Riders Of The Purple Sage

I would not normally be interested in westerns, but this was recommended to me based on my interest in religion. Far from being the stereotypical tale of vigilante justice in the dry and dusty American west, it is a subtle and intriguing book which excels in painting a vivid portrait of the landscape, which itself acts as an important character in the story. It is said that Grey's full opinion of Mormonism can not be divined without also reading the other works in which he treated the subject, but regardless, the book is fascinating in its juxtaposition of Christian imagery with a character, Lassiter, who seems completely removed from any Catholic or Protestant ideal of Christian morality. The important aspect of the novel is not whether Bishop Dyer, Elder Tull, and their ilk were right or wrong; it is the inner transformation that takes place within Lassiter, Jane, Venters, and Bess, particularly the women, as Bess discovers a new identity and Jane enters a metaphorical tomb, rolling the stone that will finalise her death to her old understanding of religion and her resurrection into some other kind of being. One of the great failings I see around me in society today is that when someone questions their own religion, whatever it might be, they often respond by rejecting religion outright, rather than rejecting only the tradition in which they were taught and open-mindedly questioning whether truth lies elsewhere. It is not clear on a first reading what Grey intends for his characters, or what he wants his reader to think, but he raises significant questions and provides fodder for deep philosophical thought. This is hardly a simple cowboy story. It earns its place alongside the greatest classics of world literature.

A nice story but although the description of the environment was beautiful, I didn't care for the writing style.

Gene Ankeny is one of my all time readers. When I read a JP Beaumont novel I always hear his voice in Beaumont’s words. But he really outdid himself bin the telling of this classic western novel. It is on to the Rainbow Trail for me!

Stilted syntax, stereotypical characters, repetitive landscape descriptions.

I know that Zane Grey has passed away some years ago, but his talent sure is alive and well. Thank you for reading it so well. LOVE his stories

Vaguely pornographic in its blatant sensuality. A classic pulp Western that pits a religious Mormon woman against a hardened brute of animal magnetism. A ranger falls in love with the apparent ex- of a bad guy - a thunder storm makes him realize he has "a storm of real love" in his own "breast." "...I reckon you'd better call quick on thet God who reveals himself to you on earth, because He won't be visitin' the place you're goin to!"

Some good stuff, some clunky stuff, some predictable twists, some surprises.

Had I not had the clever idea of reading a canonical and a contemporary novel of the American west simultaneously, my response to this work would undoubtedly have been more favorable. But next to the work of a master like Cormac McCarthy (in this case, the novel The Crossing), what becomes painfully clear is that the story of the American cowboy was always one of Camusian existentialism, and it just took nearly 100 years for that language to evolve and for the genre to find its full flowering.

I read this because Zane Grey was my paternal grandfather's favorite writer. Or so I'm told. He passed away before I was born and I thought that maybe I could connect with him a little by reading a book he loved. I read somewhere that Riders of the Purple Sage was the western that established many of the tropes used in subsequent western novels and movies.

Mormon men are the bad guys in this novel, specifically the Mormon elders. Mormon women are long suffering and the spirited ones are marked to be "broken." Good men are the ones who treat animals, women, and children with kindness and respect. There are some beautiful scenes, some hokey scenes, and lots of problems that could have been avoided had people spoken up sooner, but, overall, I think it's a good story that explores the abuse of power and religion. I just don't know if many modern readers would have the patience to read it through unless they're interested in western literature.

A strange book, but maybe I'm just showing my ignorance of westerns. A lot more romance than I was expecting, which isn't a bad thing particularly, just unexpected. Much more odd and off-putting was the fact that the villain (or "antagonist") is kind of Mormonism as a whole, which is depicted as a kind of home-grown fascism in the bud. It's the same sort of depiction as in the long middle section of "Study in Scarlet" (which is often left out or skipped) - Mormons are secretive, conniving, dastardly, unprincipled, &c. Very much like the way the "Da Vinci Code" depicts the Catholic Church. I'm not in any way associated with LDS, nor do I have much patience for their theology, but this seems way over the top and, frankly, weird.Strangest of all, though, is that almost all the actijon scenes in the book, particularly the gun fights, take place off stage. What a weird choice for a western. It's just possible that this is a deliberate choice, since the book is really about its heroine, Jane Withersteen, and from her perspective all these things sort of happen off somewhere else and then she hears about them after the fact. It's possible, but I doubt it, and deliberate choice or not it gives the book a strange feel.Grey is such a titan of western genre fiction that I feel obligated to try at least one more. We shall see.

