Rating: 
Summary: The Shepherd of the Hills
Review: A wholesome classic novel written about the beauty of the Ozarks and the spiritual meaning found in a life lived in simplicity. The story centers around "The Shepherd", a man from the city who chose to live and share his life with the simple country-folk of Mutton Hollow. His fine education as well as his life-long lessons are shared with all those who will listen. The reader will enjoy multiple character developments and subplots that are intricately woven together throughout the book. A very peaceful, yet challenging story.
Rating:
Summary: The Shepherd of the Hills
Review: A wholesome classic novel written about the beauty of the Ozarks and the spiritual meaning found in a life lived in simplicity. The story centers around "The Shepherd", a man from the city who chose to live and share his life with the simple country-folk of Mutton Hollow. His fine education as well as his life-long lessons are shared with all those who will listen. The reader will enjoy multiple character developments and subplots that are intricately woven together throughout the book. A very peaceful, yet challenging story.
Rating:
Summary: The Shepard
Review: Harold Bell Wright was America's most popular author in the early 20th century, with more Wright books to be found in American homes than any other except the Bible;"Shepherd of the Hills" was one of his earliest gigantic sales successes. And, beyond that, the book is credited with making the Ozarks a major tourist attraction of its day. Even today "The Shepherd of the Hills" Pageant is performed regularly just outside of America's newest tourist bonanza: Branson, Missouri. And herein lies the curiosity of this book: There appears to be nothing in this novel, except for a very pretty girl, that would entice any current reader to want to travel to the Ozarks. This leads me to conclude that life in urban areas must have been horrendous to seek escape in this dull setting marginally described by Wright in this book. The characters and their colorless lives are essentially one dimensional and prolonged contact with each would lead to stupefying boredom. And Wright's physical description of the area is so spare as to be almost non-existant. Wright does nothing to capture the spirit of the people of the Ozarks, doesn't even try to tackle their dialect. I can see nothing in this book that would make me want to travel to the Ozarks. And yet, historically, that's the effect the book had. At least this Wright book comes without this former minister's incessant sermonizing for non-denominational religion. But, beyond that, what we have here is a somewhat entertaining little book that works its way to the expected conclusion with several exciting scenes along the way. It's perfect movie pulp and was turned into several features, including one starring John Wayne, who would seem perfect casting for the leading man who is more brawn than anything else. You could do worse than spend a few hours reading this. But, you could do much better. Faulkner anyone?
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of all times!
Review: I have read this book some six times and each time I enjoy it as much as if I had read it for the first time. Being from the Ozarks, I find a special attraction to the charm of the natives and the descriptions of those beautiful hills. Harold Bell Wright weaves a mysterious tale that keeps you spellbound from chapter to chapter. This book is a classic.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most excellent books I have ever read
Review: I have this book and send this book as gifts. It is a fictional account of actual occurrances. Extremely well written and thought provoking, this book is a must have for anyone's library. The book portrays events that happened during post civil war Branson, MO. Written in 1907 by Harold Bell Wright as he lived with the very characters of his manuscript. His skillful writing colorfully depicting the characters in the Ozark Mountain community is superb. From the opening verbal panarama of the Hills and valleys to the rough riding Baldknobbers to the amazing secret that was found in the cave... This book is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: A Story for all Times
Review: If you want to see the Ozark Mountains and their inhabitants painted in brilliant colors, this is the book to read. There is no other way to describe this timeless story of simple yet wise and loving people who move their lives with such dedication to that which is best in mankind. Harold Bell Wright shows us the world not only through the good times, but through the hardships that make us who we are. By the last chapter, you are completely involved in these gentle people and want them to continue to be a part of your life. You experience the pain, the mystery, and the wonder of life itself. Thank goodness for the sequel, "The Calling of Dan Matthews" so that you can continue the journey with these wonderful friends.
