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Edge of Civilization
Earl Hollsopple lived on the edge of civilization in a deserted shack for nearly forty years. His life was one beautiful night of stargazing after another, until a helicopter flies overhead, and exposing his meager world. It is a sign; it is time for him to return to civilization Unknowingly, Earl’s journey parallels another he had deeply repressed, and that is his return from the Vietnam War. The lone survivor of a plane crash, Earl waits for rescue that never comes. He is left to find his way home alone. On his quests, old Earl and young Earl learn lessons of survival, overcoming isolation and handling conflicts; his travels teach him not just about himself, but humankind. Reaching pivotal points in both journeys, Earl meets fateful loves, leading to destinies that are ultimately intertwined. Everything in life circles until we are able to answer the riddles that plaque man and humanity. Only until we take the journey, solve the problems of our own existence, do we find our way home.
184 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2014
6 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ott
37 books51 followersSince my childhood, my imagination always got the best of me. Yes, I had an imaginary friend, talked to the shadows in my bedroom and dreamed and played exotic adventures. I never thought much of reading or writing until I watched the movie, Bridge on the River Kwai. At age twelve, I was completely taken with the intrigue and the human drama. Afterward, I started my first novel (never to be seen, thankfully).
It was my eighth grade English teacher who suggested a career in journalism; however I decided to pursue a career in fashion - big mistake. It has been a hard, painful journey back on path to my true passion - writing stories that affect the human condition and situations.
After graduating college with a degree in fashion design and fine arts, I moved to New York City where I studied screen writing with the Gotham Writer's group and attended NYU part-time studying filmmaking and acting. Learning how to write screenplays taught me how to write tight storylines and acting helped master dialog.
Living in New York City, inflicted with credit card debt, impassioned me to write my first non-fiction satire, Ooh Baby Compound Me which compares the credit card industry to fraternity hazing. Bad dating experiences inspired Wild Horses and eventually after much research - Love and Handicapping. My book, The Tourist reflects the dreamer's plight in an overly commercial and corporate world which many can relate.
Saying Goodbye, What the World Doesn't Know, I can only say was channeled by from an unknown source. I became consumed by a real-life love story and felt compelled to write. The repressed eighth grade journalist arose and I dug deep into uncovering a hidden love story. The same force encouraged The Insurrectionist - a story so powerful and intense, it had to be told. After writing The Insurrection I needed something light and fun was desperately needed - One with the Wind.
Throughout the years, I have learned stories are a dime a dozen, characters can blend into one and the same dialog can be repeated in many different ways, but the best writing comes from what we are most passionate. If the story compels the writer to near madness, it is a story that must be written.
It was my eighth grade English teacher who suggested a career in journalism; however I decided to pursue a career in fashion - big mistake. It has been a hard, painful journey back on path to my true passion - writing stories that affect the human condition and situations.
After graduating college with a degree in fashion design and fine arts, I moved to New York City where I studied screen writing with the Gotham Writer's group and attended NYU part-time studying filmmaking and acting. Learning how to write screenplays taught me how to write tight storylines and acting helped master dialog.
Living in New York City, inflicted with credit card debt, impassioned me to write my first non-fiction satire, Ooh Baby Compound Me which compares the credit card industry to fraternity hazing. Bad dating experiences inspired Wild Horses and eventually after much research - Love and Handicapping. My book, The Tourist reflects the dreamer's plight in an overly commercial and corporate world which many can relate.
Saying Goodbye, What the World Doesn't Know, I can only say was channeled by from an unknown source. I became consumed by a real-life love story and felt compelled to write. The repressed eighth grade journalist arose and I dug deep into uncovering a hidden love story. The same force encouraged The Insurrectionist - a story so powerful and intense, it had to be told. After writing The Insurrection I needed something light and fun was desperately needed - One with the Wind.
