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Nov 17, 2011

Melissa rated it:

I think I just find David Roberts to be a boring writer. I couldn't get into this. With all the speculation about whether or not Ruess was bipolar, does no one think that maybe he was just nineteen? Any of my writing from the time I was nineteen was probably pretty manic depressive, and I think swinging from one extreme to the next emotionally is pretty much a definition of "life from 13-20 years of age." At least.

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Dec 29, 2011

Laura rated it:

If, like me, you know nothing about Everett Ruess, here's a quick intro: Everett was 17 in 1931 when he decided to travel throughout the Southwest, he made three trips and disappeared in 1934, leaving behind several diaries, paintings, woodcuts, poems and a mystery that's lasted over 70 years.

The majority of his childhood was conventional, the exception being his family's keeping of, and reading to each other, personal diaries. Given that this was the early 1910s and 20s, the fami More...

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Nov 10, 2011

Jenny rated it:

Painfully poorly written and filled with cliches, this is a strong candidate for worst book of the year published by a major press.

The author never once presents a single fact to back up his oft repeated claims that Everett Reuss was an important writer and a lover of the wilderness who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Thoreau. That claim, repeated more than once, makes me wonder if Roberts has ever read Thoreau. Poor, lost Ruess stands in the same relationship to Thor More...

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Oct 03, 2011

Steve rated it:

This is such an incredible story. I'm not sure where to begin. Everett Ruess was a young artist/writer/explorer who disappeared in 1934 at the age of 20 while exploring along the Utah/Arizona border. His remains have never been found and speculation continues regarding the circumstances of his disappearance and death. Many have tried and failed to solve the mystery. The first part of the book is dedicated to finding Everett Ruess as a person through his writing, art, and personal letters to More...

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Oct 02, 2011

David rated it:

Although he doesn't actually come out and say so, David Roberts is probably the single most important writer who has brought Everett Ruess to the attention of the general public. He did so first by bringing Everett to the attention of his friend Jon Krakauer who included a chapter on Everett in 'Into the Wild'. Then, Roberts wrote two articles a decade a part for National Geographic Adventure magazine on Everett.

Finding Everett Ruess is really well done. The first part is a dispassion More...

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Sep 08, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

A fascinating account of the life and wonderings of Everett Ruess, a young man who led a vagabond life, roaming about the western U.S. in the early 1930s, mostly in the canyons and deserts of the southwest. I had heard of Ruess from Krakauer's "Into the Wild," but really knew very little about him, but like Chris McCandless, Ruess wanted to live a solitary, simple life, constantly exploring and reveling in the natural world. In the early 1930s, the southwest was very remote, populate More...

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Jan 17, 2012

Kerry rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Sep 15, 2011

Gretchen rated it:

This book is about the real life story of Everett Ruess, an young wanderer, who in the 1930s went out on his own, and explored the Southwestern desert area for months and months at a time on his own. He did this from the age of 16 to the age of 20 when he disappeared in the Southwest and was never seen again. This book tells the story of this life and of those voyages up to when he disappeared. During his travels, he wrote, painted, etc and these writings have inspired people ever since. He was More...

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Jan 21, 2012

Christiane rated it:

I had never heard of Everett Ruess until reading this book. He was an artist, adventurer, and vagabond who travelled around the American Southwest in the 1930’s and disappeared mysteriously in 1934 at only 20 years old. Not all teens may be willing or interested enough to wade through all 394 pages of this book, but Everett seems just the exact sort of character that would be appealing to teens. He left home at 16 and spent months at a time wandering the wilderness along with just a burro or More...

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Jul 05, 2011

J.R. rated it:

Worldwide, thousands of people go missing everyday. Some are victims of crime or mishap. Others might be suicides. Some are simply gone for reasons that defy explanation.

Many families have examples. One in my own family boarded a train in 1882 to join her husband in another part of the state. That was the last anyone ever heard of her. She disappeared without a trace.

Many of these examples fade into oblivion. Some few—such as Everett Ruess—become legend.

David Robert More...

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Jan 23, 2012

Debra rated it:

I have to admit, outside of Into the Wild I had never heard of Everett Ruess. Evidently, Everett was 17 in 1931 when he left home to travel throughout the Southwest. He disappeared in Utah in 1934 but there is a fairly good account of his last few days, although he was never heard from again nor was his body ever discovered.

