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GA Russell · 05-28-2011, 07:41 PM

Everybody finished? Let's begin.

Many years ago I read Owen Wister's The Virginian, which was published in 1902. As I recall, the preface to that edition said that it was the first western best seller. Riders of the Purple Sage was published only ten years later in 1912, so we are still talking about the early years of the genre.

There was way too much romance for me. I expected a lot more about cowboys, and a lot less about women's love lives.

I had trouble imagining the territory - for example how the canyon related to the cliff leading up to the dwelling on Surprise Valley. A map would have been helpful, showing how the waterfall the rustlers led the cattle through related to Surprise Valley's location.

It occurred to me that only a few years after 1912, someone could have flown a small biplane over the territory and mapped it all out, and thus eliminated the unknown nature of the geography.

A little more explanation of Millie early on would have been helpful to me. After a while she was all they talked about, yet I couldn't remember much of what had been said about her originally.

I suppose that it would be politically incorrect today to make the Mormons the bad guys. If I were a Mormon, I wouldn't be happy about it! A few months ago I read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, and noticed that its author Howard Pyle made the bishop the bad guy second only to the Sheriff of Nottingham, and had Robin Hood murdered by a nun, so I had to figure that Pyle was anti-Catholic. I'm a Catholic, and I'm accustomed to anti-Catholicism, so maybe the Mormons are accustomed to anti-Mormonism too.

I did think that Grey did a good job of tying up all the loose ends at the end of the book.

What say you?

05-28-2011, 07:41 PM	#27
GA Russell Riders win Banjo Bowl Posts: 7,700 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Everybody finished? Let's begin. Many years ago I read Owen Wister's The Virginian, which was published in 1902. As I recall, the preface to that edition said that it was the first western best seller. Riders of the Purple Sage was published only ten years later in 1912, so we are still talking about the early years of the genre. There was way too much romance for me. I expected a lot more about cowboys, and a lot less about women's love lives. I had trouble imagining the territory - for example how the canyon related to the cliff leading up to the dwelling on Surprise Valley. A map would have been helpful, showing how the waterfall the rustlers led the cattle through related to Surprise Valley's location. It occurred to me that only a few years after 1912, someone could have flown a small biplane over the territory and mapped it all out, and thus eliminated the unknown nature of the geography. A little more explanation of Millie early on would have been helpful to me. After a while she was all they talked about, yet I couldn't remember much of what had been said about her originally. I suppose that it would be politically incorrect today to make the Mormons the bad guys. If I were a Mormon, I wouldn't be happy about it! A few months ago I read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, and noticed that its author Howard Pyle made the bishop the bad guy second only to the Sheriff of Nottingham, and had Robin Hood murdered by a nun, so I had to figure that Pyle was anti-Catholic. I'm a Catholic, and I'm accustomed to anti-Catholicism, so maybe the Mormons are accustomed to anti-Mormonism too. I did think that Grey did a good job of tying up all the loose ends at the end of the book. What say you?