Jane Withersteen lives in Utah in the late 1890s and has the distinction of being one of the richest people in her town. When her father died, he left everything he owned to her. Although Jane is a devout Mormon, she doesn't agree with the leaders of her Mormon group and definitely does not want to marry them. Jane is "pure" of heart and wants to help everyone, Mormon and Gentile alike, which is what leads her to have trouble with the villains in the story. One afternoon, a rugged, handsome gunslinger rides into town and starts fighting for Jane and, of course, they fall in love despite their differences in religion (she's a Mormon and he's a Gentile).

In my mind, when one refers to the western genre, they're almost always referring to either a Louis Lamour or Zane Grey novel; but, I don't recall ever reading a Zane Grey novel before. The introduction to this novel calls Riders of the Purple Sage both the most popular western novel of all time and also one of the pioneering and definitive works of western literature. I must admit that there were some very compelling parts in this book. I can see how Zane Grey defined the genre. I feel like the characters could have been better developed but, it was 1912 and I'm not sure just how much character definition existed in novels then. I'm definitely glad I read the book although I don't think I'll be reading very more in the genre.

Whew! Mostly a slog. There is a fabulous horse chase, and a fair amount of adventure staples, but the dialogue is brutally awkward and almost all the set up patently absurd. Horses that can go over 50 miles a day! And the horrifying specter of cute little girl Fay, had me gagging with the manipulative exploitation of her and her use in the plot.

Digital audiobook read by John Bolen.From the book jacket: Cottonwoods, Utah, 1871. A woman stands accused. A man, sentenced to whipping. In … rides … Lassiter, a notorious gunman who’s come to avenge his sister’s death. It deoesn’t take Lassiter long to see that this once-peaceful Mormon community is controlled by the corrupt Deacon Tull – a powerful elder who’s trying to take the woman’s land by forcing her to marry him, branding her foreman a dangerous “outsider.” Lassiter vows to help them. But when the ranch is attacked by horse thieves, cattle rustlers, and a mysterious Masked Rider, he realizes they’re up against something bigger, and more brutal, than the land itself…My reactionsI hardly know what to write about this classic of the Western genre. It’s full of adventure, violence, strong men and women, tenderness, brutality and an abiding sense of justice. And, of course, there is the landscape, which Grey paints so vividly it is practically a character. Yes, the storyline and dialogue are a bit melodramatic. But Grey’s story still captured this reader’s imagination with its sense of drama, almost non-stop action, and bold characters. I was reminded of the many western movies I watched with my Daddy in the ‘50s and ‘60s. They were exciting and the good guys always won. Clearly those movies (and other books of the genre) had Grey’s strong foundation on which to build. I’m glad I finally read it.The digital audio available through my library’s Overdrive system was read by John Bolen. I was not a great fan of his delivery, which seemed overly dramatic to me. I might have enjoyed this better had I read the text.

Though a reader's patience will well be tested by Jane Withersteen, Zane Grey's lush descriptions of Utah's wilderness carry the rather slow moving plot to a bunch of rip roaring endings.

This was my first experience with a classic western by Zane Grey ... and my last if I have anything to say about it. I'm just not into westerns. I don't have much else to say other than it's not my thing - I don't like the environment, the 'cowboy' perspective, etc. etc. I tried.

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane GreyRecall a band by this name and love their music. This book starts out with a few men who tend to Jane Withersteen's horses that she's raising and selling after training them.In Utal the Mormoms rule the land and they want her land and round up men to steal her horses. Before she knows it a little come Fay comes to stay with her because the woman taking care of her has died.There are many trouble and upheavals during this book involving many different sets of people. Liked the scenery because it is so descriptive from the daybreak to the full sun and at dusk-the purple sage is always being described.Love how they band together and make a run for it. Learned so much about this area-even gold! Great Book.

In several instances the characters act in an overly theatrical fashion that made me think of the exaggerated affect of characters in silent movies. Relatedly, there are also some plot devices that are cloying, going overboard playing on the reader's sympathies. There are a few undeveloped characters that are bumped off like the expendable crew on Star Trek. Who were they? Some of the scenes went on long after they had served their purpose.In spite of all these problems there was a strong plot line that maintained my interest. In addition, the main character's struggle to break free from the dysfunctional obedience of a stern religious upbringing was interesting. I also liked the description of the Utah landscape.

Review first posted on Audiobook Reviewer.