Ruess was the son of fairly hippie parents who encouraged him in writing and art and he left behind several diaries and pieces of art which have surrounded and f More...

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Sep 23, 2011

Amber rated it:

I have only recently become aware of the mystery of Everett Ruess's disappearance in southeastern Utah and, being of a somewhat obsessive personality, I've been working my way through every book I can get my hands on. I really enjoyed this book for a fresher perspective on the mystery, especially considering the discovery made in the course of Mr. Roberts' research into this decades old mystery. At first it seems Everett is finally found, but complications ensue and the end turns out to be not e More...

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Jul 05, 2011

Mark rated it:

It’s hard to warm up to the self-indulgent Everett Ruess, but there’s no denying he was an individual who followed his heart. It’s hard to watch him take advantage of his parents to pursue his wanderlust (even that term seems to mild) but he’s a unique spirit and reading about his treks—and thinking about how he put his wanderings together—is compelling. If you know the country in the Four Corners area, Ruess’s hikes and months-long travels around the inhospitable landscape are even more incred More...

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Nov 27, 2011

Josh rated it:

I love this book. The reviews here are very mixed because it seems like you are either inspired by young wilderness romantics like Everett Ruess (or Into the Wild's Chris McCandless), or you find them annoying, naive, and a waste of attention. I'm solidly in the first camp. Ruess's solo treks through the Southwest were amazing. In the early 1930s, when Ruess was 17-20, he wandered hundreds of miles through lonely canyons for months at a time, accompanied only by burros. That's awesome. As a subu More...

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Sep 14, 2011

Kristi rated it:

I could not get into this book. I gave it 3 chapters (roughly 1/3 of the book) and I kept getting frustrated. I feel bad for his family not getting closure, but I feel that he acted like a spoiled child. Writing letters home while wandering through the Southwest asking for food & money & getting upset that they wanted him to come home. I didn't enjoy reading his letters where he kept speaking bad about the Native Americans. He was going through old burial grounds & looting items (even thoug More...

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Aug 28, 2011

Tina rated it:

If you liked Jon Krauker's "Into the Wild" this book might appeal to you. Another young man (in the 1930s) also had a desire to live in the wilderness. This book is interesting because many of Ruess's letters, artwork, journals, and so on exist are are often quoted from. Off and on over the years, there has been interest and even cult followings about Ruess. Would he have matured into a great writer or naturalist? Did he achieve what we all often dream about: explore, write, draw, and More...

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Aug 24, 2011

Emily rated it:

This week I had the pleasure of reading two new books in the non-fiction adventure category--both of which I enjoyed thoroughly. The first, Finding Everett Ruess, is a biography of a young man in search of himself in the American Southwest--reminiscent of "Into the Wild" by Krakauer. Ruess, however, was fully prepared and familiar with the area--often stopping along the way at Mormon or Native American settlements, and knew a great deal about the plants and geography of the region. Rue More...

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Aug 06, 2011

Bea rated it:

I won this book through Firstreads. Thanks!
This story was well researched, well documented and well written. I just never did feel particularly interested in or connected to this lone teen who took off traveling in the American West in the 30s. I feel sorry for his family to never know what happened to him, but I just didn't think his life or any of the many detailed letters he wrote were very profound or intriguing. I think he may have had some emotional or mental problems, some exace More...

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Aug 23, 2011

Gary rated it:

Prior to plucking this book off the library shelf I’d never heard of Everett Ruess. Being thus unaware of this “legendary wilderness explorer” I was able to enjoy the roller coaster ride narrated by David Roberts. The ending would have been ruined had I known any of the story before reading this book

One of the interesting aspects of this tale is the process by which a 20 year old vagabond with average artistic talent becomes an icon of the southwest. It says as much about the public’ More...

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Aug 13, 2011

dee rated it:

I really liked this book a lot. I am huge fan of Jon Krakauer so this book was written just for me. I had only heard of Everett Ruess from the book Into the Wild and admittedly I went back and reread that section of the book. There were defintely simularities between "NEMO" and "Alexander Supertramp". There has obviously been a lot of research on the subject of ER and all the theories about his disappearance. I liked hearing all the theories and I especially liked the las More...

