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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If this were a '70s TV show, the horses would be in the "And Introducing" section in the opening credits
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall a good story, and I loved the way the author evoked the landscape of frontier-era Utah. Unfortunately I think the portrayal of the characters and their dialogue came across as quite dated. Not in the sense that they spoke in an old fashioned way, but in that they felt sort of one dimensional or wooden - as though they were written to be character tropes that were once in fashion in adventure stories but are no longer, rather than written to be realistic. I enjoyed the adventure and action scenes, but the character interactions left something to be desired.
Wonderful old west novel with amazing descriptive passages. Intriguing non-traditional roles by female characters.
Zane Grey was my grandpa's favorite author, and since grandpa died many years before I was born, I've always wanted to read this book to feel closer to him. I tried once when I was 12 or 13 and didn't get very far. It doesn't have much that would appeal to a kid. But this year while planning a trip to Bryce and Zion canyons, I realized this would be the perfect book to get me in the mood for my own Utah adventure. Also, I've learned more about the Mormon religion in recent years and every new detail I've learned makes me more disgusted about that faith in general. So I'll say if you like westerns and hate Mormons this is the right book for you!
This is a good story with some interesting twists and turns. The love stories are very sweet and traditional, and I enjoyed them. The ending moves at a good clip and has an exciting conclusion.
The negatives of ROTPS, in my opinion are that there are entire chapters of nothing but descriptions of rocks, trees, passageways, sage, grass, thickets, etc. I will admit to putting this book down for weeks at a time while caught up in these descriptive passages. Also, some of the dialogue seems a little too romanticized and flowery for my taste. Especially Jane Withersteen has a tendency to talk exactly like you'd expect a "damsel" in one of these stories to sound. It took awhile for me to take Lassiter seriously because of the way his dialogue is written. For example, he says "hoss" instead of "horse." However, over the course of the novel I warmed up to his understated, observant intelligence.
My favorite quote comes from Lassiter talking to Jane about how terribly her Mormon brothers are treating her. She thinks eventually their Christian love will win out and they'll take pity on her soul. Lassiter tells her:
“They tried you out, an' failed of persuasion, an' finally of threats. You meet now the cold steel of a will as far from Christlike as the universe is wide. You're to be broken. Your body's to be held, given to some man, made, if possible, to bring children into the world. But your soul?...What do they care for your soul?”
This passage plainly reveals the truth of how women are regarded in many organized religions all over the world. Thank you Zane Grey for telling it like it is!
I recommend this book if you're interested in a traditional western with a good story. If you skim the descriptive chapters I won't judge you.
This is a good story with some interesting twists and turns. The love stories are very sweet and traditional, and I enjoyed them. The ending moves at a good clip and has an exciting conclusion.
The negatives of ROTPS, in my opinion are that there are entire chapters of nothing but descriptions of rocks, trees, passageways, sage, grass, thickets, etc. I will admit to putting this book down for weeks at a time while caught up in these descriptive passages. Also, some of the dialogue seems a little too romanticized and flowery for my taste. Especially Jane Withersteen has a tendency to talk exactly like you'd expect a "damsel" in one of these stories to sound. It took awhile for me to take Lassiter seriously because of the way his dialogue is written. For example, he says "hoss" instead of "horse." However, over the course of the novel I warmed up to his understated, observant intelligence.
My favorite quote comes from Lassiter talking to Jane about how terribly her Mormon brothers are treating her. She thinks eventually their Christian love will win out and they'll take pity on her soul. Lassiter tells her:
“They tried you out, an' failed of persuasion, an' finally of threats. You meet now the cold steel of a will as far from Christlike as the universe is wide. You're to be broken. Your body's to be held, given to some man, made, if possible, to bring children into the world. But your soul?...What do they care for your soul?”
This passage plainly reveals the truth of how women are regarded in many organized religions all over the world. Thank you Zane Grey for telling it like it is!
I recommend this book if you're interested in a traditional western with a good story. If you skim the descriptive chapters I won't judge you.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wonderful classic western!
I absolutely loved hearing all about the purple sage, sweeping sunsets, and the horses running wild, what a treasure!
I do have a couple of cons, as this is my first Zane Gray book I don’t know if he writes all women like this, but Jane was pretty insufferable at times and my goodness, but he will just kill people off without any foreshadowing at all, so brace yourself because I certainly shed a few tears!
Excited to continue on to the next in the duology, The Rainbow Trail.
Ps I did immersive reading, where you read the book and listen to the audiobook at the same time, highly recommended!
I absolutely loved hearing all about the purple sage, sweeping sunsets, and the horses running wild, what a treasure!
I do have a couple of cons, as this is my first Zane Gray book I don’t know if he writes all women like this, but Jane was pretty insufferable at times and my goodness, but he will just kill people off without any foreshadowing at all, so brace yourself because I certainly shed a few tears!
Excited to continue on to the next in the duology, The Rainbow Trail.
Ps I did immersive reading, where you read the book and listen to the audiobook at the same time, highly recommended!
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An interesting read if dated.
The novel shows it age in many ways. Its melodramatic, slow-paced and never shy of using 20 words to describe something that could have been achieved in two.
I came to this after searching for novels with a similar setting to American Primeval. In tone, they couldn't be more different. While the TV show is all action, all the time for our modern attention spans, this is a real slow burn. We get extended descriptions of the landscape and flora/fauna. It is a love letter to the plains and canyons of Utah and also the lifestyle and horses that make it possible. It is also heavy on romance.
While a slog in places, the story does ramp up near the end and concludes in a satisfying way. I was invested in the characters' fates. And as a time-capsule of people's views at the time (correct or not) of the West and the Mormons its very interesting.
The novel shows it age in many ways. Its melodramatic, slow-paced and never shy of using 20 words to describe something that could have been achieved in two.
I came to this after searching for novels with a similar setting to American Primeval. In tone, they couldn't be more different. While the TV show is all action, all the time for our modern attention spans, this is a real slow burn. We get extended descriptions of the landscape and flora/fauna. It is a love letter to the plains and canyons of Utah and also the lifestyle and horses that make it possible. It is also heavy on romance.
While a slog in places, the story does ramp up near the end and concludes in a satisfying way. I was invested in the characters' fates. And as a time-capsule of people's views at the time (correct or not) of the West and the Mormons its very interesting.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
all things considered it was surprisingly not bad. a prime example of why men should not be allowed to write women. i don't regret spending time reading it so that is absolutely a bonus.