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kellyrenea's review against another edition
4.0
Book 13 of 2023: The Virginian by Owen Wister
Set in Wyoming in the 1890s, it is the story of a mysterious stranger -- known only as “The Virginian”-- who arrives in Medicine Bow, Wyoming and escorts the narrator to Judge Henry's ranch in Sunk Creek, and their challenges and adventures. It is a tale of adventure, love, friendship, hate, and vengeance, and was one of the most influential books published at the turn of the 20th century. It was largely responsible for launching the Western genre and the iconic American cowboy as a fictional archetype.
An enjoyable read. I had never heard of the novel before my book club, but I appreciate the chance to read a novel that helped begin a genre, the western. Some of my favorite quotes were:
“The same words, identical to the letter. But this time they had produced a pistol. “When you call me that, SMILE!” So I perceived a new example of the old truth, that the letter means nothing until the spirit gives it life.”
“It’s not a brave man that’s dangerous,” continued the dealer. “It’s the cowards that scare me.”
Set in Wyoming in the 1890s, it is the story of a mysterious stranger -- known only as “The Virginian”-- who arrives in Medicine Bow, Wyoming and escorts the narrator to Judge Henry's ranch in Sunk Creek, and their challenges and adventures. It is a tale of adventure, love, friendship, hate, and vengeance, and was one of the most influential books published at the turn of the 20th century. It was largely responsible for launching the Western genre and the iconic American cowboy as a fictional archetype.
An enjoyable read. I had never heard of the novel before my book club, but I appreciate the chance to read a novel that helped begin a genre, the western. Some of my favorite quotes were:
“The same words, identical to the letter. But this time they had produced a pistol. “When you call me that, SMILE!” So I perceived a new example of the old truth, that the letter means nothing until the spirit gives it life.”
“It’s not a brave man that’s dangerous,” continued the dealer. “It’s the cowards that scare me.”
creechance's review
5.0
"The Virginian" is the prototype of the American Western tale. From the good (Clint Eastwood) to the bad (John Wayne), and the ugly (1994's "Tombstone"), they all came from this book. Reading it now is like talking to an old friend; you know the story, but it's still interesting coming from him. However, "The Virginian" was new and broke ground when it was published.
coffeecrusader's review against another edition
4.0
Formative only in creating the semantics and syntactical relationship of the Western genre as we know it. Still—a lot of problematic stuff. But lots of interesting ways to read this.
swoody788's review against another edition
4.0
I can't say that it tops Lonesome Dove in terms of endearment, but seeing as how it's the granddaddy of all westerns - I have an awful lot of respect for Owen Wister and The Virginian. I wasn't especially interested until a few chapters in, but by the end I was listening intently, anxious about what would happen next. It took a book like this to not only begin but set the standard for the genre, and it was plain to see that so many parts from my favorite western books and movies were inspired by this one story.
Our continent drained prismatically through Omaha once.
Our continent drained prismatically through Omaha once.
ross8002's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
josiahdegraaf's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not really a Western reader, so take this with a grain of salt. But I personally found the novel rather bland and hard to get through. There were a few characters and plot beats I did appreciate, though. I read it as a part of a book club and most other folks in the group seemed to enjoy it, so my disinterest may due to my personal preference more than anything else.
Rating: 2 Stars (Inconsistent).
Rating: 2 Stars (Inconsistent).
lunderwhatsen's review
3.0
I made the mistake of reading this after a Larry McMurtry western... It’s very slow and hard to get into the characters for me. I see the beauty in this classic though! Just wasn’t my cup of tea.
pancha_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Can’t say I loved it, can’t say i hated it. The beginning was fun to analice, the protagonist fulfill his role the hole novel. But I must say that I didn’t like how. He treated his love interested, or how he embodies the more conservative values of the western society. A must for fans of the evolution of the western genre, but don’t expect duels or a lot of action (nor common sense from it).