Zane Grey's Wild West

Book excerpt: This is a literary discussion of one-half of Zane Grey's Westerns, selected to best show the broad scope of this popular author's interests in the West. The text explains how these novels "work," while pointing out Grey's ecological concern for the natural world--its vastness, color and beauty. Wild nature provides a powerful setting but is a determinant of action and of character too. The range of subjects encompasses not only cowboys but also prospectors, foresters and other frontiersmen, from the end of the Revolutionary War to the flapper era of the 1920s. World War I veterans, including an American Indian, are portrayed in several books, and women are colorful main protagonists in others, all uniquely characterized. Grey's sure ear for dialogue is key to his vivid presentation of the ideals of the Old West.