Shane

Rating:
Summary: Just buy it!
Review: Considering that you'll reread this book countless times, it's a great investment which will amortize over the years. "Shane" is a great western, and beyond that, great literature, in the vein of "The Virginian". Schaefer has the truly great writers' gift of painting vivid pictures with simple writing. He tells this story through the eyes of a youth, living in the west during the time that open-range ranchers were contending with homesteaders for grazing land. The enigmatic Shane rides into the boy's life one afternoon and becomes part of the life of his frontier family. He shoots, rides, does anything with effortless perfection, yet he is not at peace with himself. When an ugly land war invades the community, Shane's presence in the valley helps level the playing field. As he becomes personally involved in the disturbances, even those whose interests he sustains are sharply divided over the desirability of his presence in the region. Is he their savior, or a villain with trouble on his coattails? This is a great story that belongs in every home library.