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Shane Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,809 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
I had lain in my bed thinking of our visitor out in the bunk in the barn. It scarce seemed possible that he was the same man I had first seen, stern and chilling in his dark solitude, riding up our road. Something in Father, something not of words or of actions but of the essential substance of the human spirit, had reached out and spoken to him and he had replied to it and had unlocked a part of himself to us. He was far off and unapproachable at times even when he was right there with you.
The Starrett family’s life forever changes when a man named Shane rides out of the great glowing West and up to their farm in 1889. Young Bob Starrett is entranced by this stoic stranger who brings a new energy to his family. Shane stays on as a farmhand, but his past remains a mystery. Many folks in their small Wyoming valley are suspicious of Shane, and make it known that he is not welcome. But dangerous as Shane may seem, he is a staunch friend to the Starretts—and when a powerful neighboring rancher tries to drive them out of their homestead, Shane becomes entangled in the deadly feud. This classic Western, originally published in 1949, is a profoundly moving story of the influence of a singular character on one boy’s life.
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"I got this from the "yeah, maybe you'll return it" shelf at my daughter's school. This classic western is largely about tone and has some pretty deep themes. For kids: the effects of bullying, and deciding what kind of person you want to be. For adults: more subtle relationship themes. It is shockingly violent for a "kid's" book, but I think that's not a bad thing. It is honest about the kind of damage that a "mere" fistfight can inflict and the stress that you feel when waiting for an enemy to make the next move."
— Sarah (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Dove’s light baritone convincingly matches the voice of the young narrator, Bob Starrett…Dove adjusts his voice to portray the boy, his hospitable father, and his mother as well as the menace from Fletcher and his crew. His reading exposes the melancholy tone that pervades this classic. An introduction supplies background to the book, the film version, and Schaefer himself.”
— Booklist (audio review) -
“The author has created a tale which captivates the reader’s attention from beginning to end…The book almost demands completion in one sitting.”
— Library Journal
Shane Listener Reviews
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" This was one of my favorites as a kid. I learned to never hit anyone with a closed fist. (Not that I got into alot of fights, but it was good to know when I did.) "
— Vince, 2/2/2014 -
" fabulous! I read this to a man I visited every week at a nursing home. We both loved it. "
— Sara, 1/29/2014 -
" This book made me want to really be a man. Such a glimpse of terrible beauty. "
— Ben, 1/28/2014 -
" Too much 'Shane' can never be enough for me :) "
— Nicholas, 1/15/2014 -
" I really loved this book when I first read it. I was swept up by how a family fell in love with this slight drifter, and I enjoyed how the story was told from the point of view of the family's child. I became an avid Western-reader following Shane. "
— Phoebe, 1/8/2014 -
" A solid book. Plot takes to much time to develop. "
— Peter, 1/6/2014 -
" Ah, the nostalgia of a good western! Classic read! "
— Linda, 1/4/2014 -
" I was nostalgic reading this though I've never homesteaded or been a gunslinger. It was an enjoyable read from an seldom-visited genre. "
— Kelly, 12/15/2013 -
" Read in school as a kid and liked it at the time. "
— Dan, 11/30/2013 -
" I read this for Max's English class "
— Chris, 11/2/2013 -
" One of the first (THE first?) "mystical" westerns. Very short, and very enjoyable. "
— Ethan, 10/6/2013 -
" Quite possibly my favorite book of all time -- I grew up with it - I read it once or twice a year and understand and enjoy it a little bit more on a new level every single time. "
— Sm, 8/10/2013 -
" I liked the story and its character development in a short amount of space, but I don't think Westerns are my genre. "
— Marie, 7/30/2013 -
" Westerns aren't my thing, but this wasn't bad. It helped fill in some holes in the movie. "
— Laura, 7/18/2013 -
" Nothing fancy. Just a quick nice read. I almost feel like it is more like a short story than a novel, though. There isn't enough character development to be a good novel in my opinion. "
— Angie, 6/25/2013 -
" Something about this story just caught me. I cheered, I wept, I got angry, I wept again. Wishing for hardcover! "
— prairiesister, 2/11/2013 -
" Westerns are not my first choice but I wanted to get a feel for them and at least read those that are considered classics of the genre. I saw the movie years ago but as often is the case I found the book better. Schaefer's prose is lean. He doesn't waste words or a reader's time. "
— Mercedes, 11/10/2012 -
" There was an entire chapter about them digging up a tree stump. That says it all "
— Alexis, 9/13/2012 -
" It was meh. Kinda boring, really "
— Rhiannon, 9/12/2012 -
" What a wonderful book, including the John McCormack illustrations in our library's copy. I realized how much I miss illustrations, particularly really, really good ones. The language here is almost sparse, but lovely and evocative nonetheless, in physical and emotional description. "
— Amy, 7/19/2012 -
" Plenty of cornball American machismo in this one, but I'll admit, I couldn't help but be moved by it. A great read for anyone who grew up loving to catch mid-century westerns on TV. "
— Alex, 2/28/2012 -
" One of the few westerns I have read, but a delight to read. "
— Rob, 8/31/2011 -
" It was ok, not great "
— Jack, 5/16/2011 -
" Mildly entertaining with the Western backdrop. Characters were completely colorless; the ring leader in blandness, for me, being the novel's namesake. "
— Megan, 4/12/2011 -
" This was a very good classic western. Much better than I thought it would be. The ending was sad when.... I'm not gonna say what happens!! "
— Annie, 4/2/2011 -
" Was a great read. Used it every year in school for a book report. "
— Gary, 3/25/2011 -
" Gave birth to the classic Alan Ladd film of the same name. "
— George, 3/7/2011 -
" reading this book made me want to be a better man. There were qualities exhibited in the two main characters that i want to emulate. Also a short read. very good. "
— Justin, 2/8/2011 -
" And from the shadows came a Pale Rider... "
— Neal, 1/18/2011 -
" A long time favorite. Much better than the movie. "
— Lek, 12/16/2010 -
" You can't put this American classic down--and it doesn't take a very long session to finish it. "
— Robert, 11/23/2010
About Jack Schaefer
Jack Warner Schaefer (1907–1991) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, studied at Oberlin College and Columbia University, and was a career journalist and editor. He is best known for his Western novels. In 1975 he received the Western Literature Association’s Distinguished Achievement award. Shane, his most famous work, was published in 1949, and was made into a critically acclaimed movie in 1953. It became a standard by which later Westerns were judged.
About Eric G. Dove
Eric G. Dove is a multiple Earphones Award–winning narrator, and his credits include more than one hundred audiobooks. He is also an accomplished musician and a budding author, who published Ghosts of Royston in 2013. He is a graduate of Ohio State University.