Dolly And Zane Grey: Letters From A Marriage (Western Literature Series) [Hardcover]

Candace C. Kant (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Western Literature Series | Publication Date: April 28, 2008

Much has been written about Zane Grey but little is known about his wife, Dolly, or their marriage. With three children, houses, yachts, fabulous wealth, and a long lasting marriage, they appear to be a conventional couple, but the reality of their personal life is startlingly different from the public façade. Zane Grey became the name for a huge enterprise based on his writing, which included books, magazine serials, film and stage versions, children’s books and even comic strips, but he did not create this enterprise alone: Dolly guided, directed and managed his career. After editing his hand written manuscripts, she handled the business of publishing, meeting and negotiating with publishers, overseeing contracts, directing arrangements with movie studios, managing the finances, keeping her eye on the book market, determining how many and which manuscripts should be published, and perhaps most importantly, maintaining the facade of a conventional married life. His numerous affairs with other women might have threatened his reputation. Most of these relationships lasted many years. Dolly knew all about them, and both Dolly and Zane took great pains to hide his affairs. Much of their married life was spent apart and their marriage was sustained by a constant correspondence. It is in these letters that the nature of the marriage is revealed. It is also in these letters that we can see the extent of Dolly’s participation in his business life as well as her own remarkable personality. <br>

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book provides the most fascinating and detailed background to date on the Greys’ productive and unconventional relationship. In addition to presenting an intimate close-up of the two protagonists, some of the letters are valuable records of the early twentieth-century publishing and film industries. Since so much of the correspondence remains in private hands, this book will serve as a useful primary reference for writers other than those directly interested in Grey and his work, in related fields such as popular western literature, film history--even women’s studies and the history of deep-sea sport fishing.<br> --David Fenimore, University of Nevada, Reno<br> <br>

About the Author

Candace Kant has spent much of her professional life researching, writing and speaking on Zane Grey. She is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada<br>

Product Details

• Hardcover: 472 pages
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press (April 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874177499
• ISBN-13: 978-0874177497
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,889,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give the prize to Dolly, March 30, 2009

By 

-summer book club lady (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dolly And Zane Grey: Letters From A Marriage (Western Literature Series) (Hardcover)

Dolly's and Zane's letters were the emails of their day, a continous series of communications that kept them in touch and kept their rocky but tenacious relationship intact during Zane's many absences.

My heart went out to Dolly as she poured her anguish, loneliness, embarrassment, and finally acceptance, realistic appraisal of Zane, and through it all, her continued caring for Zane, tinged with resignation due to his infidelities.

As I read more and more of the letters over periods of years, I began to cheer for Dolly as she conquered in turn each of the hardships and obstacles brought to life with Zane's insensitivities and artistic dreamy view of what he deserved in life. I admired her practical nature and her gradual but determined growth outside her comfort zone.

The letters also reveal how much Zane's life was entwined with his art: he wrote of the romances in the wild beautiful places that he lived. He rarely had writer's block--a very dedicated writer indeed. I sensed a rebel, with his comment once that he dispised those folk who go to church and steal their neighbor's wife; but he rarely saw the irony of his open marriage and how hurtful his own choices were. But when he did wish he had been a better husband and more present father, he felt that deeply, especially towards the end of his life.

The letters are a fascinating history of that period of time, 1900-1939, with many details of custom, business, and life that take you right back to those places and that time.

Not having known much about Dolly, I was impressed and inspired by her spunky grit and intelligence, and also touched by how Zane was her star by which she set her course. Having enjoyed Zane's books while growing up in the 1950-1960's, I found his letters very interesting, finding someone who was truly an artist, who lived by his own design, yet in doing so caused much suffering of which he never fully was aware.

I recommend this book to all who love history, love literature, and who are intrigued by a relationship that survived despite great odds, due to two people who certainly made the best of it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zane and Dolly - Loving and Unconventional, June 7, 2008

By 

Joseph H. Race "Jose Mango" (SAIPAN, MP United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Dolly And Zane Grey: Letters From A Marriage (Western Literature Series) (Hardcover)

A memorable insight into a strange, but functional and fascinating, marriage with three children involved, and many mistresses. Dolly knew going in that Zane was a writer, traveller, adventurer, and a womanizer. From his early days as a dentist and then a struggling writer, to becoming one of the most successful American writers of all times, the letters take you along on their life together. I was not always happy with him, or her, but somehow they held it together. In modern times, I suppose we call it "giving him space" to do his hunting and fishing, finding sources and inspiration for his writing, and of course to get off with his ladies, at times two or three together. The couple had their rough spots, and I thought some of the humorous entries were where Zane was trying to keep his women separated and not bickering, and Dolly was trying to help him sort it out. Zane was good at philandering, wasting money, etc., but Dolly held it together. I liked them both, but being a father, I can only imagine the confusion and anxiety of the children. Good information about early publishing days and the film industry. Well edited with commentary by the author and mahalo to the Nevada University Press for getting the letters out for a more complete understanding of a great Western writer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage, August 12, 2011

By 

Kathleen B. RAFFOUL (houston, tx USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dolly And Zane Grey: Letters From A Marriage (Western Literature Series) (Hardcover)

This book is a must read for all Zane Grey fans. It exposes the dynamics of the unusual relationship he had with his life long wife, Dolly. Their intimate thoughts and feelings are revealed. The letters paint a stunning picture of the events in their married life, and also in the outstanding career of this famous author. His wife's contribution to his success is revealed in these letters. It is an intimate biography of Zane Grey and a tribute to the faithfullness of Dolly, in spite of his numerous infidelities. It is well written, and the background given by the author is priceless.