100 Best Western(United States) Works of Fiction

This is one of the 743 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

San Francisco Chronicle, 100 Books

A list from the San Francisco Chronicle from 1999. 600 readers contributed to the list.

This list was originally published in 1999 and was added to this site almost 2 years ago.

View: List Grid Table

Cover of 'Angle of Repose' by Wallace Stegner

Angle of Repose

Wallace Stegner

Cover of 'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath

Cover of 'Sometimes a Great Notion' by Ken Kesey

Sometimes a Great Notion

Cover of 'The Call of the Wild' by Jack London

The Call of the Wild

Cover of 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler

The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler

Cover of 'Animal Dreams' by Barbara Kingsolver

Animal Dreams

Barbara Kingsolver

Cover of 'Death Comes for the Archbishop' by Willa Cather

Death Comes for the Archbishop

Cover of 'The Day of the Locust' by Nathanael West

The Day of the Locust

Cover of 'Blood Meridian' by Cormac McCarthy

Blood Meridian

Cormac McCarthy

Cover of 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett

The Maltese Falcon

Dashiell Hammett

Cover of 'The Ox Bow Incident' by Walter Van Tilburg Clark

The Ox Bow Incident

Walter Van Tilburg Clark

Cover of 'English Creek' by Ivan Doig

English Creek

Cover of 'Even Cowgirls Get The Blues' by Tom Robbins

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Cover of 'Snow Falling on Cedars' by David Guterson

Snow Falling on Cedars

Cover of 'On the Road' by Jack Kerouac

On the Road

Cover of 'The Joy Luck Club' by Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club

Cover of 'Lonesome Dove' by Larry McMurtry

Lonesome Dove

Cover of 'Mc Teague' by Frank Norris

Mc Teague

Cover of 'My Name Is Aram' by William Saroyan

My Name Is Aram

William Saroyan

Cover of 'A River Runs Through It' by Norman Maclean

A River Runs Through It

Cover of 'The Left Hand Of Darkness' by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Left Hand Of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

Cover of 'Coyote Waits' by Tony Hillerman

Coyote Waits

Cover of 'Play It As It Lays' by Joan Didion

Play It As It Lays

Cover of 'The Monkey Wrench Gang' by Edward Abbey

The Monkey Wrench Gang

Cover of 'Vineland' by Thomas Pynchon

Vineland

Cover of 'Earth Abides' by George Rippey Stewart

Earth Abides

George Rippey Stewart

Cover of 'Crooked Little Heart' by Anne Lamott

Crooked Little Heart

Cover of 'The Underground Man' by Ross Macdonald

The Underground Man

Cover of 'Where I'm Calling From' by Raymond Carver

Where I'm Calling From

Cover of 'Tripmaster Monkey' by Maxine Hong Kingston

Tripmaster Monkey

Maxine Hong Kingston

Cover of 'L.A. Confidential' by James Ellroy

L.A. Confidential

Cover of 'The House of the Spirits' by Isabel Allende

The House of the Spirits

Cover of 'Women in Their Beds' by Gina Berriault

Women in Their Beds

Cover of 'Rumors Of Peace' by Ella Leffland

Rumors Of Peace

Cover of 'The River Why' by David James Duncan

The River Why

David James Duncan

Cover of 'Riders of the Purple Sage' by Zane Grey

Riders of the Purple Sage

Cover of 'Shane' by Jack Schaefer

Shane

Cover of 'Stones For Ibarra' by Harriet Doerr

Stones For Ibarra

Cover of 'The Big Sky' by A. B. Guthrie

The Big Sky

Cover of 'Trout Fishing In America' by Richard Brautigan

Trout Fishing In America

Richard Brautigan

Cover of 'House Made of Dawn' by N. Scott Momaday

House Made of Dawn

N. Scott Momaday

Cover of 'The Milagro Beanfield War' by John Nichols

The Milagro Beanfield War

Cover of 'The Love Of The Last Tycoon' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Love Of The Last Tycoon

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Cover of 'Oil!' by Upton Sinclair

Oil!

