Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Shane, by Jack Schaefer

*****

I am not much for westerns, but this book is fantastic. There's a reason the hard-as-nails, dangerous-but-trustworthy hero is so popular in books and movies--when done well, it works. And this books does it very well.

Like Little Britches, the story is told through the eyes of a child, and to great effect. And the author keeps the hero shrouded in mystery throughout the story, which keeps the reader on edge and makes Shane excellent fodder for the narrator's hero-worship. And Shane's inner struggle further heightened the tension of the story.

Also, I may have cried. BUT YOU CAN'T PROVE IT.

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