don't ignore this, 24 Aug 2006
A previous collection of McGuane's (To Skin A Cat) contains one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name but seek it out). The rest were slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed but this book is of a high order, the autobiographical kid on ice story being an absolute gem. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have a huge affection for, of his earlier books, 92 Degrees in the Shade is phenomonal but you can't really go wrong with any of them, from Sporting Club to now. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another similar writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another much misunderstood writer of quality).

don't ignore this, 24 Aug 2006
A previous collection of McGuane's (To Skin A Cat) contains one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name but seek it out). The rest were slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed but this book is of a high order, the autobiographical kid on ice story being an absolute gem. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have a huge affection for, of his earlier books, 92 Degrees in the Shade is phenomonal but you can't really go wrong with any of them, from Sporting Club to now. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another similar writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another much misunderstood writer of quality).

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

don't ignore this, 24 Aug 2006
A previous collection of McGuane's (To Skin A Cat) contains one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name but seek it out). The rest were slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed but this book is of a high order, the autobiographical kid on ice story being an absolute gem. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have a huge affection for, of his earlier books, 92 Degrees in the Shade is phenomonal but you can't really go wrong with any of them, from Sporting Club to now. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another similar writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another much misunderstood writer of quality).

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

don't ignore this, 24 Aug 2006
A previous collection of McGuane's (To Skin A Cat) contains one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name but seek it out). The rest were slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed but this book is of a high order, the autobiographical kid on ice story being an absolute gem. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have a huge affection for, of his earlier books, 92 Degrees in the Shade is phenomonal but you can't really go wrong with any of them, from Sporting Club to now. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another similar writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another much misunderstood writer of quality).

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

McGuane writes with authority, passion., 06 Aug 1999
Granted, fans of McGuane novels may whine a bit about this book. It's not very long; it's not fiction; it doesn't take us under the uncomfortable skins of some misaligned characters. But like the McGuane we've loved for decades, this is good writing. A master at the art of conjuring up a world and peopling it with folks that seem at the same time like escaped mental patients and our own relatives, McGuane in this book sets all that aside. Gone is the detached--albeit affectionate--irony. This book is passionate. Though he is most often likened to Faulkner and the more language-rich of his own comtemporaries, McGuane reminds here of Hemingway. I guess this is what happens when great writers write about what they love. Makes you wonder what would have happened if Faulkner had written about horses.

Ticked off, 12 Jul 1999
Thomas McGuane ticks me off. I wait like a groupie for his next book, and this is all I get! What's the deal? One hundred seventy-six pages? Is that all there is to write about horses? I want more! I feel like I've been allowed a ride on the stallion, but only got to saunter around the stall. Give me more!

don't ignore this, 24 Aug 2006
A previous collection of McGuane's (To Skin A Cat) contains one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name but seek it out). The rest were slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed but this book is of a high order, the autobiographical kid on ice story being an absolute gem. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have a huge affection for, of his earlier books, 92 Degrees in the Shade is phenomonal but you can't really go wrong with any of them, from Sporting Club to now. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another similar writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another much misunderstood writer of quality).

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

McGuane writes with authority, passion., 06 Aug 1999
Granted, fans of McGuane novels may whine a bit about this book. It's not very long; it's not fiction; it doesn't take us under the uncomfortable skins of some misaligned characters. But like the McGuane we've loved for decades, this is good writing. A master at the art of conjuring up a world and peopling it with folks that seem at the same time like escaped mental patients and our own relatives, McGuane in this book sets all that aside. Gone is the detached--albeit affectionate--irony. This book is passionate. Though he is most often likened to Faulkner and the more language-rich of his own comtemporaries, McGuane reminds here of Hemingway. I guess this is what happens when great writers write about what they love. Makes you wonder what would have happened if Faulkner had written about horses.

Ticked off, 12 Jul 1999
Thomas McGuane ticks me off. I wait like a groupie for his next book, and this is all I get! What's the deal? One hundred seventy-six pages? Is that all there is to write about horses? I want more! I feel like I've been allowed a ride on the stallion, but only got to saunter around the stall. Give me more!

The wild, wild west., 17 Mar 2004
An original and beautifully-written novel set among the mountains and prairies of Montana which draws on many of the themes and mythology of the Old West that so fascinate Thomas McGuane. On the surface it's about a dysfunctional family (gold-digging brother-in-law, adulterous sister, eccentric widow) who come into conflict when the will of Sunny Jim Whitelaw throws up a clause that none of them bargained for. It's really a black comedy, the kind of novel with characters that are basically selfish and out for themselves, but who will eventually pay for their infidelities and crimes. And within the story is a moving twist concerning a long-buried family secret...

