<p>Owen Wister's "The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains" is a seminal work that profoundly shaped the American Western genre. Written in 1902, this novel interweaves adventure and realism as it chronicles the life of a mysterious cowboy in the Wyoming frontier. Wister's literary style combines vivid descriptive passages with episodic storytelling, offering a rich portrayal of the rugged landscape and the complexities of frontier life. The Virgi...