Grey can be a maddening writer. His descriptions geographic settings of scenes are unmatched in their detail and the mental images they invoke but then he can go far overboard with them, as with his descriptions of Surprise Valley and Deception Pass. But he had me wondering what about Surprise Valley was based on an actual location he had visited and how much he had imagined.

But the most maddening thing I find with his writing is exemplified by the dialogue in this book. Much of the dialogue between Lassister and Jane Withersteen conforms to the archaic, overwrought style of early 20th century fiction. But much of the dialogue (with exceptions) between Venters and Bess are more contemporary, much like my favorite Zane Grey novel, The Mysterious Rider.
This novel would've been much improved by more editing. Much of the Withersteen plot is repetitive as is the subplot with Venters in Surprise Valley.

The novel deserves its classic designation but I found it uneven. The archaic nature of the writing of much of this book is what made The Lone Star Ranger so unreadable. But there's plenty of action and two great love stories to enjoy. I also found the indictment of Mormons highly interesting and, from what I've read, historically accurate.

This was the first on my list of American classics to read in 2020. What a surprise - it‘s about Mormons in Utah. Along with the unending description of purple sage, there is a black-clad stranger who comes to town to avenge a death(of course!). Reading this was tough going, and I will admit to skimming the middle third of the book.

It was easy to imagine all of the action sequences (although the love stories were clichéd and of the era in which this was written). The backstory about religion, greed, deception, and how hard it is to recover from abuse was surprisingly meaningful.

I wouldn’t say this is the best book I’ve ever read but I was interesting to see every western-movie trope all in one place, and I think in 1912 they weren’t so fixed in the public consciousness as they are now, so perhaps they’re more original here? It was also pleasant reading while riding the Amtrak from Chicago to LA, passing through Kansas, New Mexico and Arizona, seeing the kind of landscapes described.

It took me ages to actually get invested into “Riders of the Purple Sage”, but I’m glad that I stuck through to the end. It’s a thrilling tale, filled with a ton of action and romance. I’ve seen many people comment on the romance, saying that’s the primary genre and not it being a western, but I’d say that the two go hand in hand here. The basic story is a romance, but it’s most definitely a western in every sense of the word. Grey’s writing style took a while to get into; it’s easy to read, but it’s a bit bulky and clunky at times. Despite that, he was able to craft some captivating characters, along with creating some landscapes that I now will have burned into my memory. I really enjoyed this novel, I just had to take a lot of time to find my footing with the novel.

I read this novel twenty-some years ago, but didn't remember it quite as slow going as I do now. Perhaps it's due to greater powers of observation (that one of the main characters is beyond annoying) or the sage isn't the only thing purple in the novel (so's some of the prose). But with that said, Grey can write some great action sequences, the first real appearance of one made me sit up and take notice and the pages flew by. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the sequel, but I did like this particular ride into the sage.