1902. Wister, an American writer whose stories helped to establish the cowboy as an archetypical, individualist hero. The novel on which the TV series was based, The Virginian is set in the Wyoming territory during the late 1870s and 1880s. A courageous, but mysterious, cowboy known only as the Virginian works as foreman of a Wyoming cattle ranch. He meets and falls in love with the pretty schoolteacher named Molly Wood. The Virginian is forced to preside over the hanging of his best friend Steve, who has been accused and ...
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1902. Wister, an American writer whose stories helped to establish the cowboy as an archetypical, individualist hero. The novel on which the TV series was based, The Virginian is set in the Wyoming territory during the late 1870s and 1880s. A courageous, but mysterious, cowboy known only as the Virginian works as foreman of a Wyoming cattle ranch. He meets and falls in love with the pretty schoolteacher named Molly Wood. The Virginian is forced to preside over the hanging of his best friend Steve, who has been accused and convicted of cattle rustling. Then the peace is threatened by Trampas, who also works on the farm. There is a climatic gun duel between the two men. Trampas fires first, misses and is then killed by the Virginian. In the end the Virginian marries Molly and rides off with her into the mountains. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.
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Add this copy of The Virginian (Signet Books) to cart. $13.99, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by Signet Classics.
Add this copy of The Virginian to cart. $41.13, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by Signet Classics.
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.