''The Wind'' (1925), a supernatural novel by

Dorothy Scarborough Emily Dorothy Scarborough (January 27, 1878 – November 7, 1935) was an American writer who wrote about Texas, folk culture, cotton farming, ghost stories and women's life in the Southwest. Early life Scarborough was born in Mount Carmel, Te ...

, depicts the loneliness of life in a small Texas town during the 1880s. She originally published it anonymously, anticipating a rough reception in Texas. It was later made into a film called '' The Wind'' (1928) starring Lilian Gish. According to Texas folklorist

J. Frank Dobie James Frank Dobie (September 26, 1888 – September 18, 1964) was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for his many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open rang ...

, this novel "excited the wrath of chambers of commerce and other boosters in West Texas--a tribute to its realism." The Handbook of Texas online says of the work:

This last, controversial, novel, in which a gentle heroine is driven insane by the incessant wind and drought-plagued frontier environment, has assured her reputation as an American regional novelist. The book created a furor in Texas when it was published because of its negative portrayal of frontier living conditions on the cattle ranges around Sweetwater in the 1880s. The book was also published anonymously as a publicity ploy. Today, however, many critics regard this novel as a Texas classic, notable for its characterization of a tragic heroine driven to murder and insanity.

Film adaptation

It has been adapted once, in 1928, directed by

Victor Sjöström Victor David Sjöström (; 20 September 1879 – 3 January 1960), also known in the United States as Victor Seastrom, was a pioneering Swedish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He began his career in Sweden, before moving to Hollywood in ...

and starring

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", ...

. The film notably changed the novel's ending, with Letty not going insane from the wind and her murder of Wirt, having conquered her fear of the wind and wanting to stay with her husband.

Publication details

*1925, US, Harper & Brothers (ISBN NA), pub date ? ? 1925, hardback (first edition) *1925, UK, Harper & Brothers (ISBN NA), pub date ? ? 1925, hardback *1979, US, University of Texas Press, pub date March 1979, hardback () and paperback () *1986, US, University of Texas Press (), pub date August 1986, paperback (reprint ed)

References

External links

* * 1925 American novels Texas literature Western (genre) novels American novels adapted into films Novels set in Texas Novels set in the 1880s Works published anonymously Harper & Brothers books {{1920s-western-novel-stub

Film adaptation

Publication details

See also

References

External links