The Zane Grey stories are set in a different world. I knew that before I 9re)read To the Last Man, of course, but it struck me especially forcibly this time around, perhaps because I have also been reading science fiction. It was a brutal era. Death was commonplace. Law was noticeable by its absence. Women were represented as physically weak but spiritually strong.
   Grey had a wonderful knack of writing dialogue with all the 'doggone's and other slang, as well as the accents, seemingly perfectly natural. It's not something modern authors try. He also brings alive the vast scenery and the slow but remorseless playing out of human conflicts.
   To the Last Man  isn't my favourite Zane Grey book, but it's nonetheless remarkable. Even if you are not a Western fan, his books are well worth reading.