Wyoming

by Zane Grey

Andrew Bonning came West, a raw novice, to make his fortune; and he had to learn fast in order to survive. This is the story of a rash of cattle-rustling, a crooked sheriff, and only this raw tenderfoot with a pistol to set things right! What's more, he met and fell for feisty Martha Ann only to discover she was claimed by the dangerous Tex McCall. He had to stand up to McCall in the only way the men of Wyoming knew!

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1920

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a huge fan of Westerns, I occasionally challenge myself to read them.

I really liked this book. The descriptions of the scenery are wonderful and I knew most of the places he was describing. I've even paid for gas in Alladin, Wyoming once, tiny little town, but interesting.

I liked the main characters as well. I though Martha Ann (which happens to be my sisters name as well) was rather foolish at first, but grew up rather fast.

All in all, I liked this book and will be reading more of them.

[Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in grades 4-9 in Springfield School (one room country school north of Waldheim, SK), I read all the Zane Grey books in our small school library. For some reason, I haven't read any since until this time. I found the book captivating in Grey's description of western scenery and of people weaving in a refreshing love story. I'm back to Zane Grey again to get lost in some old fashioned westerns!

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining from the perspective of 1932, but wholly offensive from the standpoint of 2018.

There are some things a girl simply cannot do. Spirit and virtue and religion and training - and nerve are not enough to see a girl through situations that she should never have gotten into. All this new woman modern century stuff is the bunk. Women cannot be as free as men. A girl is restricted - that is, a good girl - by her sex. She has a responsibility a boy does not have. She is the mother of the race, and if the race is to progress instead of retrogress, she has to hold herself more sacred than men do.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful old western (probably 20's) romance written by the master. Tho I have never known a girl to be so "crotchety" with a guy that she really liked and it's like pulling teeth to get the two of them together ... it all ends well of course. Rather tame in comparison to the outlaws vs. good guys of the modern day authors, and a welcome relief.

[Myron T Howley]

Adventure & love on the Sweetwater in Wyoming for two kids from the East!

A young man flees from failure on the East coast, but encounters a wisp of a young lady fleeing herself from Chicago. Their brief meeting on the roads of Nebraska would change both their lives forever. Zane Grey's story of love and travail is heartwarming.

[Larry D. Beaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

of the best western I have read. You will love it!! I will be reading all of his books, I am hooked. What took be so long to find this fine author?

One of the best western I have read, and have read a lot. I will be reading the rest of his books!!

[William Slider · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Zane Grey's best!

Having been an avid Zane Grey reader for forty years and Wyoming is a great story of the old west. Zane's depiction of the purple sage, the brush covered hills and jagged mountains place the reader in the hills of the old west

[Cecil Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scenic to the imagination

Interesting characters portrayed in their local diction. Easy to visualize characters, scenery, and animals etc. Interesting story although outcome is predictable.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my little brother put it, "This is the best romance."

And I will admit: it is.

Plus the girl in it is so stubborn it makes my heart proud.

[Lawrence Kopecky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of the best

I really enjoyed this story. Great setting, great characters. Good plot. The ending be came predictable, but it was .most enjoyable.

[Charles I Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun reading

Fun story line. Entertains insight to life and fortunes made and lost. And a little bit of insight to how women and men think so differently alike.

[Charlie Rushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great escape

I never tire of reading Zane Grey. His stories are timeless. He makes even the hardest of days better when I read his stories.

[Frank Maurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western tale of adventure and love.

A girl and a guy from the East meet as strangers in Wyoming.Then sparks fly. If you like surprising events and romance, this story is for you.

[Paul F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wyoming" by Zane Grey was interesting but a mite difficult to follow and comprehend. I live in Wyoming and I was expecting a novel about the Wild West of the 19th century. Instead, what I got was a novel that takes place in the early 1930s, a time by which the West was largely tamed (or so I thought). There are references to travel by car as well as by horse, and to bootleg liquor. (Remember--prohibition was in effect from 1919-1934). I thoroughly enjoyed the romance part between Martha Ann Dixon and Andrew Bonning, but there were problems with the novel, for sure. For starters, Martha Ann in the first multiple chapters is on a cross-country hitchhiking trip, which even back then would have been chance-taking. As might be expected, she runs into trouble with male drivers who want to pick her up and abuse her, and we are briefly introduced to the hero, Andrew, who rescues Martha Ann from their clutches. The story then returns again to primarily concerning itself with Martha Ann's desire to reach Wyoming (from Chicago) by hitchhiking and finding her long-lost uncle, who is under threat from a rancher who is out to steal Uncle Bligh's ranch. Well into the story, Andrew Bonning reappears as our hero, defending the Bligh Ranch from the evil and dangerous Tex McCall. But here, Martha Ann largely disappears from the story, becoming mainly window-dressing once in a while. The story of her hitchhiking expedition becomes merely a 5 or 6 chapter "prologue" as Andrew takes over the story and gets in fights with the villain and his minions. It was almost as though Zane Grey started the novel with the idea of its being about Martha Ann, then he sort of "discovered" Andrew Bonning part-way through, and then became more interested in Andrew Bonning's adventures, and he forgot about Martha Ann. Also, Bonning's attitude toward young women may have been typical of the 1920s and early 30s, but to 21st century readers his attitude will appear incredibly chauvinistic and patronizing, as he seems to regard all young women as damsels in distress who could benefit from his protection and his profound wisdom about how young women should behave. It is difficult to conceive of a 21st century woman being attracted to Andrew Bonning, and even male readers will likely find Bonning's views a turn-off, but Grey--a product of his time--makes it work out, even if implausibly.

