The Greatest "Adventure, Fiction, Westerns" Books Since 1980

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 300 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Genres

Adventure

The Adventure genre is characterized by stories that take readers on thrilling journeys filled with danger, excitement, and unexpected twists and turns. These books often feature brave protagonists who embark on quests, explore new territories, and face challenges that test their physical and mental limits. Adventure stories can be set in any time period or location, from ancient civilizations to futuristic worlds, and can include elements of romance, mystery, and suspense. Whether it's a treasure hunt, a survival story, or a battle against evil forces, Adventure books offer readers an escape into a world of excitement and adventure.

Fiction

Westerns

Westerns is a genre of literature that typically features stories set in the American Old West during the late 19th century. These books often include themes of adventure, conflict, and survival in a harsh and unforgiving landscape. They typically feature cowboys, gunslingers, outlaws, and lawmen, and explore the themes of justice, honor, and morality. Westerns are known for their vivid descriptions of the western landscape, the rugged individualism of their characters, and their portrayal of the American frontier as a place of both danger and opportunity.

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  1. 1. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

    The book tells the story of two retired Texas Rangers who embark on a perilous cattle drive from Texas to Montana in the 1870s. The narrative focuses on the duo's adventures and the characters they meet along the way, including a variety of outlaws, Indians, and settlers. This epic tale of the Old West explores themes of friendship, unrequited love, and the harsh realities of frontier life.

  2. 2. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

    This novel follows the journey of a young Texas cowboy who, after his grandfather's death, ventures into Mexico with his best friend in search of a life of freedom and adventure. Their journey becomes complicated when they are arrested and imprisoned, and the protagonist falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner. The book explores themes of love, loss, friendship, and the harsh realities of life.

  3. 3. The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

    "The Crossing" is a novel set in the late 1930s and early 1940s that follows a young man named Billy Parham and his brother Boyd. The story primarily revolves around their adventures in the United States and Mexico, including their encounters with a wolf, horse traders, and a Mexican outlaw. The narrative explores themes of loss, survival, and the harsh realities of life, set against the backdrop of the American West and the Mexican wilderness.

  4. 4. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt

    The book is a darkly comic, Western-inspired tale that follows the notorious sibling hitmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, as they journey through the American frontier during the 1850s Gold Rush. Tasked with killing a prospector who has allegedly stolen from their employer, the brothers grapple with a series of increasingly bizarre and violent encounters. Along the way, Eli, the more introspective of the two, begins to question their life of crime and contemplates a different future, reflecting on themes of brotherhood, redemption, and the elusive nature of the American Dream.

  5. 5. The Thousand Crimes Of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

    Set in the American West during the era of the transcontinental railroad, this novel follows the story of a Chinese-American assassin, Ming Tsu, who was forcibly taken from his homeland and trained by a crime boss. After falling in love and marrying a woman against the wishes of his boss, Ming is separated from his wife and sent to work on the railroad. He escapes and embarks on a quest for vengeance against the men who wronged him, using his lethal skills to exact justice. Along the way, he gathers a posse of outcasts, and together they navigate the harsh realities of a landscape marked by violence and racism. The narrative weaves elements of Western genre with magical realism, exploring themes of love, revenge, and the search for redemption in a lawless land.

Reading Statistics

Click the button below to see how many of these books you've read!

Download

If you're interested in downloading this list as a CSV file for use in a spreadsheet application, you can easily do so by clicking the button below. Please note that to ensure a manageable file size and faster download, the CSV will include details for only the first 500 books.

Download