Audiobook · read by volunteers
Lone Star Ranger
Zane Grey (1872–1939)
Read by Mark F. Smith · 26 chapters · 11 h 11
About the book
Buck Duane is the son of a famous gunfighter, and he has tried to live peacefully. But when a quarrel in a saloon forces him to shoot a man in self-defence, he knows that the law will not understand. He flees to the lawless country along the Nueces River in Texas, where outlaws, rangers and desperate men live outside the reach of justice. There the quick draw that he fears and despises brings him a reputation he never wanted. Zane Grey describes a man who is divided between his conscience and his skill, and who longs for a normal life. The story is full of chases, ambushes and wide, lonely landscapes, and it ranks among the author’s most popular and exciting westerns. Wide skies, dust and danger fill every page of this western.
Introduction
Zane Grey, born in 1872 and died in 1939, was one of the most successful American writers of his time. Trained as a dentist, he turned to writing and produced dozens of western novels, many inspired by his travels in the desert Southwest and the mountains of the West. His books sold in huge numbers and were adapted for film again and again, shaping the popular image of the cowboy and the gunfighter.
The Lone Star Ranger was published in 1915 and is based, in part, on the history of the Texas Rangers, the famous law-enforcement body. Grey gathered material about the Rangers and wove it into the story of a hunted man’s struggle to find a way back. As in other Grey novels, the landscape plays a central role, and the descriptions of rivers, canyons and plains are among the most memorable passages.
This audiobook has twenty-six sections, including a dedication, and runs for about eleven hours. It is read by one LibriVox volunteer. It is a satisfying listen for fans of action and the American West, and a classic example of the western novel at its most dramatic. The pace is lively, and the questions of courage and honour that drive the hero remain interesting.
As in all of Grey’s best work, the sense of place is strong, and the plot moves on through chases, hiding places and unexpected friendships. The book also raises a serious question about whether a man can escape a reputation once it has been made. It is a story that has been enjoyed by many generations of readers.
Public domain
Zane Grey died in 1939: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text