The tall, young Texan had gambled, fought, and killed in every town from Montana to Mexico. He'd been in plenty of places where there was no law, but this little hellhole was the worst. Jard Hardman and his son Dick were the law. They owned the marshal and used him to rob the town blind. These were the men Panhandle Smith had come to find-and destroy. Pan had bluffed them once, but the young gunfighter knew that this time they would call him!
Pearl Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. As of June 2007, the Internet Movie Database credits Grey with 110 films, one TV episode, and a series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater based loosely on his novels and short stories.
Valley of Wild Horses is one of Zane Grey’s most satisfying westerns. Everything that was wonderful about Zane Grey — his magnificent storytelling, his vivid descriptions of the landscape and horses, the sheer excitement of a roundup, and the thrill of gunplay — are on display so vibrantly in Valley of Wild Horses that the reader is rarely annoyed by some stilted dialog which creeps in, and some slight awkwardness in the romance department — which are also Grey trademarks.
There is great beauty here in Valley of Wild Horses, a purity of the human spirit. On its pages exists a love for decency and what is right, even if it must be administered with a gun. Even then, there is always regret, a wish that it hadn't come to that. Grey never painted a better portrait of those with checkered pasts trying to find a place they belong, than he did in Valley of Wild Horses. The simplicity of Grey’s narrative is deceptive, because it is a rich and beautiful portrait of a young man named Panhandle Smith, who represents a time and place in history as well as any Grey ever painted.
For a western, it begins somewhat languidly, because it is the story of Panhandle as he grows up. We get to see the cowboys and cattle, the excitement and the harshness of these times, all circumstances which shape Pan’s life as a young man. At the age of twelve, Pan is already riding in the roundup, and loses one of the cowboys around him when he is taken away for stealing horses. Schoolteacher Amanda Hill is his first crush, Dick Hardman his first enemy, a situation which will play out over the years in their love for Lucy. Lucy is the young girl he helps deliver in a barn one snowy day, when he himself is but a boy. As she grows up, Pan’s feelings for her become romantic, as Lucy’s do for Pan, but Dick Hardman proves to always be in the way.
Once his beloved horse Curly is gone, and a terrible scrape with Dick mars the future, Panhandle drifts to Montana and Arkansas at the age of twenty, and that’s where this tale switches gears, and become one of Grey’s greatest achievements. As Panhandle becomes a name known by many, sometimes for the wrong reasons, he never forgets Lucy, or his beloved family. It is when he meets up with old pals Blinky Moran and Gus, and returns to discover his father has been swindled, and Lucy is being blackmailed into marrying Dick Hardman in order to save her father, that the pieces which make this a great western saga all fall into place. There is a softhearted saloon girl named Louise whom Blinky loves that has ties to Dick, a corrupt sheriff named Matthews, and Dick’s powerful father and his dangerous men for Panhandle to deal with. But not before one of the most thrilling roundups you’ll ever read, as Pan and his pals seek to find the wild horses and make a new start in Arizona.
There will be some treachery, some gunplay, and some twists and turns where Lucy and Louise are concerned. Louise in fact, is one of Grey’s best-drawn characters, and what happens is not only exciting, but quite moving. Throughout the book, there is a sense of family, and decency, and the hope of pioneers as they sought to carve out a new life. The storytelling is old-fashioned, to be sure, the dialog sometimes awkward, as Grey writes it phonetically as they speak it. But this is a lush, beautiful work, surprisingly layered and more complex than the premise suggests. The ending of Valley of Wild Horses is as lovely as any western you’ll ever read. It is simple, and pure, and hopeful. The reader will be imagining their lives going forward, and smiling.
The first portion of the novel, as Grey focuses on Panhandle’s childhood, is too lengthy and makes the narrative move more slowly than it should. That said, there is a rich reward waiting for those who forge on, and a pot of western gold when they reach the final page. This is Zane Grey at his finest, which is to say warts and all. It may be too old-fashioned for a great many modern readers, its narrative style too different for them to accept and enjoy, but it’s as romantic and lovely as any western you’ll ever read, the ending pure. A great achievement by Grey that fans of traditional westerns of old will appreciate more than most modern readers. Highly recommended!
This is the June selection of the American Westerns Book Club
Zane Grey is the master writer of the American Western. The Valley of Wild Horses is a great story full of cowboys, horses, hombres and gun fights. Panhandle Smith, "Pan" for short, was born to a Texas farmer and raised in wide open spaces. His dad bought him his first pony when he was just a spud, and when the cattle herds came by going up the trail, he was in awe of the cowboys, their horses, boots and spurs. The story follows Pan, his family, friends and girl in the wild west. Lawless but full of opportunity.
To me, Zane Grey's forte is his descriptive writing. The Valley of the Wild Horses, the New Mexico location in the book, is so beautifully described, that I could fully imagine myself on a horse beside Pan, seeing what he was seeing. Desert land filled with mountains and canyons, sand and streams, cacti and cedar trees, coyotes and antelope, and thousands upon thousands of wild horses. Desert colors which I have witnessed myself, could not have more clearly put to canvas. The story and characters blended with scenery did the trick for me.
If you are nostalgic for tales of adventure in the wild, unsettled landscapes of the West, this is a book for you.
Story was a bit simple and some of the themes are a bit dated. Nonetheless it was masterfully written. This was my first Zane Grey novel but will certainly not be my last!
Great adventure, maybe a little slow moving, with terrific descriptive prose and very likable protagonist in young cowboy Panhandle Smith. Grey's descriptions of the valley with the thousands of wild horse made me feel like I was there, and sometimes made me wish that I was.
Well that was a powerful good read! For me, this was a first trip into cowboy pasture and I found myself enthralled and entertained. The story was great, moved along mighty fast and had plenty of cowboy lore, horses and his love of the beautiful country, all described so evocatively.
There was plenty of adventure, amusing anecdotes and some romance too. But by far the best aspect of this book was the way the dialogue was written. It was just so natural, and in my head it sounded just the way (I think) a cowboy would speak! This really helped to bring the characters to life and oh, what fantastic names the characters had, Panhandle Smith, Blinky Moran, Lying Juan...
Zane Gray is an excellent writer and I have already downloaded a few more of his books, which I am certain I will also enjoy.
I really enjoyed this book. This was my first Zane Grey novel I have read and I wasn't disappointed. The writing is fine except for some choppy dialogue. Grey excels in describing the natural environment-- you can really sink your teeth into it and imagine you're there. Panhandle Smith is a rough yet amiable character (like any good cowboy), and you really root for him.
With my search to expand my reading genre, I decided it Valley of the Wild Horses by Zane Grey was worth a gander as I do I do love a good Western tale - Yahoo! And this is one of the best: Even a century after publication, Mr. Grey, creates an unforgettable time in the history of the Unite States – The Old West.
The main character (and he is that! All cowboy hero to boot) is Panhandle Smith. He was born to Bill and Margaret Smith out on the open prairie, under the blistering sun.
Pan, as he’s later called, was named by his father for the Panhandle, a lonely unruly purple range land with often, fierce winds. Pan would grow to be as wild and free as the land he was born into. His father is a wandering cattleman who chases his fortune to Texas. In the stark hardness of Bill and Mary’s life on the open range, she comes to him one day. He stops his plowing anticipating lunch but instead she presents him with their newly born baby boy. Wow! Talk about those strong pioneer women. Mr. Grey captivates the reader and soon you are seeing, hearing, feeling and tasting all in the life of Pan and those with him on this coming of age story. He is a strong individual from almost birth on, and his love for horses and freedom to roam cast him to his fate. At an early age he runs away from home and his parents mourn their loss of him until one day Pan shows back up – really in the nick of time.
The starkness of the setting coupled with the simplicity of the characters in thought, speech and purpose, takes the reader to a time where life was tough and fragile during the taming the West. Even the use of old language is completely appropriate to the environs. You will have to let go of how it sounds and hitch up yer boots, chew straw and yup, yup, git right into it.
It’s a story of adventure, love, romance (real Western style), loyalty, and of great faith for a better life. The only part I didn’t like and skipped over (majority I savored each line) was the treatment of the horses. I did attempt to understand the times and misunderstanding men had then about horses, still as a horse owner, I was dismayed to read about it. Pan didn’t like it either.
Other than that – very glad I chose Mr. Grey’s book (one reason being I because been reading too many detective stories with much less action, reasonable plots and less vivid characters as this story. Savoring each line and the dialogue well it's plain talk, pardner The Skye in June City of Redemption
My first American western and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Zane Grey wrote so many tales of the old west so I have to believe he romanticized the era and it sparked his imagination. In this tale his protagonist Panhandle Smith was born to be a cowboy. Grey gives a good deal of background history on his hero, and what drives him. Plenty of action and scenarios, good guys and bad guys not forgetting a couple of damsels in distress. I enjoyed his colorful descriptions, the vistas you could imagine. What surprised me the most was lack of even one token Indian, or of any buffalo. It's hard to think that his character spending years on cattle drives and traversing territory from Texas to Montana there is no mention of seeing even one Indian or a buffalo. However, it didn't take away the quality or enjoyment of the read.
Wow, what can you say about a Zane Grey book that has not been said before. I have read these since I was a little girl and my love has not changed one little bit. The humor, romance, action and seriousness are still there. In fact as an adult, I think they are even better. If you love westerns, then these are the books for you. Eighty seven years later horses, bad guys, love and family have not changed. We still love reading about the old west and the guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after. Zane Grey had a way with words that made us all love that time and I don't think another eighty seven years will change that. So enjoy!
Really enjoyed a western novel that didn't have a lot of killing. It felt like a the eagles series by William Johnstone, but without all the killing fields. It presented reality during western days, when people was people, and how they all tried to make a living. Like in our modern day and time, there are still those who think money is the utmost power.
