The Virginian

A strong, silent stranger rides into the lawless lands of the western frontier, battles horse thieves, deals with unyielding scoundrels, and wins the heart of a schoolmarm. Owen Wister's 1902 classic-the first great novel of the American West-is rich in moral drama and vernacular wit. His hero-like knights of old-lives by an enduring code of chivalry and is governed by quiet courage and a deep sense of honor.Set in the vast Wyoming territory, this masterpiece helped establish the code of the West and its stereotypical characters: the genteel but brave, white-hatted cowboy, the pretty spinster