Throughout the years, I have learned stories are a dime a dozen, characters can blend into one and the same dialog can be repeated in many different ways, but the best writing comes from what we are most passionate. If the story compels the writer to near madness, it is a story that must be written.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 9, 2015
This was an interesting read for me having grown up in one of the parallel life plains, that the author brings together so well in this book.
I have friends that returned home from the Vietnam war with PTSD, so I could relate to the mindset of the protagonist, Earl, a Vietnam Vet, as he searches to find his way "home", and himself. All this is masterfully synchronized by the author into two different journeys and eras. Earl, at times, displays symptoms of paranoia and is confronted with a series of internal conflicts, capturing the emotions and imagination of the reader.
This book reminded me in some ways of Forest Gump, strategically engaging and encountering all different types of people and personalities on his journeys, each with a role in bringing about an emotional ending.
I would definitely recommend this book as a nice, quick summer read.
I have friends that returned home from the Vietnam war with PTSD, so I could relate to the mindset of the protagonist, Earl, a Vietnam Vet, as he searches to find his way "home", and himself. All this is masterfully synchronized by the author into two different journeys and eras. Earl, at times, displays symptoms of paranoia and is confronted with a series of internal conflicts, capturing the emotions and imagination of the reader.
This book reminded me in some ways of Forest Gump, strategically engaging and encountering all different types of people and personalities on his journeys, each with a role in bringing about an emotional ending.
I would definitely recommend this book as a nice, quick summer read.
May 27, 2015
In her book Edge of Civilization, Jennifer Ott asks, “What is the future of men who have lost sight of the past?” Her answer comes in the elegantly told story of PTSD-suffering Vietnam vet Earl Hollsopple.
Living on the edge of civilization in the Mojave Desert, Earl sees a sign in the sky and decides to make his way back to society. Memories from the war and his initial return cloud his thinking, but it is clear that Earl’s future lies in his past.
An unforgettable reflection on memory and time, Ms. Ott’s Edge of Civilization is a heart-rending story of love lost and found. It is a story that reminds us that it’s never too late to find our way home. I look forward to reading Searching Civilization, the second installment in the Citizens of Civilization series.
Living on the edge of civilization in the Mojave Desert, Earl sees a sign in the sky and decides to make his way back to society. Memories from the war and his initial return cloud his thinking, but it is clear that Earl’s future lies in his past.
An unforgettable reflection on memory and time, Ms. Ott’s Edge of Civilization is a heart-rending story of love lost and found. It is a story that reminds us that it’s never too late to find our way home. I look forward to reading Searching Civilization, the second installment in the Citizens of Civilization series.
November 10, 2018
I had to stop. The dialogue was so unnatural and the story was disjointed and confusing. I rarely DNF, but I couldn’t do it.
May 26, 2014
At its most basic, Edge of Civilization is the story of a man trying to find his way home from the edge of civilization – twice. Earl Hollsopple is a “lost” Vietnam veteran who sets out to find his way home, forty years after his first expedition. His modern-day journey parallels his repressed wartime odyssey in unexpected ways.
As Earl heads towards home (wherever that may be) after leaving the abandoned silver mine he called home for forty years following the war, flashback scenes from 1970-71 show the similarities between his two journeys every step of the way. Ott handles these flashbacks marvelously, not losing the reader along the way (as some authors do) as she alternates between the past and the present.
Earl has the soul of an artist; he is never without his journal, either in the past or the present, and he stops to write his thoughts and observations in prose whenever inspiration strikes him (which is frequently).
He also has a talent for meeting exceptionally interesting people – Ned the alien hunter; Fu-Han, the young Chinese boy who provides Earl with food and shelter; a legion of vagabond derelict knights and their king; a gang of leprous beggars who unknowingly provide Earl with the means to escape China; and – most importantly – two beautiful young women who enter his life forty years apart, but who have a profound effect on him and his journey.
Some of these people help Earl; others he is able to help, or even redirect into helping others. Although many of the people Earl encounters treat him badly, believing him to be a mentally ill homeless man, Earl never seems to lose his faith in humanity. As I read this book, I was enjoying the story but knew that this was the type of book in which the ending would make it or break it. In this case, thankfully, the ending made it.