Riders of the Purple Sage
Written by: Zane Grey
Narrated by: Ann M. Richardson
Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
Series: Riders of the Purple Sage, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:04-18-16
Publisher: Post Hypnotic Press Inc.


Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic western from author Zane Grey. It was published in 1912 and has remained in print and popular to this day. The story is set in 1871 in the Utah territory. There is no separation of church and state. The Mormon church and it’s patriarchal society hold all power.

The main character Jane is very non-traditional for the time period and for Mormon women. She is unmarried in her late twenties. She is also wealthy because of inheriting her father’s estate. She further defies convention by refusing to marry one of the Mormon elders in the area who demand she get in line with church teachings. Worst of all, in the eyes of her Mormon neighbors, is her belief in treating all men, whether Mormon or Gentile (non-Mormon) with equal dignity.

Her property is very valuable since it has a reliable water source. Her horses are also well known and sought after. Elder Tull wants to marry her, her wealth equal in his eyes to her beauty. The local Bishop, Dyer, supports Tull in his attempt to make Jane into a respectable Mormon wife. When Jane does not jump at the chance to become another of Tull’s wives, Tull and Dyer set about forcing her by attacking her Gentile ranch hands. Without her trusted hands, Jane cannot keep the ranch functioning.

As Jane continues to fight for what she feels is right and not what the Mormon men tell her is right, help comes from an unexpected and very dangerous source. Lassiter, a gunman known for his antipathy towards Mormons and accused of killing several Mormon men, arrives at Jane’s ranch. His reputation proceeds him and causes the to resort to even more violence in an attempt to force Jane into marriage.

Lassiter is an anti-hero. He is a man who has willingly killed other men. He has a very open hatred of all things Mormon. Yet he demonstrates more honor than the religious men trying to rob Jane of her independence and wealth. The pairing of a gunslinger and a Mormon woman drive the plot to an unexpected and thrilling conclusion.

I enjoyed the book, the first Zane Grey I have read or listened to. My only disappointment was it took Jane so long to realize that the Elder and Bishop were not motivated by religion but by greed. She was naive. Other than that, all the characters were well rounded.

I had previously listened to the version narrated by Mark Bramhall. I was interested to hear the book narrated by a woman, Ann M. Richardson. Different narrators can bring different tones or emphasis to the same book. I was very interested whether the gender of the narrator would affect the story itself. I found the gender of the narrator in this particular instance did not make a difference. Ms. Richardson did a very fine job of narrating the book. After listening to the same passages read by the two different narrators, I found I enjoyed them both. If this is an edge at all, it goes to Ms. Richardson. Her voice is very pleasant and she handles the range of voices, male/female, very well.

Rating: Story (Plot) 4

Rating: Performance 5

Rating: Production Quality 5

Rating: Attention Holding 4

Rating 4.5

ABR received this audiobook for free from the Publisher, Submitted in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the audiobook or the content of our review.

Lots of Mormon bashing in this. I wish that the heroine Jane was a more realistic character. Her attempts to "save" the various men were annoying and after declaring that she would do anything to get the child Fay back, including marrying the despicable Tull, she then proceeds to agree to fly with Lattimore without a word about Fay!

Zane Grey first published this Western novel back in 1912, and it has become the standard by which others are measured. I don't know that it would survive a politically correct editor today, but it remains a great and exciting read, with John Wayne-type good guys, some really sinister bad guys wrapped in religious privilege, and a strong and godly young woman as the protagonist.Jane Withersteen has inherited a vast ranch with huge herds of cattle from her Mormon pioneer father. She is successfully managing the ranch and her employees as well as helping poor families wherever she sees a need. But the Mormon elder who has been courting her determines to break her financially when she rejects his offer to become one of his several wives.Jane's help comes from some Gentile (non Mormon) Cowboys who are not intimidated by the Mormon leaders, though even they may not be able to overcome the many wiles of the Mormon leadership, which holds strong spiritual and psychological authority over the Mormon families who make up the community as a whole.Greg's descriptions of the wild and rugged plains, high cliffs and deep valleys of Utah transport the reader back so effectively that one can almost smell the sage, feel the speed and power of the horses they ride, and the raw fear and excitement engendered by stampeding cattle. Oh, and there is a love story or two as well to enrich the adventure. Thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too!

All a bit silly, really. It may have invented a genre, but it's still just full of cartoons: hardened cowboys, flouncy fainting women and inexplicably wicked villains. The plot is driven along largely by coincidence, and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Still fun.

