Author Topic: Book Club: Discuss/find out about a Classic Tale Set in Wyoming: The Virginian  (Read 50380 times)

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: Discussion of The Virginian
« Reply #30 on: December 17, 2006, 11:27:52 am »
That's great to read of your annotated version, Meryl. Please share more of those notes with us. Those B&N Classics are on sale now I believe. My copy is a Pocket West in the dime novel tradition, a book that could fit into my jacket pocket just like the books that the schoolmistress gives to The Virginian (just a hint for later!!) I bought it for 10 cents at the Casper, Wyoming, library during their literary festival in October. And, best of all, it has a photo of The Virginian right on the front (tho you can hardly see it since the book is so well used). So it's not difficult for me to visualize The Virginian. He looks much like Jack, with a tan cowboy hat, a grave expression, a red kerchief tied around his neck, thumbs hooked in his belt, a white shirt, and a brown leather vest.

In personality, however, I think TV is more like Ennis. I imagine him being rather reticent and having the maddening (for the narrator) habit of calling people "suh." I agree with you that the author overemphasizes TV's southern accent. But apparently this is done for a reason. John Nesbitt says that TV is depicted as a southern gentleman in the style of Thomas Jefferson, who was the "first Virginian." In fact, Nesbitt points out that "the man with no name" is actually referred to by name once in the story, and that name is Jeff (I'm still hoping to entice Jeff Wrangler over here eventually because of that!)

Let's hope as the story goes on that the writing style will become more fluent. I see a change even in the early chapters whenever the author talks about TV who is plainly his, and our, favorite character.
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Re: Book Club: Discussion of The Virginian
« Reply #31 on: December 17, 2006, 12:52:06 pm »
Buck and Muggins are the two horses that carry TV, the narrator, and his luggage on the journey to Judge Henry's ranch. Buck is aptly named, a low-startle-point horse, and suddenly decides to go AWOL, taking Muggins with him. The ensuing rampage, just one page long in Chapter 4, is described with all the skill of a sports announcer, but the dialogue adds the icing on the cake. This episode helps advance the narrator's urge to be more familiar with who he calls "the trustworthy man" and for a little while TV drops the "suh."

Quote
"...but when the humor seized a bronco, he had to have his spree. Buck would now behave himself as a horse should for probably two months. 'They are just like humans,' the Virginian concluded."

BTW, Meryl, the narrator does use a rather self-conscious, prim style, especially in the beginning, which everybody notices and earns him the designation of "Prince of Wales" (along with his dress). The contrast of the talkative, friendly PW with the reticent, respectful TV reminds me a little of the Ennis/Jack combination.
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Re: Book Club: Discussion of The Virginian
« Reply #32 on: December 17, 2006, 02:11:36 pm »
I would like to move along to Chapters 5 and 6 shortly! Calling all last comments about Chapter 4!
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Re: Book Club: Discussion of chapters 5-7 coming up
« Reply #33 on: December 17, 2006, 03:33:25 pm »
We interupt this birthday celebration with Kelda to let you know that we are going to discuss the Virginian shortly, including chapters 5, 6, and 7.
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Re: Book Club: The Virginian, Chapter 5
« Reply #34 on: December 17, 2006, 04:18:01 pm »
In Chapter Five, Enter the Woman, we first hear of the schoolteacher who may come to Bear Creek from Bennington, Vermont. I find it interesting that the author is setting up a meeting between a Virginian and a Vermonter. She has written a letter to one of the residents about the position of schoolteacher, and TV first gets to meet Miss Mary Stark Wood through her words. It is clear that he is touched by hearing them.

Traveling on the last leg of their journey, the narrator and TV finally arrive at Judge Henry’s ranch at Sunk Creek. Their friendship that was borne of their mutual survival of the horses’ revolt now retreats again, and the narrator is sorry: “Our common peril during the runaway of Buck and Muggins had brought us to a familiarity that I hoped was destined to last.” Fortunately, in Chapter 6, a personage will intervene to bring the narrator and TV together again.

« Last Edit: January 03, 2007, 02:14:44 pm by Front-Ranger »
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Re: Book Club: The Virginian, Chapter 6
« Reply #35 on: December 17, 2006, 04:44:06 pm »
Chapter 6: Em’ly
This is my favorite chapter so far in the book. It begins with a description of the ranch, which sounds like a delightful place. There is also an amusing account of the ways that the narrator (who I sometimes call the Prince of Wales, but who now goes by the nickname Tenderfoot) amuses himself on the ranch, first by trying to build a better chicken house, and then by wandering around trying to hunt. He proves to be so inept, and so fast at getting himself lost, that the Judge has to appoint someone to wander around after him so that he won’t get hopelessly lost or shoot himself. And who is the appointed babysitter? You guessed it, our “trustworthy man” the Virginian.

Quote
“For though utterly a man in countenance and in his self-possession and incapacity to be put at a loss, he was still boyishly proud of his wild calling, and wore his leathern chaps and jingled his spurs with obvious pleasure. His tiger limberness and his beauty were rich with unabated youth; and that force which lurked beneath his surface must often have curbed his intolerance of me.” (page 49 of the Pocket West version)

Thus the Tenderfoot describes TV. These clearly are the words of a man in love, are they not? Truly, it’s so easy to fall in love when the beloved is so beautiful, the environs are so wild and free, and the pair is so often thrown together. I know that in my case, I would be eager to grab my gun and wander off every morning knowing that TV would be accompanying me!
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Re: Book Club: The Virginian, Chapter 6
« Reply #36 on: December 17, 2006, 04:58:38 pm »
So who is this Emily, and how does she bring Tenderfoot and the Virginian together? I don't want to add too many spoilers but, then again, I don't want to stop the momentum! What momentum you say? Well, you may have a point there. Here's your funny FRiend Front-Ranger cooped up in FRont of the Fire while everybody else is out Xmas shopping. But all of you avid readers know what it's like when a story starts to get rolling, and takes hold of your imagination...I'll wait a little while more before introducing Em'ly to you, so everybody get caught up now!!

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Some possible photos of The Virginian. First, thanks to Sheriff Roland, moderator of this site, for supplying this photo:



And here is James Drury, who played the Virginian on TV:



And here is my favorite candidate!

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Continuing with Chapter Six: Who is the mysterious Em'ly and how does she bring the narrator and the Virginian together??

These questions will be answered today!!
"chewing gum and duct tape"

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I will keep you on tenterhooks no longer: Em'ly is none other than a hen. A rather deranged hen, who is determined to set on any egg-like objects she can find even though she never lays any eggs (or aiggs) herself. We first meet Em'ly when the narrator kicks her, for the third time, off an assemblage of potatoes that she has rolled together to form a nest. The Virginian saunters in and starts a conversation with our Tenderfoot narrator. More than his feet are tender on this day. Our narrator is nursing a bruised ego, caused when he overheard TV telling the guys in the bunkhouse about one of their most recent and embarassing escapades. TF was so intent on bagging a couple of ducks that he actually jumped in the water after them, and emerged covered with mud. TV informed him then that the ducks were divers, and so not worth eating. Perhaps we can call on Meryl, or one of you duck hunters out there, for more explanation of why diving ducks make poor eating.
"chewing gum and duct tape"