Jennifer Ott has a way with words and weaves them into a captivating story. While there are some minor editorial issues (typos, small grammatical errors, missing words), Ott’s writing and storytelling are both very high quality, and the reader will be drawn into Earl’s world. You’ll find yourself caring for this kind and gentle man on his quest to find what so many of us take for granted, and hoping that he succeeds in finding his way home. This is a short book at only 177 pages, but it holds great depth and knowledge of the human condition within.
As Earl heads towards home (wherever that may be) after leaving the abandoned silver mine he called home for forty years following the war, flashback scenes from 1970-71 show the similarities between his two journeys every step of the way. Ott handles these flashbacks marvelously, not losing the reader along the way (as some authors do) as she alternates between the past and the present.
Earl has the soul of an artist; he is never without his journal, either in the past or the present, and he stops to write his thoughts and observations in prose whenever inspiration strikes him (which is frequently).
He also has a talent for meeting exceptionally interesting people – Ned the alien hunter; Fu-Han, the young Chinese boy who provides Earl with food and shelter; a legion of vagabond derelict knights and their king; a gang of leprous beggars who unknowingly provide Earl with the means to escape China; and – most importantly – two beautiful young women who enter his life forty years apart, but who have a profound effect on him and his journey.
Some of these people help Earl; others he is able to help, or even redirect into helping others. Although many of the people Earl encounters treat him badly, believing him to be a mentally ill homeless man, Earl never seems to lose his faith in humanity. As I read this book, I was enjoying the story but knew that this was the type of book in which the ending would make it or break it. In this case, thankfully, the ending made it.
Jennifer Ott has a way with words and weaves them into a captivating story. While there are some minor editorial issues (typos, small grammatical errors, missing words), Ott’s writing and storytelling are both very high quality, and the reader will be drawn into Earl’s world. You’ll find yourself caring for this kind and gentle man on his quest to find what so many of us take for granted, and hoping that he succeeds in finding his way home. This is a short book at only 177 pages, but it holds great depth and knowledge of the human condition within.
October 4, 2015
3.5 stars – Book received in exchange for an honest review
Edge of Civilization is the story of a Vietnam War veteran named Earl. For decades he has lived alone in an abandoned mine in the desert. One night he has a revelation that he needs to return to civilization. He's not sure where to go, or from where he originated, but the next day he leaves on a journey to find where he belongs.
Edge of Civilization goes back and forth between Earl's current journey and his past life in the war. We learn that he was a pilot and his plane went down, and what he had to go through to end up back home in America. Because of this ordeal, Earl seems to have a memory problem. At times, it's difficult to tell what is real and what is not. This adds an air of mystery to the story, and it compelled me to keep reading to find out how the story would end.
Without giving any spoilers, I'll say that the end of this book just fell flat for me. We follow Earl as he tries to remember his past, and I just did not like how his journey ended. It seemed a bit rushed, and wasn't what I expected taking the entire book into consideration. If you enjoy books about veterans or stories with an unreliable protagonist, I think you should give this one a try.
Edge of Civilization is the story of a Vietnam War veteran named Earl. For decades he has lived alone in an abandoned mine in the desert. One night he has a revelation that he needs to return to civilization. He's not sure where to go, or from where he originated, but the next day he leaves on a journey to find where he belongs.
Edge of Civilization goes back and forth between Earl's current journey and his past life in the war. We learn that he was a pilot and his plane went down, and what he had to go through to end up back home in America. Because of this ordeal, Earl seems to have a memory problem. At times, it's difficult to tell what is real and what is not. This adds an air of mystery to the story, and it compelled me to keep reading to find out how the story would end.
