THE CATSKILL MOUNTAIN HOUSE

by Roland Van Zandt

America's Grandest Hotel 25th Anniversary Edition

Genres: Nonfiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Ava Teague · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up near the Catskills, I've always been afloat in scraps of trivia and passed down legends about Rip Van Winkle, the Hudson River School, and the days when the shabby but beautiful mountain range was a global destination. I remember hiking to the sight of the old mountain house with my fifth grade class and looking at the names carved into he stone cliff, but the details were pretty hazy until I read this book which can only described as comprehensive. Centering around the old hotel, Van Zandt writes about the surrounding history--the artists, the politicians, the businessmen--as well as much broader ideas about the effect that running out of wilderness had on the "American psyche" and the Romantic movement. Van Zandt as a writer is bit removed for my taste. His prose is good as is his structure, but I always prefer nonfiction writers who involve themselves in the narrative. The truth is that Roland Van Zandt had to have been a bit of a maniac in the best way possible. He hiked up the then desolate trail to the mountain house and slept in the ruin to see what it was like to watch the sunrise hitting the famous Grecian columns. That is the behavior of a man obsessed which he obviously had to be to write an entire book on the subject, and yet he rarely allows his own passion into the writing. I enjoyed the glimpses I got of Van Zandt's obsession, I only wish I could've had more of them, but I can't really hold it against him. My taste for the personal blending into the historical was developed by writers who came a decade or so after him.

[Diddleydaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book. I hiked and explored the Mountain House site and surrounding mountain trails periodically for about ten years carrying the hardback version of this book for guidance and enlightenment. Often ended up my hikes sitting on the Mt House cliff reading this wonderful account of glorious bygone days and people. Haven't seen my hardback version in years but picked up a used paperback recently for a reasonable price but its price has just skyrocketed. Fortunately the local library system has a number of copies. This book needs to go back in print! If you got this far, you want to read it and do some exploring on your own.

[Bob Maniet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful account of a bygone era.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the heyday of the Catskill Mountains as THE destination for the rich and famous in the 19th and early 20th centuries. focusing on the most stylish resort in the area, the Catskill Mountain House. U.S. Grant used it as his "Summer White House" during his presidency. The book also provides a fascinating peak into transportation modes of the 19th century and the challenge of getting people to the hotel.