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Jan 09, 2012

Ben rated it:

I really am enjoying this book, but I have so much to do with school that the last 20% are going to be mine alone - probably over Christmas.
I have so much to say. First of all, "well done" to the author, David Roberts, who took such a diligent and objective approach to Everett's life story. Secondly, I say cheers to Everett!
This book has not only been a portrait of a true artist, but has also rekindled a glowing coal of my youth. To wander, to draw, to create, to LIVE! Tha More...

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Feb 14, 2012

Malin rated it:

I had great expectations for this book co-written by one of my favorite authors Jon Krakauer. I was hoping that it would be a prequel of sorts to "Into the Wild." A story that mesmerized me about Chris McCandles and his journey into the wild of Alaska.

THis book is the story of Everrett Reuss who traveled the Southwest with his Mule and little else in the early 1900's only to disappear somewhere in SW colorado. I was disappointed. I never found a connection with Everett li More...

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Sep 14, 2011

DreamPacker rated it:

3.5 stars. Mostly interesting biography. A little slow at the beginning, where I skimmed some of the background information. Perhaps, because I have read all the other books on Ruess. Where it really took off, was the background and details surrounding the finding of the "Comb Ridge Man", believed for a while to have solved Everett's death and disappearance. It still remains a fascinating mystery, complete with erroneous DNA results, dinosaur bones on Comb Ridge, family feuds in Es More...

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Jan 22, 2012

Susan rated it:

I'm not sure what to make of this book. The story of Everett Ruess might be interesting; maybe the author's way of telling it was just boring. Or maybe my irritation was with Ruess himself: his selfish entitlement in demanding his parent's financial support of his wanderings for four years, his pedantic descriptions of the wonders he encountered in his travels, his racist attitude toward the Navaho people, his cavalier destruction of ancient artifacts and wildlife sacred to the Native People. An More...

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Jan 04, 2012

Sam rated it:

As a huge Everett Reuss and Chris McCandless fan, this was a highly anticipated book for me. I picked it up right away, here's a no spoiler summary.

The book could've been about 25%-50% shorter, but David Roberts insists on telling us every detail of the young man from his youth to the various people he touched. The writing style is excellent as Roberts is able to connect the past with the present and tells Ruess' dialogue though his journals. I'm not sure why other reviewers are so up More...

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Aug 24, 2011

Agnes rated it:

The intended audience for Finding Everett Ruess: The Remarkable Life and Unsolved Disappearance of a Legendary Wilderness Explorer is obviously the same fervent group of people who so loved Into the Wild. It was obvious to me immediately, based on the topic, and was confirmed when I realized that the Foreward was written by none other than Jon Krakauer himself and that the idea came as a result of a chapter on Ruess in Mr. Krakauer's book.

I did read Into the Wild and I did enjoy it, de More...

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Sep 18, 2011

Sarah rated it:

This book is part of the Goodreads First Look Giveaway program, and I am thankful of the chance to read it! Though not myself interested in many outdoor activities, I do enjoy reading about those who do.

The narrater takes the reader on a compelling journey into the life of Everett Ruess, an aspiring artist who disappeared in the Southwest in 1934. The book itself is split into two main sections: a fairly comprehensive biography of Ruess, and the search for him that off and on, has bee More...

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Oct 04, 2011

Lyndsie rated it:

As someone who follows cases of missing people, I have been interested in Everett Ruess' story for several years now. I'm really liking this book because it's painting a more complete picture of Everett, as more than just a 17 year old explorer of the Southwest. This book doesn't look to romantacize him like others I've read. There's more "meat" to the story here, and though I'm only about half-way through, I feel like I've learned a whole lot more about this young man and his too-s More...

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Sep 19, 2011

Gail rated it:

Seventy-seven years after he disappeared, Everett Ruess has become somewhat of a cult figure. For five years he wandered, by himself, using burros, in the Southwest for months at a time. He loved the outdoors and wrote, painted and did engravings about it. The wilderness totally enraptured him. In 1934, he vanished leaving nothing behind.
I thought it was a terrific tale of an unknown character and written quite well. The book certainly kept my interest from the beginning to the end.

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Aug 19, 2011

Matt rated it:

The story of the search for Everett Ruess is almost as fascinating as his brief, wandering life. Although Roberts resides in Cambridge, Mass., he knows his way around the Utah desert. I really enjoyed his book on the Anasazi a couple of years ago; IN SEARCH OF THE OLD ONES. By the way, I think the folks down in "Eskalant" know what really happened to Everett.

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