Cover of 'Mariette In Ecstasy' by Ron Hansen

Mariette In Ecstasy

Cover of 'The Virginian' by Owen Wister

The Virginian

Cover of 'A Yellow Raft In Blue Water' by Michael Dorris

A Yellow Raft In Blue Water

Cover of 'Ceremony' by Leslie Marmon Silko

Ceremony

Leslie Marmon Silko

Cover of 'Hawaii' by James A. Michener

Hawaii

James A. Michener

Cover of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' by James M. Cain

The Postman Always Rings Twice

Cover of 'Mrs. Bridge' by Evan S. Connell

Mrs. Bridge

Evan S. Connell

Cover of 'The Golden Gate' by Vikram Seth

The Golden Gate

Cover of 'Stones From The River' by Ursula Hegi

Stones From The River

Cover of 'Tell Me a Riddle' by Tillie Olsen

Tell Me a Riddle

Cover of 'Rabbit Boss' by Thomas Sanchez

Rabbit Boss

Cover of 'Bless Me, Ultima' by Rudolfo Anaya

Bless Me, Ultima

Cover of 'The Man in the High Castle' by Philip K. Dick

The Man in the High Castle

Cover of 'Laughing Boy' by Oliver La Farge

Laughing Boy

Oliver La Farge

Cover of 'The Corpus Of Joe Bailey' by Oakley Hall

The Corpus Of Joe Bailey

Cover of 'Rose' by Martin Cruz Smith

Rose

Martin Cruz Smith

Cover of 'Fat City' by Leonard Gardner

Fat City

Leonard Gardner

Cover of 'Montana 1948' by Larry Watson

Montana 1948

Cover of 'Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down' by Ishmael Reed

Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down

Cover of 'Tattoo The Wicked Cross' by Floyd Salas

Tattoo The Wicked Cross

Cover of 'The Autobiography Of Miss Jane Pittman' by Ernest J. Gaines

The Autobiography Of Miss Jane Pittman

Ernest J. Gaines

Cover of 'Lying Low' by Diane Johnson

Lying Low

Cover of 'Tales of the City' by Armistead Maupin

Tales of the City

Armistead Maupin

Cover of 'Superior Women' by Alice Adams

Superior Women

Cover of 'The Field of Vision' by Wright Morris

The Field of Vision

Cover of 'Nobody's Angel' by Thomas McGuane

Nobody's Angel

Cover of 'Little Big Man' by Thomas Berger

Little Big Man

Cover of 'Budding Prospects' by T. C. Boyle

Budding Prospects

Cover of 'The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven' by Sherman Alexie

The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven

Cover of 'Angel Fire' by Ron Franscell

Angel Fire

Cover of 'Cowboys Are My Weakness' by Pam Houston

Cowboys Are My Weakness

Cover of 'Love Medicine' by Louise Erdrich

Love Medicine

Cover of 'Hondo' by Louis L'Amour

Hondo

Cover of 'Fools Crow' by James Welch

Fools Crow

Cover of 'The Vineyard' by Idwal Jones

The Vineyard

Cover of 'Fathers' by Herb Gold

Fathers

Cover of 'The Loved One' by Evelyn Waugh

The Loved One

Cover of 'Paso Por Aqui' by Eugene Manlove Rhodes

Paso Por Aqui

Eugene Manlove Rhodes

Cover of 'Mistress Of Spices' by Chitra Divakaruni

Mistress Of Spices

Chitra Divakaruni

Cover of 'Close Range' by Annie Proulx

Close Range

Cover of 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker

The Color Purple

Cover of 'Rock Springs' by Richard Ford

Rock Springs

Cover of 'A Distant Trumpet' by Paul Horgan

A Distant Trumpet

Cover of 'Tapping The Source' by Kem Nunn

Tapping The Source

Cover of 'Ask The Dust' by John Fante

Ask The Dust

Cover of 'Fup' by Jim Dodge

Fup

Cover of 'Friendly Persuasion' by Jessamyn West

Friendly Persuasion

Cover of 'The Splendid Idle Forties' by Gertrude Atherton

The Splendid Idle Forties

Gertrude Atherton

Cover of 'The Carmen Miranda Memorial Flagpole' by Gerald Rosen

The Carmen Miranda Memorial Flagpole

Cover of 'Dune' by Frank Herbert

Dune

Cover of 'The Palace Thief' by Ethan Canin

The Palace Thief

Cover of 'Confessions Of Madame Psyche' by Dorothy Bryant

Confessions Of Madame Psyche

Cover of 'Making History' by Carolyn See

Making History

Cover of 'The Living' by Annie Dillard

The Living

Cover of 'After Many A Summer Dies The Swan' by Aldous Huxley

After Many A Summer Dies The Swan

Cover of 'Johnny Got His Gun' by Dalton Trumbo

Johnny Got His Gun