Rating:
Summary: A Story for all Times
Review: If you want to see the Ozark Mountains and their inhabitants painted in brilliant colors, this is the book to read. There is no other way to describe this timeless story of simple yet wise and loving people who move their lives with such dedication to that which is best in mankind. Harold Bell Wright shows us the world not only through the good times, but through the hardships that make us who we are. By the last chapter, you are completely involved in these gentle people and want them to continue to be a part of your life. You experience the pain, the mystery, and the wonder of life itself. Thank goodness for the sequel, "The Calling of Dan Matthews" so that you can continue the journey with these wonderful friends.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Harold Bell Wright Book
Review: Michael R. Phillips' edition of Harold Bell Wright's The Shepherd of the Hills accurately traces the story line. In his attempt to create a readable version of the novel for contemporary readers, presumably school children, Phillips has omitted lines and references to characters, rewritten Wright's awkward sentences, and omitted Ozark vernacular still spoken today. The 1907 edition, reprinted by the Shepherd of the Hills Historical Society in 1987, serves as a basis for my comments. Phillips omits the Wright's dedication of the book to his wife as well as the quotation from Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, both of which give insight into Wright's insipiration for his novel. Future literary historians and linguists will not glean the richness of the Ozark dialect because Phillips omits phrasing peculiar to the region. For example, "I don't guess" which is used today by people in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas is rewritten as "I don't think" on page 23. Similarly Colonel Dewey's "Bal'" is rewritten as "the mountain up there." Indeed, "Bal'" is not recognizable as mountain; but "Bal'" is the pronunciation of "Bald," which refers to the clear-cut top of the mountain. The vigilante group, known as the "Bald Knobbers," would meet at night on the top of such mountains devoid of forest. "Dod durned" is changed to "hog tied" on page 25; the former is a mild expletive, the latter is vapid. "You can't see much of it though on account of the fog," page 32, is actually "mists." Mountain mists are not exactly the same as fog; moreover, the sadness of the conversation is one of mists artistically. Phillips omits the comparison of Young Matt's strength to that of Wash Gibbs,page 31; the reference is a foreshadowing of things to come and the fearsomeness of the baldknobbers. In my opinion, Phillips would have done better by providing footnotes to explain Ozark words and phrasing. Eliminating speeches and references to characters eliminates the flavor of the Ozark dialect, mars Harold Bell Wright's craft, and eliminates many linguistic and artistic fossils which future readers and scholars might cherish.
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Summary: Book outshines movie, play
Review: Once I read this book a few summers ago, it quickly became my all-time favorite book. I had seen the play, which is spectacular, and I had seen the movie (a bit disappointing to me), but nothing could prepare me for the book.
Harold Bell Wright creates a masterpiece. And that is an understatement. Several plots develop throughout the story, each one seeming irrelevent when compared to another, yet they are all interwoven masterfully by the end of the book. There is the lonely stranger, who wanders into the hills, and changes the community and then learns something about himself and the meaning of life. Readers then watch Sammy Lane struggle to become a "sure 'nough lady," and will most likely cheer on Young Matt as he fights to steal Sammy's heart from Ollie Stewart, though he knows Ollie promises Sammy a rich city life. Readers are also involved in Young Matt's and Wash Gibb's struggles to the title of "Strongest Man in the Hills." And Old Matt, Aunt Mollie and the Shepherd are forced to relive the past and learn from it, no matter how strong the pain is.
In conclusion, I just want to recommend this book to all people looking for some quality summer reading. The book may seem somewhat long, but it is hard to put down and you'll go through it quickly, wishing it would never end. Read this book and enjoy!
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Summary: Some people take the high road, and some take the low road.
Review: This is an inspirational message. I recently visited Branson, Missouri and picked up a copy of this book. Branson residents assure me this book is true and is based on Wright's visit to this region in the late 1800s. At the end of the story, Wright's image appears as the artist painting the Ozark mountains. I saw the cabin where much of the story takes place.
For those interested in a book that is as lively as Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn, this is a good addition. Why, because the language is much the same as what Twain uses in his book. The author was once a minister, and the main character in the book is a former minister working as a shepherd of a flock of sheep.
The reader should understand there are plenty of references to God in this book, but this is not the main tenet of this book.
This is a pleasant read and there is an inspirational message in the story. I read this 250 odd page book in less than a day, so the reading is light and at first difficult due to the language used. However, I would recommend this book to anyone desiring to read about the endless conflict of right versus wrong. This book is based on true events.
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