Beyond this, and what makes the book really great, is McGuane's conviction that the strong values and good hearts of the West have been eroded by what we call progress, and this is richly evoked in the climax which transcends the twisting plot and is one the reader perhaps wasn't expecting...

A fine novel, very funny, thoughtful, and beautiful to read.

don't ignore this, 24 Aug 2006
A previous collection of McGuane's (To Skin A Cat) contains one of my all time favourite short stories (the one about a character running an errand for his boss to collect a dog he's purchased - can't remember the name but seek it out). The rest were slightly disappointing for a writer I otherwise hold in very high regard indeed but this book is of a high order, the autobiographical kid on ice story being an absolute gem. The first of his novels I read was Keep the Change (1989?) which I have a huge affection for, of his earlier books, 92 Degrees in the Shade is phenomonal but you can't really go wrong with any of them, from Sporting Club to now. The Longest Silence (non-fiction) beautifully and hilariously (for he is undeniably a very witty writer) details his life both as a devout angler and otherwise, and reveals another side to him not seen in his fiction. Also, if you can track down another similar writer who has been neglected and ignored (especially in UK) called Jim Harrison, bear in mind that he and McGuane have been close friends for forty-plus years, and in Harrison's non-fiction collection Just Before Dark there is a priceless exchange between the two entitled A Chat With A Novelist (1971). McGuane wrote the screenplay for Missouri Breaks (and others) and was a buddy of the late great Hunter S. Thompson (another much misunderstood writer of quality).

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

As memorable a cast of characters as you could possibly want, 14 Jun 1998
McGuanes's vision is at once darkly comic and lushly poetic. He should be sampled by more readers who love good stories populated by memorable characters in a world that makes no promises. Nobody's Angel, The Sporting Club and Something To Be Desired are worth finding.

One of my all time favorites...Definitely., 04 Dec 1997
I love McGuane and LOVE this book. So enjoyable.

McGuane writes with authority, passion., 06 Aug 1999
Granted, fans of McGuane novels may whine a bit about this book. It's not very long; it's not fiction; it doesn't take us under the uncomfortable skins of some misaligned characters. But like the McGuane we've loved for decades, this is good writing. A master at the art of conjuring up a world and peopling it with folks that seem at the same time like escaped mental patients and our own relatives, McGuane in this book sets all that aside. Gone is the detached--albeit affectionate--irony. This book is passionate. Though he is most often likened to Faulkner and the more language-rich of his own comtemporaries, McGuane reminds here of Hemingway. I guess this is what happens when great writers write about what they love. Makes you wonder what would have happened if Faulkner had written about horses.

Ticked off, 12 Jul 1999
Thomas McGuane ticks me off. I wait like a groupie for his next book, and this is all I get! What's the deal? One hundred seventy-six pages? Is that all there is to write about horses? I want more! I feel like I've been allowed a ride on the stallion, but only got to saunter around the stall. Give me more!

The wild, wild west., 17 Mar 2004
An original and beautifully-written novel set among the mountains and prairies of Montana which draws on many of the themes and mythology of the Old West that so fascinate Thomas McGuane. On the surface it's about a dysfunctional family (gold-digging brother-in-law, adulterous sister, eccentric widow) who come into conflict when the will of Sunny Jim Whitelaw throws up a clause that none of them bargained for. It's really a black comedy, the kind of novel with characters that are basically selfish and out for themselves, but who will eventually pay for their infidelities and crimes. And within the story is a moving twist concerning a long-buried family secret...

Beyond this, and what makes the book really great, is McGuane's conviction that the strong values and good hearts of the West have been eroded by what we call progress, and this is richly evoked in the climax which transcends the twisting plot and is one the reader perhaps wasn't expecting...

A fine novel, very funny, thoughtful, and beautiful to read.

The Virginian, Oh What a Man!, 22 Jul 2007
Wow, this was so good; I could not put it down. The Virginian is the most incredible, honest, honorable, handsome (sigh) hero to come along the pike in a long long time. And what a scamp, LOL at his plot to switch the babies (clothes and all) around, so that the parents took home the wrong kids, had to come back to the Judge's ranch, leaving Molly the new teacher alone for him to call on!

Lots of love, laughter and excitement as the Virginian falls for the new teacher from the East, rounds up cattle rustlers and vanquishes the bad guys. The author's prose was glorious, although rather dense (for lack of a better word); it reminded me of Nathaniel Hawthorne. You really have to pay attention and don't let your mind wander or you will end up backtracking so you don't miss any of the story. The author's descriptions of the Wyoming countryside, and most especially the Tetons, were wonderful and I felt like I was right there.

Truly one of the best yarns I have ever read, with a nail biting finish during the final showdown with the bad guy, as Molly has to reconcile herself as to what is more important, her east coast sense of righteousness or her love for her man. Highly recommended.

