Ten Favorite Western Novels
(a sort of companion to my list of favorite Western movies, and in order of preference)
West by Carys Davies
True Grit by Charles Portis
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
The Horse by Willy Vlautin
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
The Grass Dancer by Susan Power
Half an Inch of Water by Percival Everett *
Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams
Prayers for the Dead by Dennis Vannatta *
* story collections
— April 8, 2026