The Day of the Beast

By Zane Grey

Book Overview

Zane Grey's classic tale of Daren Lane, a veteran who returns from World War I to Middletown, USA. There, he finds social decadence and moral decline as the Roaring Twenties take hold. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061004995
• ISBN13: 9780061004995
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Harpercollins
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Not A Western

On the dust cover of the first printing of this book in 1922 it had these words in bold letters, NOT A WESTERN, as if to warn the potential buyer what they would be getting was not the usual Zane Grey fare, and most likely contributed to the low sales of the book. Harpers had no faith in this book, nor did ZG's wife, Dolly, who had urged him not to write it. But this was a book he HAD to write. He felt enormous sympathy for the returning soldier from WW1 and how they were treated medically and emotionally, especially those who returned from the battle field after the first rush of excitement and jubilation the first one's received. Those later returnees were offered no parades, no notice at all, becoming almost victims of the war. Added to this was Zane Grey's hatred of the way society was changing, particularly the morals and the general conduct he saw being displayed by the young women of the day--"The Roaring Twenties" we call it today. This is his protest against that age or time as seen through the eyes of a returning veteran, who does not have long to live. And yes, a lot of what he was protesting against, is still with us today. We never seem to learn as a society; history repeats itself. This book may seem dated, the use of language and its descriptive qualities have changed somewhat, but all in all this book does a good job in depicting what was happening in the country following WW1. The Day of the Beast will never be one of ZG's big sellers, and for years the ending left me wondering if he actually wrote the book this way; but I have come to know more about him as a person through my study of him as a writer and can now see what he was trying to say with this book. If you read this book for what it was intended, then you will not be disappointed. It is NOT A WESTERN, but a very readable and enjoyable book exposing what the author believed was grievous to society then, and by the way even today. On the dust cover of the first printing of this book in 1922 it had these words in bold letters, NOT A WESTERN, as if to warn the potential buyer what they would be getting was not the usual Zane Grey fare, and most likely contributed to the low sales of the book. Harpers had no faith in this book, nor did ZG's wife, Dolly, who had urged him not to write it. But this was a book he HAD to write. He felt enormous sympathy for the returning soldier from WW1 and how they were treated medically and emotionally, especially those who returned from the battle field after the first rush of excitement and jubilation the first one's received. Those later returnees were offered no parades, no notice at all, becoming almost victims of the war. Added to this was Zane Grey's hatred of the way society was changing, particularly the morals and the general conduct he saw being displayed by the young women of the day--"The Roaring Twenties" we call it today. This is his protest against that age or time as seen through the eyes of a returning veteran, who does not have long to live. And yes, a lot of what he was protesting against, is still with us today. We never seem to learn as a society; history repeats itself. This book may seem dated, the use of language and its descriptive qualities have changed somewhat, but all in all this book does a good job in depicting what was happening in the country following WW1. The Day of the Beast will never be one of ZG's big sellers, and for years the ending left me wondering if he actually wrote the book this way; but I have come to know more about him as a person through my study of him as a writer and can now see what he was trying to say with this book. If you read this book for what it was intended, then you will not be disappointed. It is NOT A WESTERN, but a very readable and enjoyable book exposing what the author believed was grievous to society then, and by the way even today.

soldier returns to u.s., finds major changes

Zane Grey's personal disgust with the "modern woman" drinking and smoking after the war is reflected in the disillusionment of a returned war veteran. After fighting to protect the U.S. homes and females, he finds values radically changed. Gives a good look at the sudden culture changes.