There's a very amusing review at Amazon which claims that this is an unacknowledged gay classic. Wikipedia defines a book review as: “a form of literary criticism in which a book is analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review can be a primary source opinion piece, summary review or scholarly review”. Book Review: The Virginian A literary buffet long on granola but short on bacon. Inside Owen Wister's , The Virginian , there lurks a great western romance novel. I don't know that I'd go that far, but I take the reviewer's point that the true love in the book is between the narrator and the Virginian, and that the schoolmarm is mostly annoying. Here's a snippet: The Virginian's pistol came out, and his hand lay on the table, holding it unaimed. This book is fast-paced, creepy, and meets the chill factor of Sager's two previous books, “The Final Girls” and “The Last Time I Lied,” writes Virginia Beach librarian Alicia Gladwell. Book Review: The Virginian by Owen Wister “When you call me that, smile!” When the Easterner who would become known as “the Tenderfoot” came to Wyoming at the behest of Judge Henry, he didn’t know what to expect. My mission is to provide the reader with my thoughts on the author’s work whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. This book, published in 1902, has been hailed as the first Western. Later the visitor learns that the Virginian - as he is called throughout the book - is to conduct him to Judge Henry's ranch, 263 miles and four days' ride away. The Virginian of the novel is the forefather of Hondo and Shane and every other strong but silent cowboy found in films.