Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage (Western Literature)

Book Overview

Popular western writer Zane Grey was a literary celebrity during his lifetime and the center of a huge enterprise based on his writing, which included books, magazine serials, film and stage versions... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874178622
• ISBN13: 9780874178623
• Release Date: October 2011
• Publisher: University of Nevada Press
• Length: 472 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A Look Inside a Marriage

The one thing which can be said with certainty is: Without Dolly, Zane Grey would not have been the writer he was. Behind every great man stands a great woman is no better exemplified when one reads this collection of letters and correspondence between Zane Grey and his wife, Dolly. For years, the "image" of Zane Grey was judiciously protected by first, the wife; then the family, Romer, the son; by the biographer, Frank Gruber; fearing the truth would harm sales of Grey's novels. But as the truth has come out, the interest in him and his works has only increased, as evidenced by all of the numbers of books dealing with the subject. This one is perhaps the best of the lot, for it allows the reader into the intimate details of a marriage via the almost daily letters which each one wrote to the other over a period of nearly 40 years. This book offers a look at not only the personal relationship they had with each other, but the business "arrangement" that kept the two of them together as husband and wife. And shows a side of Dolly Grey I am sure many people, most people, never knew about. It makes her a remarkable woman who could have had a writing career of her own, had she wished. As it was, she edited Zane's work, handled all of the negotiations with publishers, and ran the household, keeping body and soul alive when the Depression took away their investments and dried up the magazine serial market from which Zane Grey had earned a fortune. For anyone interested in Zane Grey, as either a man or a writer, this book I recommend heartily without any hesitation. It's well worth the price.

Give the prize to Dolly

Dolly's and Zane's letters were the emails of their day, a continous series of communications that kept them in touch and kept their rocky but tenacious relationship intact during Zane's many absences. My heart went out to Dolly as she poured her anguish, loneliness, embarrassment, and finally acceptance, realistic appraisal of Zane, and through it all, her continued caring for Zane, tinged with resignation due to his infidelities. As I read more and more of the letters over periods of years, I began to cheer for Dolly as she conquered in turn each of the hardships and obstacles brought to life with Zane's insensitivities and artistic dreamy view of what he deserved in life. I admired her practical nature and her gradual but determined growth outside her comfort zone. The letters also reveal how much Zane's life was entwined with his art: he wrote of the romances in the wild beautiful places that he lived. He rarely had writer's block--a very dedicated writer indeed. I sensed a rebel, with his comment once that he dispised those folk who go to church and steal their neighbor's wife; but he rarely saw the irony of his open marriage and how hurtful his own choices were. But when he did wish he had been a better husband and more present father, he felt that deeply, especially towards the end of his life. The letters are a fascinating history of that period of time, 1900-1939, with many details of custom, business, and life that take you right back to those places and that time. Not having known much about Dolly, I was impressed and inspired by her spunky grit and intelligence, and also touched by how Zane was her star by which she set her course. Having enjoyed Zane's books while growing up in the 1950-1960's, I found his letters very interesting, finding someone who was truly an artist, who lived by his own design, yet in doing so caused much suffering of which he never fully was aware. I recommend this book to all who love history, love literature, and who are intrigued by a relationship that survived despite great odds, due to two people who certainly made the best of it.

Zane and Dolly - Loving and Unconventional

A memorable insight into a strange, but functional and fascinating, marriage with three children involved, and many mistresses. Dolly knew going in that Zane was a writer, traveller, adventurer, and a womanizer. From his early days as a dentist and then a struggling writer, to becoming one of the most successful American writers of all times, the letters take you along on their life together. I was not always happy with him, or her, but somehow they held it together. In modern times, I suppose we call it "giving him space" to do his hunting and fishing, finding sources and inspiration for his writing, and of course to get off with his ladies, at times two or three together. The couple had their rough spots, and I thought some of the humorous entries were where Zane was trying to keep his women separated and not bickering, and Dolly was trying to help him sort it out. Zane was good at philandering, wasting money, etc., but Dolly held it together. I liked them both, but being a father, I can only imagine the confusion and anxiety of the children. Good information about early publishing days and the film industry. Well edited with commentary by the author and mahalo to the Nevada University Press for getting the letters out for a more complete understanding of a great Western writer.