This book was a hard sell for me, to be honest. The author(s?) writes clearly with the assumption in mind that you've already drunk the kool-aid of freeganism/anarchism, and that petty crime is not a problem to you. The lead characters routinely shoplift, trespass, and flat-out steal; I suppose that's all well and good, and that you'll root for them...just as long as you've never been on the receiving end of such behaviour.
Editorially speaking: a lot of harm is doled out to other people by the main characters of these short stories (not in violent crime of course, but in terms of 'property' crime), and I think this perspective harms the perception of anarchists, dreamers, and wanderers everywhere. It disguises true principled opposition to the status quo as mere selfish escapism; I don't think that helps anyone. The viewpoint expressed in the stories is that, unless you live the life yourself, you'll never understand. That's a terrible shame: to be so xenophobic while at the same time claiming to embrace a freedom-loving way of life. It's the paradox of being anarchist in a statist society, I suppose.
On the other hand, the writing style is incredibly alive, vibrating off the page with! a! lot! of! exclamation! points! If you've ever met anyone who has lived this lifestyle, you'll know what the author(s?) was trying to convey: it's a life on the brink of exploding with wonder, adventures, and good-hearted (if perhaps a bit short-sighted) mischief. In that sense, this book succeeds overwhelmingly.
When recommending this book, I'm cautious. It's at points a very fun read (if perhaps a bit too long, verging on repetitive), but in my mind it is written for a very specific audience...Clearly, not everyone fits that mold. Other crimethinc books have done much better. Your mileage may vary.
Editorially speaking: a lot of harm is doled out to other people by the main characters of these short stories (not in violent crime of course, but in terms of 'property' crime), and I think this perspective harms the perception of anarchists, dreamers, and wanderers everywhere. It disguises true principled opposition to the status quo as mere selfish escapism; I don't think that helps anyone. The viewpoint expressed in the stories is that, unless you live the life yourself, you'll never understand. That's a terrible shame: to be so xenophobic while at the same time claiming to embrace a freedom-loving way of life. It's the paradox of being anarchist in a statist society, I suppose.
On the other hand, the writing style is incredibly alive, vibrating off the page with! a! lot! of! exclamation! points! If you've ever met anyone who has lived this lifestyle, you'll know what the author(s?) was trying to convey: it's a life on the brink of exploding with wonder, adventures, and good-hearted (if perhaps a bit short-sighted) mischief. In that sense, this book succeeds overwhelmingly.
When recommending this book, I'm cautious. It's at points a very fun read (if perhaps a bit too long, verging on repetitive), but in my mind it is written for a very specific audience...Clearly, not everyone fits that mold. Other crimethinc books have done much better. Your mileage may vary.