"The Virginian" established the fictional code of the West.,, 27 Aug 2005
Owen Wister's "The Virginian," first published in 1902, is considered by many to exemplify the American Western novel. Wister certainly established the code of the West, and the stereotypical figures of the tough but genteel and courageous cowboy, (the one wearing the white hat and riding the white horse), the spinster schoolmarm from back East, horse rustlers, and the corrupt villain beyond redemption. In fact, the novel contains a scene constituting the first known "shootout" in American literature. Our narrator is an easterner, a man who visits Judge Henry, the Virginian's employer, at his ranch on Sunk Creek fairly frequently. I came to think of him as Mr. Wister himself, who did travel to Wyoming and parts West extensively.

From my perspective, the Virginian, whose true name is never revealed, is anything but a stereotype, although many heroes have been modeled after him. Yes, he is tall dark and handsome. This description is not terribly distinctive or unusual. One could definitely call him the strong silent type, and he does have a marked sense of honor, loyalty and justice. However, born and raised in Virginia before the Civil War, it is realistic to assume he was instilled with the values of a southern gentleman. Although he was not to the manor born, his family was decent and hardworking, and one certainly does not need wealth to live by the Good Book. A war veteran and a longtime wanderer throughout the western territories, he had learned survival skills by his mid-twenties. Loose lips was not a desirable trait if one wanted to live a long and healthy life. I found the Virginian to be a credible character, flawed like all men, but with a clear and unwavering sense of right and wrong. He is a man suited to his environment and to his times, and personifies the rugged individual.

It is important to note the period in which this novel was written to fully enjoy it, just as it is crucial to understand the times and setting in which such authors as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and George Eliot wrote. In "The Virginian," Wister states: "It was through the Declaration of Independence that we Americans acknowledged the eternal equality of man. For by it we abolished a cut-and-dried aristocracy. We had seen little men artificially held up in high places, and great men artificially held down in low places, and our own justice-loving hearts abhorred this violence to human nature. Therefore, we decreed that every man should henceforth have equal liberty to find his own level. By this very decree we acknowledged and gave freedom to true aristocracy, saying, 'Let the best man win, whoever he is.' That is America's word. That is true democracy." Believing this so strongly, is it any wonder that the character of the Virginian was created?

As for Miss Mary Stark Wood of Bennington, Vermont, who calls herself spinster at age 20, she is a woman ahead of her time. Many have been created in Mary's image, but she is the original. Intelligent, independent, adventurous, full of pluck and, yes, pretty, she sets off to teach school in Bear Creek, Wyoming, to get away from family pressure to wed an unwanted suitor, and probably to see more of the world. An acquaintance and correspondent of Miss Wood's, Mrs. Balaam, a Bear Creek resident, wrote and told the young woman of the teaching position. Mary accepts, and as it happens, the Virginian is the first to meet her upon her arrival. He actually rescues her, as the primitive stagecoach she has been traveling in is mired-down in a creek - the driver drunk and quite irresponsible. She is later embarrassed, remembering how tightly she clung to the cowboy, in fright, not out of flirtatiousness. He, however, cannot get her out of his mind. This is so much more than a romance novel, although there is romance aplenty, of both the classical nature and the kind between a man courting a woman.

The Virginian's bete noir is an evil character named Trampas. The two clash throughout the tale until the final showdown. One of the books classic lines has our hero responding to Trampas after a nasty insult, "When you call me that, smile." He is also betrayed by a trusted friend who becomes corrupt out of greed and weakness. Law and order had not arrived in Wyoming Territory and it was up to individuals to maintain a civil society. Mary Wood calls this taking the law into one's own hands, or vigilantism. This issue becomes a bone of contention between herself and the Virginian.

Owen Wister imbues his characters, especially the Virginian and Mary, with a remarkable sense of depth. Their relationship, as well as his relationship with his old friend Steve, are depicted with particular poignancy. The initial reserve between Mary and her suitor is normal for the period. However, the sexual tension between them is palpable. Graphic love scenes are not necessary here. The author does more with a kiss and an embrace than many modern writers accomplish with all their erotica. There is some terrific humor also. I found Emily, the hen, to be one of the most original animals in fiction and absolutely hilarious. Wister's vivid passages describing the Wyoming wilderness are extraordinary, making it easy for one to visualize the gorgeous landscapes. The pace is somewhat slow at times. However, I did not find the narrative at all tedious. Time passed more slowly back then and things took longer to accomplish for obvious reasons. This difference is demonstrated in the way the tale is told.

"The Virginian" was voted by the Western American Writers in 1977 as the greatest western novel of all time. Whether it is or isn't is debatable, but I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend.
JANA