I must have read this book a few decades ago, but had forgotten what it was like. So when I saw it mentioned in a blurb or blog somewhere, I thought I'd better read it again.
   I'm glad I did. It was written in 1902, but is set in the 1870s. It is popularly supposed to be the first of the great Westerns - and indeed, even while I was reading it I found myself spotting what you might call forward references, things that other Westerns (books and films) have used since Owen Wister wrote this mini masterpiece.
   Because that's what it is. It's beautifully written. All of what we now see as traditional elements of a Western are there. But what struck me was two things I haven't seen in other blurbs. One, the sense of humour stands out. As I've said before, humour doesn't usually travel well through time. Three Men in a Boat  has always been my takeaway for a novel whose humour has worn well - and now I must add The Virginian to the list. And second, at it's heart, this is a love story.
   So I really, really enjoyed this fine old book, and strongly suggest you add it to your To Read list.