Zane Grey Books

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Zane Grey was an American author and dentist that was born in 1872 and died in 1939 at the age of 67. A native of Zanesville in Ohio, Zane’s father was a dentist. His mother was an English Quaker immigrant.

As a child, the author was quite athletic. He also loved history but sports consumed quite a bit of his time, especially baseball. Though he had a loving mother, Zane’s father was a strict man that used severe beatings to keep him in line.

This punishment turned him into a violent boy that was always getting into brawls. But he wasn’t defined by this behavior. When he wasn’t fishing, playing baseball or hanging out with an old man that encouraged his interests, Zane could be found reading and writing.

The boy grew up reading Robinson Crusoe, Leatherstocking tales, Buffalo Bill stories and the like. Zane would have taken to writing at a much younger age but his father wasn’t particularly supportive.

Lewis Grey took the first story his son ever wrote (Jim of the Cave) and ripped it to shreds before delivering another severe beating. The man taught Zane what he could of his trade. Once they moved to Columbus, Ohio, the boy started making house calls and removing teeth.

He might have pursued dentistry for several more years if the state board hadn’t intervened. Following a stint as an usher in a theater, Zane drew the attention of a baseball scout. Before long, a baseball scholarship allowed him to attend the University of Pennsylvania.

A solid hitter and pitcher, Zane proved to be quite the asset for his baseball team. But he was barely passing his classes. Antisocial like his father, Zane stood out. Despite his athletic prowess, he spent quite a bit of time writing poetry.

For a time, the young man considered becoming either a writer or a baseball player. But he settled on dentistry despite his abysmal grades because it made practical sense. Interestingly enough, after graduating, Zane Grey positioned his practice in New York because he knew that it was a publishing hub.

He found time to write in the evening but his abilities were still lacking. He met Dolly in 1900, eventually marrying her in 1905. Though, he was quite clear that he loved women too much to ever remain faithful to her.

Dolly came from a family of physicians. Following their marriage, the author abandoned dentistry. Dolly had a sizable inheritance that kept them afloat while Zane pursued his writing dreams. Even though she had three children to care for, Dolly found the time to also manage Zane’s career.

The emotional support she offered was only surpassed by her editorial skills and business sense. Once his writing efforts started to bear fruit, the couple shared the resulting profits equally. This was proof that, despite his infidelities, Zane loved and respected his wife.

He garnered a reputation for writing novels that painted a romanticized but violent picture of the West. Critics hated his fanciful depictions and larger-than-life characters. But the readers loved him. The fact that he became one of the first millionaire authors proves as much,

Zane Grey Books into Movies

Roughly fifty of the author’s books were adapted into over a hundred live-action Westerns. That includes ‘The Lone Star Ranger’ and ‘Riders of the Purple sage’.

Best Zane Grey Books

Zane Grey has been credited with creating the myths that everyone associates with the Old West, with some of the best books in his bibliography including:

Valley of the Wild Horses: Panhandle was a happy boy. He lived in harsh lands but he found satisfaction in the work he did. A scrape with the wrong person changed everything. Panhandle grew up, went to Montana and made a name for himself for all the wrong reasons.

He eventually made his way back home only to find that his father had been swindled and Dick Hardman, his greatest enemy, was trying to force the girl he loved to marry him. Now Pandhandle is out for justice.

The Last Trail: This story from Zane Grey takes place in the Ohio Valley. It follows a young 16-year-old girl who has just moved into a community of white settlers. Times are hard. Conflicts with the native Americans are rife but the Indians are not the only enemy in the vicinity. Plenty of white men are up to no good.

A central aspect of this novel is the love between the 16-year-old and a silent border man that is too busy doing his job to notice her.

When Does The Next Zane Grey book come out?

Zane Grey doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Tales of Florida Fishes and was released on June, 3rd 2016. It is the newest book in the Zane Grey Short Story Collections.

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