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The Collected Short Stories Of Jack Schaefer
Book by Jack Schaefer
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1966
About the author
Jack Schaefer
72 books102 followersSchaefer was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of an attorney. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1929 with a major in English. He attended graduate school at Columbia University from 1929-30, but left without completing his Master of Arts degree. He then went to work for the United Press. In his long career as a journalist, he would hold editorial positions at many eastern publications.
Schaefer's first success as a novelist came in 1949 with his memorable novel Shane, set in Wyoming. Few realized that Schaefer himself had never been anywhere near the west. Nevertheless, he continued writing successful westerns, selling his home in Connecticut and moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1955.
In 1975 Schaefer received the Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement award.
He died of heart failure in Santa Fe in 1991. Schaefer was married twice, his second wife moving to Santa Fe with him.
Schaefer's novel Monte Walsh was made into a movie in 1970, with Lee Marvin in the title role, and again in 2003 as a TV movie starring Tom Selleck. Shane was also made into a movie and a series.
from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sch...
Schaefer's first success as a novelist came in 1949 with his memorable novel Shane, set in Wyoming. Few realized that Schaefer himself had never been anywhere near the west. Nevertheless, he continued writing successful westerns, selling his home in Connecticut and moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1955.
In 1975 Schaefer received the Western Literature Association's Distinguished Achievement award.
He died of heart failure in Santa Fe in 1991. Schaefer was married twice, his second wife moving to Santa Fe with him.
Schaefer's novel Monte Walsh was made into a movie in 1970, with Lee Marvin in the title role, and again in 2003 as a TV movie starring Tom Selleck. Shane was also made into a movie and a series.
from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sch...
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 2, 2020
Recommend highly.
Recently saw in multiple Goodreads context comments about literary westerns. Schaefer's Shane often cited.
Schaefer deserves recognition for much beyond Shane. This collection contains some wonderful stories, displays more Schaefer facets. After reading a library copy, bought one for myself, something seldom I do.
***
Here be quote from Kirkus:
"In antiquity and among primitive peoples the storyteller enjoyed a unique role and had to live up to a heavy responsibility. He had to celebrate heroes (try Schaefer's story Jeremy Rodock), teach essential lessons (try Hugo Kertchak, Builder) provide emotional/sentimental release (try Stubby Pringle's Christmas), add to the historical record (try--all of them). Schaefer checks out on every angle. Nobody writes about the West like Schaefer who, almost singlehandedly, rescued the image of cowboys from the paper-thin paperbacks and the Hollywood hokum. The top brand on a prime herd."
Recently saw in multiple Goodreads context comments about literary westerns. Schaefer's Shane often cited.
Schaefer deserves recognition for much beyond Shane. This collection contains some wonderful stories, displays more Schaefer facets. After reading a library copy, bought one for myself, something seldom I do.
***
Here be quote from Kirkus:
"In antiquity and among primitive peoples the storyteller enjoyed a unique role and had to live up to a heavy responsibility. He had to celebrate heroes (try Schaefer's story Jeremy Rodock), teach essential lessons (try Hugo Kertchak, Builder) provide emotional/sentimental release (try Stubby Pringle's Christmas), add to the historical record (try--all of them). Schaefer checks out on every angle. Nobody writes about the West like Schaefer who, almost singlehandedly, rescued the image of cowboys from the paper-thin paperbacks and the Hollywood hokum. The top brand on a prime herd."
June 2, 2015
Published in 1966, this volume is comprised of a series of indelibly etched character studies of men and women living in the cattle raising parts of the west in the late 1800s. Like a fine brandy, these stories are to be savored rather than rushed. I had completed about half of them when the library demanded the book be returned. I will lay low for a time, and then check it out again.
September 7, 2009
One of the best collections of short stories I own. I recommend this to everyone. :)
August 14, 2023
Simply put, this collection of well crafted short stories blew me away! These are tales of everyday people facing everyday struggles and sometimes extraordinary circumstances. What the narrator in one of the stories says aptly applies to this collection. These stories explore “the endless varied ways in which we humans, we midges infesting …the epidermis of one of the lesser planets, confront the inevitable dilemma of living.”
Schaefer’s wordsmithing is exquisite. This collection consists of a many characters who - using the words of one of the narrators - “keep the world wagging on a fairly even keel, a place where most of us can earn a decent living and get some enjoyment out of life.”
There’s the artistic barber whose barbering artistry has unexpected results. There’s the woman who stands by her man, and a tale of a woman, her expectations, and her mirror. Some stories, such as the tale of an emigrant’s experience of becoming American, are moving and bring you close to tears. Others serve as morality tales, and Schaefer can tell such story with a light touch of humor, as found with an endearing story of a horse and its relationship to the narrator.
Poignant. Sentimental. Humorous. Romance. Philosophical. Simply a yarn or slice of life. Each story is entertaining, and even when you know the outcome early on the story comes off engrossingly fresh.
Schaefer’s writing of place is vivid, as are the behaviors of the characters which recalled to this reader the writings of Willa Cather and Wallace Stegner, but you don’t have to be a fan of either of these writers to enjoy this collection.
Schaefer’s wordsmithing is exquisite. This collection consists of a many characters who - using the words of one of the narrators - “keep the world wagging on a fairly even keel, a place where most of us can earn a decent living and get some enjoyment out of life.”
There’s the artistic barber whose barbering artistry has unexpected results. There’s the woman who stands by her man, and a tale of a woman, her expectations, and her mirror. Some stories, such as the tale of an emigrant’s experience of becoming American, are moving and bring you close to tears. Others serve as morality tales, and Schaefer can tell such story with a light touch of humor, as found with an endearing story of a horse and its relationship to the narrator.
Poignant. Sentimental. Humorous. Romance. Philosophical. Simply a yarn or slice of life. Each story is entertaining, and even when you know the outcome early on the story comes off engrossingly fresh.
Schaefer’s writing of place is vivid, as are the behaviors of the characters which recalled to this reader the writings of Willa Cather and Wallace Stegner, but you don’t have to be a fan of either of these writers to enjoy this collection.
April 1, 2020
Authentic and endearing stories of the end of the cowboy era.
March 30, 2022
Very good, worth your time.
July 24, 2024
I am glad I read the collection. The best story was the last one. Many stories seemed to be missing details.
February 21, 2008
Jack Schaefer is a Western writer and is the author of the book Shane. My favorite story is still "Nate Bartlett's Store". I enjoy his humor.
July 13, 2009
I really liked most of these stories. Others I wouldn't recommend - or once was enough. He is a fantastic writer/story teller.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews