle in his collection of essays. What E.B. White gave to our fathers and mothers, Max Alexander deals up fresh for a new generation that holds close to the values of former times. Thank you Max, for a work well done.
A back-to-the-land book that's funny, pointed, and resonant.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
It's a one-in-a-million person who will chuck a high-powered city job, try to make it in a rural setting, and write a book about it. Given the population of the USA, this means that there are hundreds of those books by now, crammed with condescending character studies and unfunny "revelations" about how hard it is to get along without imported wheatgrass juice on the corner. THIS book, however, is a gem. Max Alexander is a hard worker, an honest guy, and nobody's rube. His observations aren't candy-coated, his jokes are pointed and funny, and he isn't afraid to take sides. In particular, his town's battle to keep a gravel mine and asphalt plant away is a nuanced and revealing portrait of small-town politics. But it's not an "aww shucks" portrait; asses are kicked. Max cares about his family, cares about his land, and cares about creating a balanced life, and this book is a good, resonant read for cubicle-dwellers and farm-dwellers alike.
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