[Jameson]

If you've a hankering for wide-open spaces, independence, and most importantly, adventure, Wyoming is the place to go. The character of Andrew Bonning is the most compelling throughout the book, especially as a young man, as his journey westward to find himself and work to become a rancher is reminiscent of many others of the like. He is well-written, a clear voice and quality conflicts. The scenery is visibly beautiful in the mind's eye, descriptive and enticing. Wyoming Mad might have been a more proper title, but then again I felt her character to be unappealing and irritating at most points in the novel. Either way, this western has everything you'd expect. In contrast to L'Amour's style, Grey is long-winded and utilizes flowery language to paint his pictures, as much an author of romance as he is westerns. Readable and timeless.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

While definitely a work of its time, Wyoming does evoke the majesty of the landscape of the West. The creation of the book is controversial in that a large part may be based directly on the diary of one of Grey's secretaries without any attribution. The life of Zane Grey is a fascinating history in his own right - with enough stories and scandals to fill its own book - but his place as one of the founders of the genre of the Western novel is undeniable.

[Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Zane Grey fan, get this book. It is not typical Zane Grey fare, not the best, not in the best 10 or maybe best 50, but it is interesting. It is set in a more modern time, where automobiles are common and times have changed from the west of the late 1800s. The plot is fairly light reading, and somewhat interesting on it's own, but again, not the best by Grey. I do recommend, with the caveats as noted.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in a used book store and my son loves M.A.S.H. Zane Grey is Sherman Potter's favorite author and I thought it would make a great stocking stuffer. To make it an even better gift I just moved to Wyoming a year ago.

It was ok. I don't love westerns but thought it would be good to read so maybe we could talk about the book.

[Willard Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never thought I'd have to praise a Zane Gray story.

Once again Zane Gray has captured my heart, mind, and imagination, as he did that first time in 1954 ,when I read my first of his wonderful stories. His tales capture the real old west as they lived it. His stories are unsurpassed by any other.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just my favorite Zane Grey book so far ( I've read more than 15) but quite possibly now my favorite book of All Time !
I guess I have a soft spot for romantic Western's after being exposed to ZG and I'm not apologizing for it.
Outstanding read that I may just read a second time which rarely if ever do.

[Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical Zane Grey story. It takes place in the West but is not a western. Which a lot of fans of his books will feel disappointed. I found it a good story by itself. It is a little lengthy to get to the happy ending.

[Russell G Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine young man whose father is a man of means is dismissed

from his father's presence to go out in the world and make his own way. This is accomplished by family money previously inherited being used to help a family in Wyoming out of great distress.

[Mildred J Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book

I love Zane Grey books and this one was not a disappointment. From laughing at their fear of speed to enjoying how wild the west still was even then, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

[Michael D. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

New East to Old West

Pioneer attitude in an eastern raised girl who desires to breakaway from society to find her true nature! Old West will either make or break and she faces her true desires and finds happiness and growth!!

[Caitlyn Unruh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, fun, old fashioned western romance. It was a bit too modern day for me, a "real" western shouldn't have cars. Because of that, it was a little less surviving than I like in a western. Otherwise it was great.

[Jon Nielson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as Louis.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 4 out of 5]

better than i thought it would be. texas > andrew imho

[steven kudera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always the romanticist!

Probably the best Zane Grey romance yet. I've read about all his books. This will be read again. To think I almost quit because of the automobiles.

[Bill Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, character-driven book with descriptions of the environment that decorates the plot of freedom to seek a goal and determination that conqueres obstaclesI

[Susan E. Neill · Rating 1 out of 5]

So Wyoming is the first book by Z Grey that I’ve read & it might have to be the last.

The main characters, Martha Ann & Andrew, are restless young’uns with big dreams of going west. Martha Ann is working her way through college in Chicago & hates it while in NYC, Andrew essentially gets disinherited when his wealthy father loses most of his money in the 1929 stock market crash. So they each head to Wyoming—Andrew in his old Ford & Martha hitchhiking. And they just happen to meet along the way & then wind up on the same Wyoming cattle ranch!! A not so original tale of good versus evil & young romance ensues.

These two kids are likable enough but Grey’s ridiculously sexist attitudes about women just suck all fun out of their passion. And his insistence on writing cowboy dialogue in a silly western twang/drawl gets annoying real quick. He also lives up to his reputation for bigotry in more than one place in the book. Grey’s descriptions of the beauty of Wyoming are lovely but they just can’t outweigh all the problems with the book.