Zane Grey, el multimillonario autor de novelas del Oeste, compra en 1924 en Nueva Escocia una goleta de tres palos a la que bautiza con el nombre de Fisherman. El 17 de enero de 1925 se embarca junto con su hermano R. C., su quinceañero hijo Romer y unos cuantos amigos rumbo a las Islas Galapagos
Excellent introduction by Lee Clark Mitchell, that confirms Zane Grey was never anecdotal: this novel is much more than just a Western. Georges-Claude Guilbert, Universite Francois Rabelais Tours The novel that set the pattern for the modern Western, Riders of the Purple Sage was first published in 1912, immediately selling over a million copies. In the remote border country of southern Utah, a man is about to be whipped by the Mormons in order to pressure Jane Withersteen into marrying against her will. The punishment is halted by the arrival of the hero, Lassiter, a gunman in black leather, who routs the persecutors and then gradually recounts his own history of an endless search for a woman abducted long ago by the Mormons. Secrecy, seduction, captivity, and escape: out of these elements Zane Grey fashioned his magnificent classic of the American West. Lee Clark Mitchell is Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English at Princeton University.
In "Black Mesa," Zane Grey masterfully weaves a compelling narrative set against the backdrop of the American West, encapsulating the spirit of adventure and the conflict between civilization and nature. The novel is characterized by Greys trademark lyrical prose and vivid descriptions, immersing readers into the rugged landscapes and intricate social dynamics of early 20th-century Americana. With a deep understanding of human emotions, Grey explores themes such as love, redemption, and the struggle for survival, all unfolding within a meticulously crafted plot that reflects the broader literary context of Western fiction at the time. Zane Grey, an influential figure in the genre of Western literature, drew inspiration from his own experiences as a hunter and fisherman. Born in 1872, Grey was an avid outdoorsman and a passionate advocate for the American wilderness, which profoundly influenced his storytelling. His firsthand experiences in the wild not only equipped him with the richness of detail in his landscapes but also stirred a deep passion for the characters that inhabited themeach shaped by the harsh realities of their environment. "Black Mesa" is highly recommended for those who appreciate rich narratives that explore complex human relationships against the vastness of untamed nature. Greys ability to conjure the beauty and brutality of the West makes this novel an essential read for lovers of classic American literature and anyone drawn to tales of adventure and the resilience of the human spirit.
A FACE haunted Cameron - a womans face. It was there in the white heart of the dying campfire; it hung in the shadows that hovered over the flickering light; it drifted in the darkness beyond. This hour, when the day had closed and the lonely desert night set in with its dead silence, was one in which Camerons mind was thronged with memories of a time long past - of a home back in Peoria, of a woman he had wronged and lost, and loved too late. He was a prospector for gold, a hunter of solitude, a lover of the drear, rock-ribbed infinitude, because he wanted to be alone to remember. A sound disturbed Camerons reflections. He bent his head listening. A soft wind fanned the paling embers, blew sparks and white ashes and thin smoke away into the enshrouding circle of blackness. His burro did not appear to be moving about. The quiet split to the cry of a coyote. It rose strange, wild, mournful - not the howl of a prowling upland beast baying the campfire or barking at a lonely prospector, but the wail of a wolf, full-voiced, crying out the meaning of the desert and the night...
