In the last lesson, we hit on some strangely named genres. One in particular, Cowpunk, got me thinking about a type of novel that I know very little about: Westerns. Westerns have been a  big draw when it comes to movie making or television series’ but is the same thing true about their bookish counterparts? It hasn’t been for me, that’s for sure, though  maybe I’m just being a little too prejudice (I also wildly dislike country music!). It’s time I open up my world (and yours!) and see what’s out there; what may in fact be great literature but I’ve (we’ve?) just been too stubborn to read.

The Western novel is a relatively new form of book, considering it deals with the “New World” and the struggles incurred while North America was being settled. According to Wiki though, this type of story peaked in the 1960’s, alongside the TV versions of this theme. There are some pretty big names, even ones I recognize, that can be attributed to Western fiction: Louis L’Amour, Elmore Leonard, and Zane Grey, to name only a few.

So what elements constitute a Western? As I understand it, there are similar ideas to Frontier stories (true or tall tales alike) found within the pages of any good example. Man versus the savage nature of the new world. Man versus man, in the battle for land ownership. Man versus himself, epitomized by the lone rider that enjoys his freedom but offers his help to a damsel in distress, etc. There are Cowboys, Indians (apologies for the non-PC terminology), Gunfighters, Saloon Owners, and more. Westerns take place “most commonly between the years of 1860 and 1900”, which would coincide with the times that North America was being developed further west than the original Mayflower occupants had ever ventured.

The bad news for Western Fiction is that readership has hit an all time low. Perhaps, in our tech-based world, we’ve lost all sight of the drama or romance of taming a new land or that rugged bachelor. But, this genre won’t go down without a fight, much like its main characters, the ideals of the characters involved have mutated into movies like Star Wars, or books, like Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. And even our HEA fans can find some of the same elements in Cowboy romance novels. While I may be jumping on the band wagon (pun fully intended) a bit late with this genre, I don’t think it will ever die out.

Now, I want to know, have any of you, our lovely readers, ventured into tales of the Wild West? Was it just for school reading or did you do it voluntarily? What parts of Western Fiction do you enjoy the most (or the least)? How do our International readers feel about these types of tales?


I’m truly looking forward to seeing if I’m the only one that has had no time for this type of novel!

About Jackie

Jackie is a quirky mom, living in Ontario, Canada. She's a bookkeeper by day and a book lover by night. She also blogs at The Novel Nation and writes occasionally for Heroes and Heartbreakers.

• View all posts by Jackie →
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook