I was disappointed in the setup of the love triangle upon which the story depends. The author violated that old rule of thumb--"Show, don't tell." This weak launchpad left me wondering throughout the story: Why is he so nuts about this woman?

On the other hand, there's a whole parade of colorful characters throughout the book, and they're all great. A typical problem with such characters is that they seem contrived--merely the product of some novelist's desire to invent the quirkiest possible cast. But not these folks. You believe that every last one of them could, and in fact do, exist.

The ending's good too. I won't give it away. I'll just say that it's realistic, and the way the protagonist reacts to the whims of fate shows his admirable character at its best.

The most accurate book on ranching in NM for the time period. Loved the book, the movie AND the sound track! I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

The Hi Lo Country is true to the southwest. Contemporary and realistic in the world of real working cowboys . You really get involved in the lives of all the characters, they are bigger than life. You feel you know them. This is not a "shoot um up " western it is southwestern set in New Mexico after World War II and the way it reads it could be of any time . Elements of romance ,excitement,action, history and humor makes this an experience you don't run across often! Read it!

This is the classic story by Wister (1860-1938) of the ranch foreman, known only as the Virginian, his courtship of Molly Starkwood, the "schoolmarm" from Vermont, and his conflicts with Trampas. In 1977, the Western Writers of America voted this novel as the top western novel of all time. It probably started the whole genre (even if one counts the pulp fiction popular in the late 19th century). Historians have always pointed out that there never really was a "Code of the West." This was just something thought up by writers, journalists, and film makers. The West was made up of both good and bad men, just as today. But, in my opinion, this book challenges that concept. Wister based his characters on real people he interacted with in the West a few years earlier. There really were men like the Virginian. There really were people who, unknowingly, followed a Code (just as there are today).

The book "The Virginian" being a western book, I was initially skeptical of it being any better then shoot em up giddyup types of books. However I was quickly taken aback by the fact that they never fully identified the background of the Virginian.
Throughout the entire book he remains a mystery, his whole life a mystique aside from what everyone knew which was he came from the eastern part of the country. With a persona that screams Mad Max "The Road Warrior" he is a modest person who goes for the gusto in his ventures during the book. Working in Wyoming his boss Judge Henry, is not very strong as far as standing up for himself is concerned. When a rival rancher hires some bandits to rob a couple of horses from Henry's ranch, it's the Virginian to the rescue. Eventually the book which includes many other swashbuckling adventures, waters down to a duel between the leader of the Bandits and the Virginian. He even has time for a lovelife in the craziness of the west when he hooks up with a school teacher by the name of Molly Stark. The wedding does not go quite as planned though and I suggest you read the novel to eventually find out what happens. A terific story that has been made into two motion pictures, the plot in Owen Wisters story has more twists then a hostess truckload of strudel. For the person that liked the "Lonesome Dove" mini series this book is for you.

I was in the used book store and I saw this book. The Virginian. "Hm," I thought. "I used to watch that show on television when I was a kid." By Owen Wister. "So, it's a book!" And I though that was pretty cute. Oh, and I liked the cover. The edition that I bought was in the Pulp Fiction section of the book store, that real old book smellin', yellowing pages, origional cover price anywhere between 15 and 99 cents section. So I bought it, read a couple of pages expecting to find out that it was the cheesest thing I'd picked up in a hundred years. And before I even knew what was happening The Virginian, black curly hair in desperate need of a cut, quick draw, lonesome maverick, the new teacher for the one room schoolhouse-yes, even the one room schoolhouse!-all were in my purse, going with me everywhere...Never mind that it's a western, get over yourselves and read this book! It's so much fun. Mr. Wister gives a good story, well told.

Burt Kennedy has directed many famous stars and made many famous Westerns. He may be a great story-teller in person however this does not come through in this book. There are many things he says are funny before relating a particular anecdote, but I can't really remember laughing once during this book. All the stories seemed to fizzle out and the punch-line seemed to leave the anecdote unfinished. You all know the type of thing I mean. Think of the last party you went to that had the guy who couldn't tell a joke to save his life.

Mr. Kennedy does give some insight into the business of movie-making, and this is interesting, but not enough so to save this effort. I have to wonder after reading some of the other reviews if we all read the same book....

This work of vignettes of Burt Kennedy's life and times as a Hollywood Movie Director gives the reader an inside look at Hollywood without the usual petty back biting. Burt keeps the reader interested and amused throughout without having to resort to the more tawndry side of the picture business. A great work to keep at bedside and reread regularly.

Burt Kennedy writes a fast-paced, fun-filled book about behind the scenes events in his great old westerns and TV shows. Find out how they did those war sceens in Combat, how to find a train to use in a movie and what John Wayne was like to work with. Then of course, there's the scene of Angie Dickinson emerging from her bath, that was cut--check the pictures in the middle of the book for this vintage shot. Becky Reid

Max Evans was one of Sam Peckinpah's best friends and was hired to play a supporting part in "The Ballad Of Cable Hogue". Here he writes about it's crazy filming in the desert with a wild Peckinpah firing crew members every day, the drinking, carousing and whoring going on, Jason Robards flying kites with David Warner, Warner almost having a nervous breakdown, etc. Not one dull page!

Faraway Blue is based on the true life episodes of Buffalo Soldier, Moses Williams who won a Medal of Honor for his service in fighting the great Apache Chief warrior Nana; a subperb tactician, leader and protector of his small band of people. The time period is from 1866 to 1895. Sgt. Williams of the Ninth Calvary is an ex-slave who fought in the Civil War and is now fighting one of the last holdouts of western expansion, the proud and tenacious fighter and Warm Springs Chief, Nana, on Nana's own territory: the Black Range or the "faraway blue" mountains of southeastern New Mexico territory.

Williams has been fighting the old fox for years and feels as though he is finally closing in on him. Both warriors have a healthy respect for one another, but neither is willing to give in to the other. Williams has a reason for wanting to put an end to the final struggle...he wants to marry Sheela Jones, a beautiful mulatto he save from a life of certain prostitution when her adopted white family was killed while Sheela hid in the near-by woods and heard the slaughter. His commanding officer has withheld the prize of marriage to Sheela until the "Apache problem" is under control. This is the first western I've read and I must say it was pretty good. Some of the situations were a bit too pat, however, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to get their feet wet reading westerns.