Without giving any spoilers, I'll say that the end of this book just fell flat for me. We follow Earl as he tries to remember his past, and I just did not like how his journey ended. It seemed a bit rushed, and wasn't what I expected taking the entire book into consideration. If you enjoy books about veterans or stories with an unreliable protagonist, I think you should give this one a try.
August 6, 2014
I really got sucked into this story line. Maybe because on some level, I can relate to Earl and his desperate searching journey. There was so much more to the man than what the world saw, except for a very few that took the time to get to know him and see beyond his scruffy exterior. There were a few times where the editing was rough, the comma usage causing herks and jerks where they shouldn't be, but these are easy to overlook as you get drawn in. If you've ever read and enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut, you won't be disappointed with this book. The story is told in the first person which really worked for me. Earl, as shown from the very start of the book, is a survivor. If there is a message in the story it is to never give up.
March 3, 2014
A damaged veteran of the Vietnam War is left behind and forgotten by his country. After 40 years alone in a physical and emotional wilderness he feels a call to go home. Not knowing where home is but determined to find it he sets off on a quest to find his way back. This is a spellbinding story of courage, faith and hope in which the soldier emerges from his personal wilderness and returns from the edge of civilization. During his journey he shares the wisdom he has accumulated with an array of other wounded individuals also cast off by society. Sometimes it raises the question of who is really estranged from civilization. This story warmed my soul.
April 13, 2014
I really got sucked into this story line. Maybe because on some level, I can relate to Earl and his desperate searching journey. There was so much more to the man than what the world saw, except for a very few that took the time to get to know him and see beyond his scruffy exterior. There were a few times where the editing was rough, the comma usage causing herks and jerks where they shouldn't be, but these are easy to overlook as you get drawn in. If you've ever read and enjoyed Kurt Vonnegut, you won't be disappointed with this book. The story is told in the first person which really worked for me. Earl, as shown from the very start of the book, is a survivor.
April 24, 2014
Simple man, simple story, poignant message.
One thing I loved about this book is Earl's journey was on pure inspiration. He let his heart guide him and he always ended up on the right track no matter what happened along the way. He gave it all up to inspiration and a star in the sky. The meaning for me is our true path home is out there if we just let go of expections and let our hearts lead us.
I also love Earl's sutble walk through civilization - to the age of dinosaurs, prehistoric times with Ned the numbskull, the Rennaissance with Elizabeth and so on. It was complete commentary on mankind's existence. "What's the future of men who have lost sight of the past."
One thing I loved about this book is Earl's journey was on pure inspiration. He let his heart guide him and he always ended up on the right track no matter what happened along the way. He gave it all up to inspiration and a star in the sky. The meaning for me is our true path home is out there if we just let go of expections and let our hearts lead us.
I also love Earl's sutble walk through civilization - to the age of dinosaurs, prehistoric times with Ned the numbskull, the Rennaissance with Elizabeth and so on. It was complete commentary on mankind's existence. "What's the future of men who have lost sight of the past."
April 13, 2016
Parts of this book confused me totally. I am unsure if the muddled thoughts were written to display a muddled mind or if it were simply written that way with no intent. Some things in the book, like Earls "escape" from China requires a massive leap of faith ... That said. Earl is amazing.
I fell in love with the character of Earl and soon found myself not caring regarding any real or perceived content issues. Confusing parts no longer bothered me because the author made me care, got me invested in the life, love and wanderings of Earl.
For a trip into the heart of the lonely, for a broadening of your mind, for feeling empathy in an uncaring world - read this book.
I fell in love with the character of Earl and soon found myself not caring regarding any real or perceived content issues. Confusing parts no longer bothered me because the author made me care, got me invested in the life, love and wanderings of Earl.
For a trip into the heart of the lonely, for a broadening of your mind, for feeling empathy in an uncaring world - read this book.
May 12, 2014
A very readable book with an amazing array of characters. I had to just keep going to see who would appear next
April 18, 2015
I'm so glad this book found it's way into my hands. I highly enjoyed the story and wonderful characters. Well done, Jennifer Ott!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews