The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains

Owen Wister

Oct 2011 · Recorded Books · Narrated by Jack Garrett

About this audiobook

Originally published in 1902, Owen Wister' s The Virginian pre-dates the classic novels of Zane Grey and Max Brand and is considered by many to be the original Western. Dedicated to Wister' s friend and fellow outdoorsman Theodore Roosevelt, this timeless tale almost single-handedly established the cowboy archetype in literature. A quiet, noble foreman of a Wyoming cattle ranch in the 1870s, the Virginian falls for pretty schoolteacher Molly Wood. But when a rival suitor challenges his honor, the Virginian struggles to make his beloved Molly understand the harsh justice of the West.

About the author

Owen Wister was born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 14, 1860. He graduated from Harvard University in 1882 and studied musical composition in Paris for two years. He spent the summer of 1885 in Wyoming for his health. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1888 and was admitted to the bar in 1889. He practiced law for two years in Philadelphia and continued to spend his summers in the West. In 1891, after the acceptance by Harper's of two of his Western sketches, he decided to pursue a literary career. His works included Lin McLean, The Virginian, Lady Baltimore, and Roosevelt: The Story of a Friendship, 1880-1919. He also wrote a number of children's books. He died on July 21, 1938.