Customer Reviews

Wanderer of the Wasteland

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I'm not sure I'd call "Wanderer of the Wasteland" Zane Grey's greatest, that is a title that I believe must be shared by his "Riders of the Purple Sage", "Call of the Canyon", and "The Vanishing American". What "Wanderer" is however is a great look at the genre of romantic western as written during the years Grey was active. Like all of Grey's books, the language is dated and for those used to later western authors (L'Amour, Brand, Leonard, Parker), his books appear more melodramatic as indeed "Wanderer" does. In some ways, his hunting and fishing stories were easier to read and in recent years it seems that Western fans are more in love with Grey himself, than his writing.

Starting with what appears to be a nervous breakdown, the hero of "Wanderer" sets off on the Colorado River and drifts down to the town of Picacho where he tries to reinvent himself and almost immediately falls for a young lady. Then, the hero's hated brother "Guerd" (yes, you read that right) shows up and ruins everything, including the love affair. After shooting Guerd in a fit of rage, the hero sets off across the "Wasteland" and encounters all sorts of physical discomfort, but is also befriended by a lone minder known as "Dismukes". Anyone who's driven through this part of the country on I-10, I-40, or I-8 will be amused by the descriptions of the desert. All of it's pretty unlikely, and at the same time the book is over the top melodrama. But, taken as it is and considering when it was written, it can be an enjoyable read...an artifact of the genre from the first half of the 20th Century. In any event, its a must have for any serious western buff's Zane Grey collection.

I got this as a gift for my husband, for Xmas. He was very happy that I got it for him, because he likes Zane Grey books.