Great story. I immediately downloaded the sequel because I wanted to know more about what happened to Jane and Lassiter and Bess and Venters ... and the horses. Good storytelling and lovely descriptive passages. Maybe some of the characters were a little stock, but it didn't keep you from caring about them.

I listen to books via audio versions and like Audible.com's version of this book.

I believe a few of this book's genre merit reading by anyone today. This is probably one of the best of these books. It deals with the Mormon community rather pointedly, in that our lady-in-distress is having trouble fending off the affections of a Mormon leader, who is already married several times over, now wanting her.

I love this book. It started the Western genre. Wholly believable. The terrain is a significant character. It also reflects the popular opinion of Mormonism at the time. They were not the innocent practitioners that they appear to be today.

I have to put this in my top ten. One of the greatest stories I have ever read. So many heros and villians.

Although I'm not a fan of Westerns, Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic in the genre and I've wanted to read it for some time. A Zane Grey group read gave me the motivation I needed. I listened to the audio version read by Mark Bramhall and I'm almost certain that I enjoyed listening to Bramhall's narration more than I would have enjoyed reading the book. His voice for each character was just right, even for the women. A lot of the dialogue was dated, but somehow Bramhall managed to keep it from sounding corny.I wasn't as bothered as some were with the negative portrayal of Mormons. The book is set in Utah Territory in 1871, at a time when there was a great deal of mistrust between the Mormons and the non-Mormons who lived there. Brigham Young was still living and the church had not yet rejected polygamy.The thing that eventually got to me was Jane Withersteen's gun phobia. It seemed to be more than pacifism. She had a horror for guns, and she did everything she could to get the gunman Lassiter to give up his guns. Jane Withersteen was the owner of a large ranch with lots of livestock. Guns would be necessary for protecting the livestock from predators or for quickly putting fatally injured animals out of their misery. Jane needed to know how to use guns, and her employees needed access to guns. Her attitude toward guns made no sense for her position or life in that place and time.Westerns will never be a favorite genre for me. However, at some point I would like to try Grey's Frontier trilogy, starting with Betty Zane, since it's based on Grey's family history.

Zane Grey never allowed political correctness or historical accuracy to interfere in his storytelling but in the case of the overly dramatic, downright cheesy Riders of the Purple Sage, he should have. I am a fan of Grey’s and have enjoyed other books of his that I have read, but I really had trouble sticking with this story to the end. This is a book that should have disappeared, stored away up in grandpa’s dusty attic years ago. It is certainly not a book that should be used today to represent Zane Grey’s work.I had hoped that Riders of the Purple Sage would be a straight forward “cowboy story”, instead it is a strange blend of Morman bashing and romance. The plot points sound good on paper: Cattle rustlers, two couples falling in love and overcoming many obstacles to be together, along with horse stealing, a mysterious masked rider and a little orphan girl, but the one point the readers will take away from this book is the low opinion of Mormon’s that the author must have had. The one area that I felt Zane Grey excelled in was his beautiful descriptive writing. Although it seemed a little over-blown at times, I have travelled in this area of Southern Utah and the colors and scenery are incredible.Riders of the Purple Sage was originally published in 1912 and unfortunately just doesn’t hold up well today.

Jane Withersteen is a Mormon woman who has inherited her father's ranch. She dares to defy the church and faces opposition in more ways than one from church leaders. The book has the elements one would expect in a typical Western novel. I just don't really enjoy the genre, and I never really enjoyed Westerns on television. My inability to get into this book and enjoy it is probably more of a reflection of my dislike of the genre than of the quality of writing. If you enjoy Westerns, give it a try in spite of my dislike. I made a comment to a friend of mine as I was reading the book that the negative comments one heard about Mormons during the Romney presidential campaign paled in comparison to the contempt for Mormons in the novel. I really only stuck with the book because of the group read.

I'm currently researching the western genre for my own writing, and this book reads through and through like a classic western. Riders, rustlers, gunfights and runaway cattle -- it's all here. While the duels are riveting and certain characters (Lassiter!) are memorable, it certainly drags on in the middle. Still, if you're patient with it, this is a decent read.

I never got into this novel. It does have some attractive elements, mostly those that came to be hallmarks of the Western genre: strong attention to place, elaborate landscape visuals, loneliness, nostalgia, a mystical awe of nature and open spaces. While these were conveyed well, they tended to be drowned out by the more Victorian elements. The novel is dominated by emotionally stunted people romancing each other at an agonizingly slow pace, which never carried any appeal for me. And while I've been guilty of poking fun at their faith, I still found the level of hatred directed at Mormons in this book to be unsettling.