Following a young man known as Panhandle Smith, Valley of Wild Horses takes us from his humble beginnings through his wild years into an opportunity for him to make a fresh start. The adventure takes us from the midwest to the southwest. Fiercely loyal to his family, friends, and one true love, Pan sees himself into and out of some dangerous scrapes. He's no innocent, but neither is he a beyond redemption. Having been double crossed, and watching the same outfit attempt to ruin his father, nonetheless Pan would be happy enough to round up a Gerd of wild horses and sell them for seed money, just so that he and all those he cares about can start anew in Arizona.
A bit slow in places, but the story is carefully crafted and revealed. There's no doubt as to the true motivations of core characters, or their honest desire to live peaceful and productive lives. Great adventures entertain us along the way to the culmination of their journey.
Being descended from cattle-owning families, you'd think I would have read no end of Zane Grey, but this is actually my first one.
In "Valley of Wild Horses," we follow the life of Panhandle Smith, from his first steps and first ride to cattle stringer and roundup rider to marriage. Riding the range for one cow company after another, it's a series of small and large adventures, with the penultimate being where he takes the leading role in the titular Valley of Wild Horses, righting the wrongs that have been done to his family, his girl, and the righteous in a town, while building a solid future for all.
Grey takes his time with his story, describing the scenery and events as if he were painting in oils. So it's not a fast read, or a thriller, but a beautiful mental canter with occasional gallops.
Im being forced to write a review b4 I've finished the book?? So its not a very fair review. However, 3 stars bc the story has thus far been very predictable, many words are repeated much too often when another would have been more interesting to read. It was as if the author just learned how to use a few words and wanted to use them as often as possible at times. That got old quick. However, it doesn't change the story. The story.... The one I can't fair!y review bc I'm being forced to review a book I've not completed. Not a very fair way to review a book in my opinion.
This was a fast moving novel for Zane Grey. The story begins with the birth of Panhandle Smith and takes the reader through a variety of adventures that shaped his life. Grey’s novels usually spend a lot of time describing the beauty of the West but this one only mentions the settings in passing. The story moves quickly. When Pan Smith starts to feel contented that things are finally going his way, something always happens that poses a challenge to his optimism. Many times it comes from a childhood bully who always seems to show up wherever Pan goes. There are many surprises. This was one of the more enjoyable Zane Grey stories.
An excellent classic Western which begins in Texas and moves to New Mexico. It begins with Panhandle Smith in his youth and proceeds to adulthood. As a child, he helps deliver the love of his life, Lucy. Her family moves to New Mexico and Pan grows up to be a cowboy. He does this several years and develops a reputation as a cowboy and his use of a gun. He returns home to find his father has squandered everything he owned in a bad business deal with a crook whose son is an enemy of Pan. They have moved to New Mexico also. There are many turns but Pan and his family move to New Mexico and the story twist and turns to a classic Western ending.
Good read from Zane Grey. The writing style seems to be targeted toward a younger audience, but the plot is more complex than I remember from reading Zane Grey's books as a teen. Perhaps this is later in Mr. Grey's career. Also noteworthy is the fact that this book, as most writings from this era, is free of profanity, and morally ambiguous situations are only lightly referenced, not detailed for prurient interests. Recommended as a light western read.
I love everything this guy writes. It's important if you read this book NOT to skip the foreword. It tells you there are extra passages that Zane wanted in the book that didn't make it past the editor, originally. Although I might agree with some of their cuts (there were, IMO too many references to the color purple! - no, not Oprah's - for instance) it was nice to read his original intention. Amazing how even mega famous people sometimes have to cow-tow to the hands that feed them.
A page turning story, I expected it to be very predictable and in some ways it was but not entirely, it managed a few surprises too. The casual misogyny and racism are a lot for a modern reader though. I read it to get some ideas for a western themed D&D game I would like to read a few more in the genre but I'm not sure whether I can stomach any more by the same author even if he is the supposed master of the genre.
Wild horses, cowboys, love. What more do you need to feel the old good western times? Wonderful, absolutely love it! I read it as a very little girl after I borrow this book from my uncle. I will never forget how wonderful it was to go with Pan on the adventure, sitting on a horse and feel the wind and the sun. I like the characters, I like the atmosphere, I love it all.
Love the writing, the story telling. Made me yearn for a campfire, rent and my horse. I wish I could time travel back to the days of real cowboys n the Unsettled country of the west!
The story of Panhandle Smith - cowboy. Pretty straight-forward Western. Not really any surprises. Good, solid, Zane Grey Western. Probably not his most detailed and descriptive, but captures the stereotypical flavor of the genre in a way that few could.
This is typical Zane Grey - a western classic. The descriptions of the terrain are well-drawn and evocative for anyone who has seen the areas. The story line is perennial - good triumphs over evil and love wins in the end.
I read anything by Zane Grey. He wrote such beautiful stories, and sometimes therefore intense fighting scenes. Always the backdrop was described with such wonderful details.