{"product_id":"the-virginian-9780743436533","title":"The Virginian","description":"\u003cb\u003eStill 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.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith remarkable character depth and vivid descriptive passages, \u003ci\u003eThe Virginian\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis edition of \u003ci\u003eThe Virginian\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOwen Wister\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Philadelphia to Owen Jones Wister, a physician, and Sarah (Butler) Wister, daughter of the actress Fanny Kemble. After graduating from Harvard in 1882, Wister spent some time in the West and documented his experiences in a series of diaries. In 1891, after a conversation in which Wister and his former Harvard classmate Theodore Roosevelt discussed the literary potential of Wister's impressions of Western life, Wister began writing stories of America's last frontier, which paved the way for \u003ci\u003eThe Virginian.\u003c\/i\u003e Wister's stories helped establish the cowboy as an archetypal, individualist hero, and \u003ci\u003eThe Virginian\u003c\/i\u003e is widely recognized as the first true Cowboy novel.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50523721466130,"sku":"9780743436533","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_38b66486-17ca-4ab4-b3a5-28f1a736f0e6.jpg?v=1731164754","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-virginian-9780743436533","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}