Novelist Glendon Swarthout was a literary phenomenon, boasting an unparalleled range of genres and styles within his vast body of work. His impressive portfolio consisted of 16 novels, deftly weaving together dramatic, comedic, romantic, and mysterious elements, as well as 6 novellas for young adults, co-authored with his wife, Kathryn. Many of his novels achieved international bestseller status, with book club editions and reprints appearing in numerous paperback editions, still widely available in bookstores and libraries worldwide.
With a PhD in Victorian literature, as well as Master's and B.A. degrees in English from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, Dr. Swarthout possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of the great works of fiction and their authors. This vast literary expertise fueled his creative endeavors, as he constantly sought to surpass his predecessors, never opting for sequels or series based on his lead characters.
Glendon later acknowledged that this approach may have been a mistake, as it left critics and fans uncertain about what to expect from his next literary endeavor. Editors repeatedly attempted to persuade him to write a follow-up to his hit novels, such as "Where The Girls Are" or a series of "Shootist" Westerns, but he resisted these efforts. Nevertheless, his stories garnered numerous writing awards, and several were adapted into notable motion pictures.
Some of these cinematic adaptations include the film hits "Where The Boys Are" (MGM, 1960) and "The Shootist" (Paramount, 1976),as well as less successful films like "Seventh Cavalry" (Columbia, 1956),"They Came To Cordura" (Columbia, 1959),and "Bless the Beasts & Children" (Columbia, 1972). Interestingly, "Bless the Beasts" has remained in print since 1970, and a new American edition of "The Shootist" was reprinted by Bison Books in late 2011.
