The Virginian is a pioneering novel set in the Wild West describing the life of the foreman of the Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming. It was the first true western written, aside from the tiny dime novels. It paved the way for many more westerns by famous authors such as Zane Grey, Louis L'Amour, and several others.
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The Virginian is a pioneering novel set in the Wild West describing the life of the foreman of the Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming. It was the first true western written, aside from the tiny dime novels. It paved the way for many more westerns by famous authors such as Zane Grey, Louis L'Amour, and several others.
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Written in 1902, The Virginian is considered to be the first cowboy novel and the basis of the genre of Western movies and TV shows that remain popular to this day. Author Owen Wister (1860-1938) was from Philadelphia but made several trips out to the West in the 1880s and 1890s; his visit to Wyoming was the inspiration for the novel entitled The Virginian (much of the story takes place in Medicine Bow, Wyoming). The story develops the themes of toughness and rugged individualism typically connected with the West. The story includes various elements one associates with Western novels: cowboys, horses, trains, ranches, cattle rustlers, sagebrush, cottonwood trees, wide-open spaces, romance, and a gun battle. I will admit I was hoping for a little more action as I would see with James Drury (the Virginian), Doug McClure (Trampas), and Lee J. Cobb (the Judge) in the TV show of the same name as the novel; on the other hand, if one reads this book as a person from the East and living in the United States in the opening years of the twentieth century one can see the literary and historical significance of this book. I also liked how the author attempted to reconcile the various regions (East, West, New England, and the South) with characters representing the various sections of the United States. While at times a little slow, I did like this book and I feel as if I have viewed a way of life and a philosophy that seems to be fading away with each passing year.
ris227
May 31, 2015
Virginian
Bought this Classic book as a gift. Pleased with entire transaction.
Katherine B
May 19, 2011
great book
This is one of the great books on the west. It was written while Wister was in Winthrop, WA.
