Cather's fourth novel, and her third to be set in the West, My Antonia drew attention as the work of an already established writer. In The Borzoi 1920, H. L. Mencken enthusiastically called Cather extraordinary. "I know of no novel that makes the remote fold of the western farmlands more real than My Antonia and I know of none that makes them seem better worth knowing." The nucleus of subsequent discussions over who is the protagonist can be detected in early reviews. The Nation Critic declared the novel the "portrait of a woman," as did other observers; however, some reviewers thought Antonia no more important than the physical background of the story. Perhaps the best all-around contemporary estimate of My Antonia is Randolph Bourne's, who recognized in it the realist's command of material, knowledge of the countryside, and understanding of its people. He praised the "gold charm...