Book Review: Over on the Dry Side

Title: Over on the Dry Side

Author: Louis L’Amour

Publisher: Bantam

Date: 1975

ISBN: 0-553-10742-9

Length: 184 pages

Quote: “Why Pa ever took a notion of stopping on that old Chantry place I never did know.”

Louis L’Amour was known for straightforward adventure stories told in the third person, mostly from one man’s point of view. This time, however, he experimented with having part of the story narrated in first person by young Doby Kernohan, who is squatting with his father on the abandoned Chantry ranch when Owen Chantry returns to it. Owen’s brother might or might not have found treasure; he was murdered for it but the gang who killed him never found the treasure, so, hearing that Owen is back in the neighborhood, they return to force Owen to lead them to the treasure. Even a hero like Owen Chantry wouldn’t be able to fight off the whole Mowatt gang alone so it’s lucky for him that Kernohan senior is loyal and grateful and that Doby is yearning to be a hero. But will the treasure for which Clive Chantry died turn out to be only his partial collection of the classics of English literature?

It's another Western adventure story, with a part for just one actress, talent optional. Doby dreams of rescuing a pretty girl, and in the course of this adventure he gets to rescue Marny—right after she’s rescued him. Doby is too young to marry anybody Marny is not, so no points for guessing how her role in the story ends.

But, like most of Louis L’Amour’s novels, it’d make a great “western” movie, with lots of scenery and horses in it, too many gun fights for some tastes, but mercifully little kissing.