THE VIRGINIAN - A Horseman of the Plains (Western Classic) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The First Cowboy Novel Set in the Wild WestBy Owen Wister
Length15h 14m
About this audiobook
Owen Wister's The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains is a foundational work of American Western fiction, shaping many of the genre's enduring conventions: the laconic hero, the moral test of frontier justice, and the tension between wilderness freedom and emerging social order. Set in Wyoming, the novel combines romance, adventure, humor, and ethical inquiry, rendered in a polished, observational style that blends genteel literary realism with the idioms of ranch life. Its episodic structure reflects both the oral traditions of frontier storytelling and the late nineteenth-century fascination with national character. Wister, born into an educated Eastern family and trained at Harvard, encountered the West partly as traveler, convalescent, and fascinated outsider. His friendship with Theodore Roosevelt and his own experiences in Wyoming informed his belief that the frontier preserved forms of courage, honor, and masculine discipline he thought modern society endangered. The Virginian is therefore both imaginative fiction and cultural argument. Readers interested in the origins of the Western, American mythmaking, or the literary construction of heroism will find this novel indispensable. It rewards attention not merely as entertainment, but as a revealing document of how America imagined its frontier past.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.1 (11.8K)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing
GenreAction and Adventure, Literary Classics
Length15 hrs 14 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 8, 2016
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Show all chaptersShow less
6TO THE READER
7I. ENTER THE MAN
8II. "WHEN YOU CALL ME THAT, SMILE!"
9III. STEVE TREATS
10IV. DEEP INTO CATTLE LAND
11V. ENTER THE WOMAN
12VI. EM'LY
13VII. THROUGH TWO SNOWS
14VIII. THE SINCERE SPINSTER
15IX. THE SPINSTER MEETS THE UNKNOWN
16X. WHERE FANCY WAS BRED
17XI. "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE ME BEFORE WE GET THROUGH"
18XII. QUALITY AND EQUALITY
19XIII. THE GAME AND THE NATION—ACT FIRST
20XIV. BETWEEN THE ACTS
21XV. THE GAME AND THE NATION—ACT SECOND
22XVI. THE GAME AND THE NATION—LAST ACT
23XVII. SCIPIO MORALIZES
24XVIII. "WOULD YOU BE A PARSON?"
25XIX. DR. MACBRIDE BEGS PARDON
26XX. THE JUDGE IGNORES PARTICULARS
27XXI. IN A STATE OF SIN
28XXII. "WHAT IS A RUSTLER?"
29XXIII. VARIOUS POINTS
30XXIV. A LETTER WITH A MORAL
31XXV. PROGRESS OF THE LOST DOG
32XXVI. BALAAM AND PEDRO
33XXVII. GRANDMOTHER STARK
34XXVIII. NO DREAM TO WAKE FROM
35XXIX. WORD TO BENNINGTON
36XXX. A STABLE ON THE FLAT
37XXXI. THE COTTONWOODS
38XXXII. SUPERSTITION TRAIL
39XXXIII. THE SPINSTER LOSES SOME SLEEP
40XXXIV. TO FIT HER FINGER
41XXXV. WITH MALICE AFORETHOUGHT
42XXXVI. AT DUNBARTON
43Analysis
44Reflection
45Memorable Quotes
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