Riders of the Purple Sage: The Restored Edition Audiobook

" Fun, but also a much better read than in assumed. Great character development and a good story line. "

" The first page and the first few chapters are particularly well written. The beautiful landscape descriptions of the rugged frontier in Utah, the "wild purple upland waste," made me think of Stephen King's desert setting in his The Wasteland series, where The Gunslinger is out in the desert with purple mountains sketched across the horizon. This book has a good, classic, original Western story. It has one slow section about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the book. I got so bored, I put it aside for awhile. Once I got through that slow part, the pace of the story accelerated through the ending. The beginning and ending are good. Throughout the story, the author uses Mormons as the bad guys, so I can understand that some folks will find it offensive. I guess I've read other classic works of literature (such as King Solomon's Mines) also tainted by offensive depictions of certain groups of people. Nonetheless, I appreciated the characters, the landscape descriptions, and the plot twists. "

" The cover of this book says that this is the restored edition of the novel. Apparently when it was first published, Grey's editor cut huge portions out of the novel. With the approval of the author's son, the editor of this edition reconstructed the novel from the original manuscript. The only thing it needs now, ironically, is a good editor. As it stands I can see perfectly well why it was cut so heavily. For example, in the first 5 chapters the words "rider", "purple", and "sage" are repeated over two hundred times, I suppose either in case you forgot what book you were reading or because Grey didn't own a thesaurus. The descriptions are painstakingly detailed to the point of tedium. There is so much that is unnecessary that any effort on the part of the reader to imaging the surroundings is just wasted. I read this because Zane Grey was one of my father's and my grandmother's favorite authors, but I can only assume they liked him pared down to a manageable level. "

" I can't say I'm particularly proud of this read, but like all books that I smile back upon, it came along at the right time for me. "

" Easy reading- curious to know what happens "

" I picked up the book because I'd never read a Zane Grey novel. I couldn't get through it. I really needed tightening, and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. Not my cup of tea. "

" A classic in the western genre, and overall a great story that will keep you up too late. Might be offensive to members of the LDS church, considering Zane Grey really really didn't like Mormons and he flaunts that here. So long as you're not easily offended and understand it was a different time period completely, I think this is one all fans of westerns should read! "

" This is a great read for children "

" Every once in a while, you need a good western. This is one of the best of genera. "

" I was inspired to read this because we visited Zane Grey's summer home near where we live. I enjoyed it but wouldn't call it my favorite style of book. The scenery descriptions are amazing. "

" There are some books you simply DO NOT rush. Counter-intuitive to today's "faster, faster" society I know...but there it is. Some books are so lush, so vivid, time must be spent. And it is time WELL spent, IMHO. Riders of the Purple Sage is one of those books. "

" Okay for the entire library. "

" a good sad story, with happy endings, i can see why it inspired a lot of westerns but i think it was a little prejudice ... "

" Zane Grey books are simple uncomplicated enjoyment. "

" One of the best books I've ever read, western or otherwise. "

" Good read, but it presents Mormons in a very bad light "

" A timeless story with that fires the imagination. Possibly the best chase on horseback in any book or movie I've seen or read. "

" As always an excellent western "

" Another unexpected new favorite. There's romance, religious hypocrisy, more romance, western style swashbuckling, (I LOVE a good swashbuckle!) and a satisfying ending. "

" Grey didn't become the biggest name in Western literature for nothing! One man against an army of outlaws. The only thing I didn't like were the references to Mormons as freakish, cultish, misogynistic people. "

" Very early western novel. Too much romance. "

" I haven't read a Zane Grey novel in years, but I recalled from before that his descriptions of western landscapes were nearly epic. And so they are. Worthy reading for that alone. "

" Ok, now I can say I've read one western. "

" I found this book to be quite an eye opener of the way the Mormons lived in Western Utah in the turn of the century. Breathtaking narrative on the landscape of the Sage plains and horsemanship. "

" A good western read includes interesting outside look of the Mormons of Southern Utah. "

" I am sure that my review is skewed by the fact that my dad and I each read so many Zane Grey and I have fond memories of my own cowboy father. "

" I've been curious about this book for years. It was a fun read, but deserves all the criticism it receives. The writing is very hyperbolic and not in a good way. It is easy to see where it started so many Western cliches. "

" I would be a liar if I said I did not enjoy reading this book at all.<br/><br/>Beyond that, not so sure what to say. The plot, obviously, is somewhat bankrupt, not surprising for what it is. But, entertaining anyway. "