Reilly's Luck

by Louis L'Amour

Book Overview

As part of the Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures series, this edition contains exclusive bonus materials Val Darrant was just four years old the snowy night his mother abandoned him. But instead of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553135899
• ISBN13: 9780553135893
• Release Date: January 1979
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Lost Boy

Abandoned children in the west is an old truth. Val Durant is left to freeze on a dreadful winter night, but his mother's man take him to a gambling man, Will Reilly. Reilly travels the west and soon notices a string of good luck at the tables that has now logical explanation. He shelters Val, hide him and teaches him to survive in a harsh land. Along the way Val learns self-sufficiency and ekes out a living when Will is cut down in a gun fight. Val's search for the killers covers years, but along the way he meets and makes many friends until he finds his true home in the West of his birth. Read and enjoy. Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarGuns Across the Rio: A Texas Ranger in Old MexicoQualifying Laps: A Brewster County Novel

Most of the elements of a classic Western

This story starts off with a young boy, Val Darrant, being abandoned by his mother. Val ends up being cared for by Will Reilly who is a gambler and travels a lot. The first quarter of the book is about adventures that Will and Val have. They have to deal with outlaws, they fight off Indians, and they travel to Europe. All along the way Will is constantly teaching Val important lessons of life. Will starts teaching Val, at four years old, how to shuffle cards. Val is encouraged to study men and observe what is happening. It seems like on almost every page Will teaches Val about something, how to fight, how to think, how to be kind to people, but also the need to be careful about trusting people. Unfortunately Will is ambushed by three men and killed while Val is still a teenager. But Val has learned many important lessons from Will. The next part of the book is about Val growing up. He has some money and is able to invest the money in a couple ventures. He has some adventures along the way. Val kills one of Will's murderers. He goes back East to get an education. The story then jumps forward a couple years, and the last part of the book pulls together many of the threads. Val finally meets his mother, who is again trying to have him killed. Val kills the last two of Will's murderers. And Val financially destroys the man who hired the murderers. This book has some many of the classic western themes, like gambling, fighting, love, and so on. There is lots of different types of fighting, for example with knifes, with fists, and with guns. There is both a tragic love interest, and a successful love interest. One of the reasons this is such a powerful story is it is a story about Will's legacy. Up until Val, Will had just been drifting through life, but after raising Val for ten years, Will has made a difference. Will's contributions to the world last beyond his death. This is one of Louis L'Amour's best. If you like a good western, this is good one to start with.

A Hopeless Kid Makes Good

This story is titled for the secondary character. It is a little unusual for Louis L'Amour to give the title to someone other than the main character, but it works really well in this book. The real character is a young boy who was born into a terrible situation. Things looked hopeless for him when he was abandoned by his cold and heartless mother. Good fortune smiled upon him when he found his new care taker to be a gambling man with savvy and character. Will Reilly raised him right and taught him the secrets he would need to be a successful man. After a terrible killing, Val finds himself wanting revenge. Slowly and surely it will come in it's own time. When it does, it finds that a hopeless boy has grown into a good man who is well capable of settling all of the issues at hand. Facing a cold hearted mother after all those years would be enough to upset anyone, but you'll have to read the book to find out how he handles it.

Grow up in the Wild West with Val Darrant

I actually avoided reading this book for quite a while because I didn't like the name! But as it turned out later the book is easily one of L'amour's best westerns. It is one of those rare books which has a fine balance of adventure, action, romance and sentiment. Very, very enjoyable read!

L'Amour's best of the 1970s

Reilly's Luck is one of L'Amour's longest books of the period, and is the best. Read it. You will enjoy the story of Val Darrant as you watch him grow up throughout the book. Will Reilly is also one of my favorite L'Amour characters, and one of the most complex.