OWEN WISTER OUT WEST

by Fanny Kemble- Ed. Wister ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 1958

These recently discovered western journals of the author of The Virginian cover the years from 1885 to 1895 and range over a large part of the West, from Wyoming, where Wister first fell in love with the country and determined to write about it, through Oregon, Washington, California and Arizona. Edited by his daughter, the book also includes a biography of the novelist and some charming reminiscences of the editor's own youth, but its outstanding interest lies in the picture it gives of the ""Old"" West before the days of game laws, dude ranches and automobiles, when the cowboy was still king. Readers of The Virginian, even now America's outstanding cowboy novel, forerunner of countless ""westerns"" and horse-operas, will recognize in the book many incidents included in the novel; historians will enjoy it for some of the incidents reported, such as the comments on Custer made long before that ""hero"" had lost his luster. Of a distinct but limited appeal, the book will be a valuable contribution to all libraries of Western Americana and is a ""must"" for the reference shelves of writers of western fiction. Devotees of personal diaries and letters should also enjoy it, and it may even interest present-day inhabitants of the West.

Pub Date: March 25, 1958

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: University of Chicago

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1958

Categories: NONFICTION