"The Day of the Beast '' was written by Zane Grey and features a World War I veteran named Daren Lane. In this story, Daren returns from the battlefields of Europe to his hometown in the American Midwest, only to find that everything has changed. Daren is haunted by his experiences in the war and struggles to adjust to civilian life. He finds that his former girlfriend has married someone else, and he has trouble finding a job. When he does eventually find work, it is with a bootlegger named Dutch Muller, who is involved in ...
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"The Day of the Beast '' was written by Zane Grey and features a World War I veteran named Daren Lane. In this story, Daren returns from the battlefields of Europe to his hometown in the American Midwest, only to find that everything has changed. Daren is haunted by his experiences in the war and struggles to adjust to civilian life. He finds that his former girlfriend has married someone else, and he has trouble finding a job. When he does eventually find work, it is with a bootlegger named Dutch Muller, who is involved in illegal activities. As Daren becomes more involved with Dutch Muller and his criminal associates, he realizes that he has become a part of a dangerous world. He also discovers that his former girlfriend's husband is involved with the bootleggers, which puts her in danger. Will Daren get successful to help himself? Will he help his girlfriend? "The Day of the Beast'' is a gritty and realistic novel that explores the challenges faced by World War I veterans as they try to reintegrate into society.
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Add this copy of The Day Of The Beast to cart. $13.71, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2023 by Double 9 Booksllp.
Add this copy of The Day Of The Beast to cart. $25.75, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2023 by Double 9 Booksllp.
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.
Claudia W
May 10, 2012
Grey
A Zane Grey fan I am always enjoy them.Usually some pretty unrealistic hero's but as my grandmother would say he spins a pretty good yarn.
