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Best Western Books of All Time

21 Western Novels Every Man Should Read | The Art of Manliness

The 23 Best Western Books, From 'Lonesome Dove' to 'Outlawed'

Best western books

A Novel

Una Novela

Lonesome Dove

Paloma Solitaria

True Grit

Verdadero Coraje

The Sisters Brothers

Los Hermanos Sisters

Riders of the Purple Sage, Book 1

Jinetes de la Salvia Púrpura, Libro 1

Riders of the Purple Sage

Jinetes de la Salvia Púrpura

The Son

El Hijo

Hondo

The Searchers

Los Buscadores

Little Big Man

Pequeño Gran Hombre

El Paso

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

El Asesinato de Jesse James por el Cobarde Robert Ford

Or the Evening Redness in the West

O la Rojez Vespertina en el Oeste

Blood Meridian

Meridiano de Sangre

The Gunslinger

El Pistolero

The Dark Tower I

La Torre Oscura I

Great Plains Trilogy, Book 3

Trilogía de las Grandes Llanuras, Libro 3

A prosperous lawyer based in New York City shares a memoir of his rustic Nebraska childhood, the central theme of which is his bond with a girl named Ántonia Shimerda, an immigrant from Bohemia. They meet during Jim's journey west to live with his grandparents, following the death of his parents. The Shimerdas are settling in as farmers on an adjacent farm, and Jim quickly befriends the children, particularly Ántonia, who is around his same age and eager to learn English. However, their bond is tested after the sudden suicide of Mr. Shimerda which plunges the family into a profound despair.

A few years later, Jim's family moves into town, and soon after, Ántonia takes up a job as a housekeeper with a local family, the Harlings. This move rekindles their friendship as they start to spend more time together again, particularly after a dance hall opens up in town. Jim's high school days end, and he is admitted to the university in Lincoln. He excels in his academic pursuits but also becomes infatuated with Lena Lingard, a mutual acquaintance. Meanwhile, Ántonia becomes engaged to a local boy and relocates to Denver to be with him, but he abandons her on the eve of their wedding. She returns to Nebraska, heartbroken and pregnant, and despite the disapproval of her family, decides to keep the baby and continues to work on the farm with her brother.

Two decades pass before Jim visits Ántonia again. During this time, he has established himself as a renowned lawyer in New York City, while Ántonia marries Cuzak, a man of Bohemian origin, and they have many children. Jim's visit to the Cuzak farm is filled with joy, laughter, and reminiscing. As he prepares to return to New York, he walks along the outskirts of the town, near the path that leads to his childhood home. Feeling a sense of completion, he reflects on his past with Ántonia and the richness it has added to his life. He decides to maintain a closer relationship with the Cuzak family in the future.

My Ántonia

Mi Ántonia

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

La trilogía de la frontera, libro 1

After the death of his grandfather in 1949, John Grady Cole's mother decides to sell their Texas ranch. This leaves sixteen-year-old John Grady, who cherishes the rustic cowboy lifestyle, with no choice but to leave Texas. He and his buddy, Rawlins, decide to be migrant cowboys in Mexico, and they are joined by a younger, headstrong boy named Jimmy Blevins. Their journey into Mexico is not without challenges; Blevins loses his horse and weapon during a lightning storm and their failed attempt to retrieve these possessions results in them being pursued by a posse.

Despite their rocky start, John Grady and Rawlins manage to find work at a sprawling ranch owned by Don Hector. John Grady's skills with horses earn him a promotion to be in charge of breeding the ranch's horses. However, his growing attraction to Don Hector's beautiful daughter, Alejandra, jeopardizes his newfound success. Ignoring warnings from Alejandra's manipulative great-aunt Alfonsa, John Grady embarks on a clandestine affair with Alejandra. Their secret relationship is discovered, leading to John Grady and Rawlins being handed over to the corrupt police captain of Encantada. They are wrongfully implicated as co-conspirators with Blevins, who had returned to the town to reclaim his belongings and ended up killing a local.

John Grady and Rawlins are sent to jail in Saltillo, where they become targets of constant violence. Their refusal to align with Perez, a powerful inmate, leads to them being attacked. Although they survive, they are severely wounded and end up in the infirmary. In a surprising turn of events, they are released from prison, thanks to a bribe from Alfonsa. Back at the ranch, John Grady tries to rekindle his romance with Alejandra. Despite spending a day together, Alejandra decides not to abandon her family for him. Heartbroken yet determined, John Grady returns to Encantada to retrieve his horses. Although he is gravely injured during the chase, he manages to escape back to Texas, where he finds his father dead and the ranch sold. Having lost his home and family, and feeling estranged from his friend Rawlins, the novel concludes with John Grady riding off into the sunset.

24 Best Western Books of All Time

Lonesome Dove

A Novel

True Grit

A Novel

The Sisters Brothers

Riders of the Purple Sage

Riders of the Purple Sage, Book 1

The Son

Hondo

A Novel

The Searchers

Little Big Man

A Novel

El Paso

A Novel

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

A Novel

Blood Meridian

Or the Evening Redness in the West

The Dark Tower I

The Gunslinger

My Ántonia

Great Plains Trilogy, Book 3

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

Little House on the Prairie

Shane

The Virginian

Close Range

Wyoming Stories

The Ox-Bow Incident

The Shootist

The Time It Never Rained

Smoky the Cowhorse

The Longhorns

Ramrod

Sources

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24 Best Western Books of All Time

Lonesome Dove

A Novel

True Grit

A Novel

The Sisters Brothers

Riders of the Purple Sage

Riders of the Purple Sage, Book 1

The Son

Hondo

A Novel

The Searchers

Little Big Man

A Novel

El Paso

A Novel

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

A Novel

Blood Meridian

Or the Evening Redness in the West

The Dark Tower I

The Gunslinger

My Ántonia

Great Plains Trilogy, Book 3

All the Pretty Horses

The Border Trilogy, Book 1

Little House on the Prairie

Shane

The Virginian

Close Range

Wyoming Stories

The Ox-Bow Incident

The Shootist

The Time It Never Rained

Smoky the Cowhorse

The Longhorns

Ramrod

Sources

What To Read Next

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