Riders of the Purple Sage

By: Zane Grey

Narrated by: John Hitchcock

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Lassiter is the strong, silent stranger who takes on the powerful agents trying to drive the lovely Jane Withersteen from her ranch in this acknowledged Western Classic.

(P)Commuter's Library

Satisfactory, but not great

This is the first Zane Grey book I’ve read/heard. I didn’t care for it much.

The narrator didn’t make a good impression as the book started. He does a satisfactory job with the story, but his performance with the dialog is stilted and not delivered as dialog would be.

The story was interesting, but moved a bit slowly for me. The descriptions could have been minimized, especially since I could not picture the lay of the land from the rambling verbal scenes that were presented.

I will probably not again take a book by Zane Grey, nor one narrated by John Hitchcock.

One of Zane Grey's Best

This is one of Grey's best works. It is spellbinding in its imagery, captivating in its simplicity, and a good old fashioned love story, to boot. The reader's voice is clear and comfortable to hear. I wish they were all like this.

Excellent Story

This is a great classic story well read. The characters were brought to life. It was a very enjoyable listen.

Zane Grey at Last

Although I have been aware of Greys work for many years, (my dad was a fan and I inheireted his books), I have never read any of his westerns. Recently I decided to try "Riders of the Purple Sage". I found it to be a nmost enjoyable experience. I think his descriptions of the beauty and danger of the western countryside made you almost feel that you were there. His characters, both good and bad, were interesting and you wanted to find out what would happen to them. I enjoyed both the story and its presentation and am looking forward to other Grey stories. I would not hesitate to recommend this work to others.

Great heros and dastardly villains

This version, narrated by John Hitchcock is well read with a good dramatic voice. The version by Duka is very poor quality. (Audible graciously let me switch versions after a phone call to them.) The story by Zane Grey is a good one with the Mormons as appropriate and believable villains for the Utah frontier. The plot is not hard to believe after reading ?Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith? by Jon Krakauer, (another good book depicting the LDS cult, but not under the fiction heading.) By the end of the story, you will be frustrated with Jane willing her to see the truth and act, while Lassiter finally acts like a hero. The dramatic conclusion leaves me wanting to read (listen to) the sequel ?The Desert Crucible.

An Antique Oater

Riders of the Purple Sage is probably the grandaddy of The Western, but like that Broadway song says, this one is as corny as Kansas in August. The book has some action in it, but the writing is dated, flowery and incredibly formal. No one talked like that, even in 19th century Sunday schools. Improbable coincidences abound. The scenery descriptions go on forever. Plus, in case it might bother you, the Mormons play the bad guys. Men and women fall in love, spend weeks hiding together in the wilderness, and yet everything remains platonic. Huh?? This one was evidently meant to be read aloud in a Victorian drawing room filled with upper-class British ladies who wanted a contemporary American version of Ivanhoe. The narration is good, but you can safely skip this one unless you're writing a thesis on the history of 19th century pulp fiction.

riders of the purple sage

The narrator had real difficulty handling the conversations between the characters. His attempt to change characters as he read made the effort seem as though he was reading to a sixth grade class in elemtary school. Very disappointing rendition of a great classic Western.

I really wanted to like this classic western.

I just couldn't care very much about the characters. The women, who were supposed to be tough and strong, came off as simpering, spoiled brats. Bern and Lassiter seemed dense and slow witted. I found the book long, slow and irritatingly repetitive. To top it off the narrator was terrible with dialogue. He makes "little Faye" seem to be mentally challenged. I can't understand how someone didn't suggest he change his interpretation!