That is one interesting difference from the movie. Bob is an older man narrating his memories of his youth. This is one reason why
Shane has much more depth than the movie. BTW, although I though Alan Ladd did a fine job I thought that the actor who played Chris, Ben Johnson, would have been perfect in the role of
Shane. But as I said before, the book is MUCH BETTER than the movie.
And for you folks who don't like Westerns. Don't worry. This one is DIFFERENT.
Having read the book first I confess I was underwhelmed by the movie. It's almost impossible to translate an outstanding book into an outstanding movie, IMHO. Probably because a good book will suck you in and stimulates your imagination until you can visualize what the author is writing. Shane was like that. To Kill a Mockingbird was like that, too. Killer Angels is another. How can any movie compete with your own imagination?
I read it years ago and loved it, I'll be glad to read it again. Count me in!