Shane Audiobook by Jack Schaefer. A Classic Western. Abridged. Read by Peter Marinker.
Shane, publish in 1949, was the Jack Schaefer’s first and most successful novel and is in multiple “Greatest Western Novels of all Time” lists. Taking place in the old west, Shane, a mysterious stranger who rides into Wyoming, befriends then works for a homesteading family. The father comes to respect Shane, the mother develops feelings for him, and the son wants to be like Shane when he grows up. A greedy cattleman wants the land of all the area’s homesteaders and will kill to do so. Will Shane, a former gunfighter who has laid down his guns, take them up again to defend the homesteaders. (Of course, he does. It wouldn’t be much of a story if he rode off into the sunset when the going got rough. Sheesh! 😊)
Jack Schaefer (1901-1997) was born in Cleveland Ohio. As a child he enjoyed reading books by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, A Princess of Mars), Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers here on GBOT), Charles Dickens (David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities - here on GBOT) and Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage - Here on GBOT)
After his college studies (Oberlin College - the first college to admit women) Mr. Schaefer became a journalist. He followed that by working at a State Reformatory directing the educational program. His first novel Shane was published in 1949 after first appearing in a magazine 3 years earlier. Since then, it has sold over 12 million copies and has been translated into 35 different languages. Jack Schaefer continued to be successful in his writing career, writing Westerns and earning a Newberry Honor award for Old Ramon, and later promoting wildlife preservation with his book Conversations with a Pocket Gopher.
Peter Marinker (1941 - until the Great Director in the sky says “That’s a Wrap!”) Born in London England, Mr. Marinker is best known for his voice work in TV shows (Star Fleet, Monkey, check RU-vid), audiobooks (The; Examined Life, Original Bambi, Black Russian), and Video Games (Encased, Demon Soul’s). He performs both British and American accents and does so very well.
But I digress
Shane and several other Jack Schaefer novels were made into movies. Shane, the 1953 movie starring Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur was a big success and was nominated for 6 Oscars with 1 win. The singular-looking boy was played by Brandon De Wilde who grew into a fine-looking young man. He kept busy performing in numerous TV shows. Sadly, at age 30 as Brandon was driving to visit his wife in the hospital, he died in a crash. RIP Brandon De Wilde and may you all drive safely.
20 окт 2024
