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The Darkest Clearing
Equal parts intimate character study and page-turning thriller, this novel explores the extremes of both genres, combining a fascinating story with timely reflections on 21st-century America. After the death of his sister, Eldred Spell returns to his beloved Yosemite Valley only to learn that the home of his childhood memories has been overrun by tourists. In attempting to restore the valley to its prior glory, Eldred's life and dreams begin to spin out of control as his passion for the environment evolves into a violent streak. Torn between his crusade to save Yosemite and growing feelings for Eli, a female ranger at the park, Eldred must choose between a new relationship and an old obsession.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2004
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November 14, 2015
Having been a Physical Geography major in college with my heart set on being a park ranger, I was greatly interested in reading a book about an eco-terrorist trying to empty Yosemite Valley of people so the flora and fauna could have it back. Brian Railsback does a wonderful job of describing the park and brings to life some out of the ordinary characters. I do like the idea for the book and applaud the author's storytelling ability and how he brings the characters to life.
The Darkest Clearing does not move along very fast and I kept waiting for something thrilling to happen in the first 100 pages. Nothing really did. When the shooting finally begins, even though it was only dogs, I finally started getting into the story. The paced of the book is jerky; being fast, then slow, then fast, then slow again. With a thriller, the pace should be fast all the time, after all, it is supposed to be a "Thriller."
One thing about the story bothered me more than anything else...there is no one for the reader to bond to. The main characters of Eldred and Eli are both hard-nosed non-feeling beings. I was never sure who I should have been voting for. The environmental part of me wants the park closed while the humanity part of me wants to stop the killing.
Overall, The Darkest Clearing by Brian Railsback is a good read, but could have used more exciting passages.
I rated this book a 7 out of 10.
The Darkest Clearing does not move along very fast and I kept waiting for something thrilling to happen in the first 100 pages. Nothing really did. When the shooting finally begins, even though it was only dogs, I finally started getting into the story. The paced of the book is jerky; being fast, then slow, then fast, then slow again. With a thriller, the pace should be fast all the time, after all, it is supposed to be a "Thriller."
One thing about the story bothered me more than anything else...there is no one for the reader to bond to. The main characters of Eldred and Eli are both hard-nosed non-feeling beings. I was never sure who I should have been voting for. The environmental part of me wants the park closed while the humanity part of me wants to stop the killing.
Overall, The Darkest Clearing by Brian Railsback is a good read, but could have used more exciting passages.
I rated this book a 7 out of 10.
Displaying 1 of 1 review