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Tarfumes.com - The Virginian (Enriched Classics (Pocket))
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List Price: $5.99
Our Price: $5.99
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Pocket
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780743436533
ISBN: 0743436539
Label: Pocket
Manufacturer: Pocket
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 480
Publication Date: 2002-07-30
Publisher: Pocket
Studio: Pocket
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Editorial Reviews:
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Still as exciting and meaningful as when it was written in 1902, Owen Wister's epic tale of one man's journey into the untamed territory of Wyoming, where he is caught between his love for a woman and his quest for justice, has exemplified one of the most significant and enduring themes in all of American culture. With remarkable character depth and vivid descriptive passages, The Virginian stands not only as the first great novel of American Western literature, but as a testament to the eternal struggle between good and evil in humanity, and a revealing study of the forces that guide the combatants on both sides. Pocket Books' Enriched Classics present the world's greatest literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of The Virginian has been prepared by Gary Scharnhorst, professor of English at the University of New Mexico. It includes his introduction, notes, a selection of critical excerpts, and suggestions for further reading, as well as a unique visual essay of period illustrations and photographs.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Momma of 4
Comment: I read this book recently and liked it so much I wanted to have it on audio so my husband could hear it also (while driving to work.) It only took him a few weeks to get through the whole thing and he absolutely loved it. From the few tapes I listened to myself, I found the narrator did a great job of capturing the character's personalities and pulling the listener into the story. The tapes were used from a library, but they were in great condition. I think we will listen to them again and again, and they were a great buy! If you like Western's at all, "The Virginian" is a must. I wouldn't say I'm a Western Fan (I'm more of a Jane Austen buff) but after this story, I would have to say I think I am! I laughed out loud, and the cow puncher hero known as The Viginian totally enchanted me as much as any Mr. Darcy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Gentleman in Medicine Bow
Comment: "The Virginian" is a masterpiece. While it is a novel, based largely on Wister's conception of the cowboy, the Virginian had a face to him; and it's story line is firmly based in fact. Some of the original sites, such as the "Goose Egg" ranch (the dance and switching of the babies) are actual historical spots - parts of the the old stone ranch house were still standing in the 1960's and perhaps some remnants of it remain today, although it is all on private property now along Bessemer Bend along the Platte River. The Occidental Hotel, in Buffalo, a well-made ancient brick building, is still standing in remarkable condition and still in use today, and was the scene of the shoot-out between the Virginian and Trampas. The little town of Medicine Bow still holds physical remnants of the Virginian's story in historical significance to be seen and felt. As is the song "High Noon", sung by Tex Ritter, a reminder of this unforgettable story that crosses from literature into song and legend.
"The Virginian", like the legendary movie "Shane" has much of it's subtle nuances revolving around the nefarious Johnson County Cattle War. (Buffalo, Wyoming) This was during a wild, untamed era when the range was unfenced, big cattle empires, some of whom were English Lords rather than Americans (Frewen's Castle is a prime example of another historical Wyoming ruin near Buffalo - owned by an Englishman and now also on private property) ran huge herds of cattle on free grass and fattened their wallets as much as they fattened the cattle; somehow, these big cattlemen decided they owned the entire state without benefit of deed or law. When the Homestead Act brought in settlers to this vast land, the end of the free grass became quite apparent to these individuals, who had laid claim to the land without benefit of deed. They decided that the fastest way to deal with the problem was to "eliminate it" and hired guns from Texas and Oklahoma were brought in with the blessing of the governor of the state of Wyoming at that time, Gov. Barber.
There was, indeed, as there always is, two sides to the story, and the settlers did rustle some cattle, no doubt. The subtle references to this problem appear during Judge Henry's dialogue in the Virginian. The Virginian's dearest friend, Steve, comrade of his youth, was caught up in it; and was caught with stolen horses. The chapter that dealt with this is especially poignant and emotional; the hanging and the scene of the Virginian's torment of the night before; the grim foreboding sight of "the cottonwood" looming in the shadows, where vigilante justice is to be served up in the morning; and Steve's stilted, cowhand's way of sending the Virginian his farewell - is very moving.
It is also a tale of lost individuals attaching themselves to predators because they need someone to guide them and there is no one else in their fragmented lives; the character of "Shorty" is one of these - the boy/man who is ill-equipped to make his way in the world of men, hence is an easy mark for Trampas - yet is always good to his horse.
There is much to this book, both as a novel based in fact and history, and as a literary accomplishment. Wister dresses up his narration a bit, of course, but essentially, the picture of life out here is fairly close to being accurate at that time. Unlike "Shane", whose splendid film treatment will go down in it's own history as being one of a kind, "The Virginian" has never had a worthy movie made of it, in my view.
I recommend this to anyone wishing to read an old book that is still vastly worthwhile, even though it's subjects are long gone and only their shadows remain. Look deep into it's pages because there's a lot stirring there that takes a second look.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Enter, The Man . . .
Comment: This is another of those wonderful books my mother pressed into my hands when I was just a kid. I think I was eleven or twelve when Mom handed me the hardbound edition of this book--complete with C. M. Russell's beautiful illustrations. And I fell in love with the West, and with western romance.
Today, I live in Wyoming. I've been to Medicine Bow; I've been to Laramie; and I've been to the Goose Egg Ranch. This country is fraught with tales and fables from the old West, but few compare to Owen Wister's work. Written about a hundred years ago, it remains a story for all time.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Western Classic
Comment: I laughed when I read this criticism in a review below:
"Rife with cliches that we may assume were somewhat fresher at the beginning of the twentieth century when this book was written."
I'm reminded of the junior high student who made the same observation about Shakespeare's works.
There is a reason why this book finds a home among the canon of classical literature.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: When you call me that -- Smile
Comment: The book that started the Western , written by a Philadelphia lawyer among other things. Well worth reading for that reason alone even if you did not live on a street named after Wister as I did.
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