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Time for your observations and discussions. POST AWAY!

Good book. Any idea of where it was set. I don't believe it said, but my guess is Wyoming.

Morning all!

First of all, I want to thank PJ for putting Shane on the list for the first book; it was a great read. I have never been big into Western novels, but as PJ stated before, this is much more than a tale of the old West.

What I got out of the book was this message: Everyone has the potental in their lives to improve and/or redeem themselves. This was shown evident clearest in Shane himself. Though everyone in the family looked up to Shane for the qualities he posessed that they wished they could have, Shane himself, tried to redeem his shady past, and though he failed at his redeemption by "playing farmer" as he put it, he eventually did redeem himself by being the one to take out the villian.

Shane was not the only one to find an epiphaniy, so to speak; Joe, the farmer realized how to be a better man/leader/. Bob knew enough to "grow up straight" after having watched Shane. And even Chris, knew that even though he was a lesser man, had a chance to do the right thing, and offer himself to Joe after Shane left. There are other examples, but these are the ones that stuck with me the most.
again, this was a great (and surprisingly quick) read, that touched on the topics of triumph and redeemption. This is what I took away from the book.

Just my 1/50th of a dollar...
order_of_reason

I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Westerns are one of the last books I would choose to read. It was well written and I completely forgot I was reading a western.

I, too, wondered while reading this book if Shane could be a real person. The story was more real to me believing that he was.

One thing I couldn't quite figure out was what Shane might be still be running from. Does anyone have any ideas on this? If he had felt he redeemed himself, it seems as though he would stop running. But the way he left I had the impression he was still running.

Definitely a book about character. A key line, as I recall,
"It's not what a man knows that's important, it's who he is..."

Did you notice on page 6 Shane's description has him with "long dark hair." Not in the illustration and not in the movie. Interesting.

Years ago I saw the movie but had not read the book until now. The book is full of symbolism and human nature.

Shane was a dangerous and mysterious man. He was described as dark, his clothing and his hat, his hair, his horse and his darker than dark gun. I didn't get the impression he was running from his past, but rather, looking for a future.
And that he was quite uncertain as to what that would be, but that he would know it when he found it. His wariness and scrutiny of his surroundings suggested expectatons of attack, even though he signaled his unwillingness to fight by not openly wearing a gun.

All throughout the story Shane is encased in aloofness. Not belonging to the place or being one of the people, but rather, lending himself to the cause that has been described to him by Joe.

He has admiration for Joe and his seemingly insurmountable efforts to succeed in farming and he has time to spare in helping this family. Human nature would be that Shane was envious of Joe and his family and spread, but not jealouse, and wished he could have something akin to it in his life.

The tree stump was an inmovable object, a barrier and in the way. Joe whittled at it as he had the time to spare, but Shane's help soon turned into a contest of wills, each man assessing the other's character. Miriam would have had to be impressed with both men and wanting to participate, the apple pie became her obstacle to overcome and the medium for her to prove her mettle.

The boy was understandably and appropriately impressed with this stranger's quiet strength and mysterious demeanor.The quiet words spoken to the boy carrying a weight and gravity by thier very softness. Making what he said truth.

The sexual ambiance felt was to be expected, Shane being the loner he was and the verile nature of the man being evident. Joe being secure in his constant loving relationship with his wife, and having taken the measure of the man Shane, trusted him and Miriam without a doubt. But he knew that if he should die Shane would stay and take his place. A little flirting is good for the soul and it was deceptively subtle.

I got the impression Shane's riding out and meanderings over the farm were soul searchings about would he stay and fight this fight or ride on? If it turned out that Joe was killed was he ready to take over Joe's place? Was he willing to engage in another gunfight he obviously had engaged in before in his life and did not want in the present. If he was killed did he mind? His decision is obvious.

His gentleness with Bob suggested to me that he had had a family and possibly a son as part of his past before whatever happened, happened to him.

In every story of right vs wrong there has to be a villan.
Hence,the powerfull cattleman and his boys. Chris is the crossover, who knows right from wrong, but feels shame for chosing wrong, and makes an attempt to make up for it.

The fight scenes were well written with just the right amount of self assuredness and carefulness on Shane's part.
His self confidence led him to believe he would win but he
knew he might not. Joe was actually the hero here, overridden by Shane because of Joe's obligations. The gun fight almost played down, but necessary for the overpowering of wrong. The rallying of the weak around the strong as is always the case when a leader is identified was also to be expected.

THe answers left when Shane rides out of town as dangerous and mysterious as he was on entering the story were not meant to be answered, but left to the reader's imagination.
Was Shane a bad man trying for redemption, or a man pushed into actions that haunted him driving him to look for a
future free from killing that he would recognize when he
met it?

The good that he left was the knowledge that he had enriched their lives by being there and what he had left behind was as sturdy as the fence post anchored firmly in the earth.

It is a book about hard work, success, strength of character,faith, love and committment and the unexpected answers to need when it arises.