Customer Reviews

Passin' Through: A Novel

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I have read more than 30 Louis L'Amour books and I rank this one in the top 5. It is a bit more involved than most, combining the western story with a mystery plot. And as always, I love to read the descriptions of the landscape and the people of the South West. Life is full of choices but you could do worse than chosing to spend an evening with "Passin' Through"

For those who think that the western genre is low, I strongly invite them to read this book. The surprise is at the appointment. I acquired this book in 1986, in Miami at a Greyhound stage, having nothing to read. What flash did strike my guts when I started the reading! The pages turned themselves. The story is exciting. The characters lived right out from this mythical Farwest. What talent the Louis L'Amour to sustain its exciting stories! Thank you Mister L'Amour !

A man who came to be called, Passin' Through escapes from a lynching on a horse that nobody wants, a horse named Robin, known as "The Death Horse" , with the skull and crossbone brand, because all who owned or rode him died soon after. Not being superstisious Passin' comes to like the horse, for Robin is, after all, a good horse. A special relationship developes between man and horse but when Robin takes Passin' to a ranch where two ex-actresses live, he rides straight into trouble and a mystery he has to solve, even though his sences tell him It's none of his business. After all, he was just passin' through. I found this to be a good and entertaining novel, my biggest regret being that Robin, "The Death Horse" did not have a bigger part in the story. It's still a well above avarage Louis L'Amour novel, and well worth it.

Here's a good afternoon read that involves mystery, intrigue, and adventure. Passin' Through is a high country dweller with intentions to stay out of the way of people. Unfortunately, Mr. Passin can't seem to do so.

This is the classic L'AMOUR with an interesting difference. Passin' is very earthy, I mean, he is really backwoods. As much as the Sackets are backwoods Tennessee folk they still have a general refinement about them. This Passin' character jumps off the pages of the book as a generally simple guy. Like many L'Amour characters, he exhibits great humility. Unlike other characters, he seems not to put all of the pieces together.

Various clues are dropped here and there throughout the story. Passin' seems impervious to many of them. It's nice to see a character that reminds me of me and not as 'Sherlock' as some of the author's others.

I like Passin' through! He's vulnerable and gets hurt easily. He's not always at the top of his game; so like I said, he's more like all of the rest of us and what great fun that is as he struggles to keep Murphy's Law from overriding the day.

The time period of this book is the year 1881 and as the main character, 'Mr. Passin' states: "The west was growing up and no longer liked the old wild cowboy reputation."

The locale of the story is the four corners areas of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, with the bulk of the story focused in Colorado in the La Plata Mountains highlighting Parrott City, while Parrott City no longer exists, early on the town owed it existence to the mining activity on Madden Peak in the lovely La Plata Mountains with their 13,000 feet peaks, a country holding spruce, ponderosa pine and aspen trees. The La Plata River as well as several others all have branches that begin in this area.

Our fictional hero is a man called 'Passin' Through', that's all, no more, no less, and that is his original thought when entering the area, passing through. His real name is never given, though we are told the year is 1881, and Mr. Passin' is approximately 28 years old. We are also told that he has found gold in a mountain pocket but has taken only $1200 dollars out with which to use in seeing the surrounding country. In that attempt he comes afoul of many criminal activities in the area of Parrott City and Animas. Mr. Passin' sees himself as a peace loving man, yet trouble in the way of gunfighters, back shooters, Pinkerton agents, poisoning women, legal battles, and a roan horse with a skull and cross brand branded on it, all come together to form a plot of varying interest.

This book was released late in Louis L'Amour's career, with him having less than 3 years left to live. In those later years and books such as ONE TO RIDE THE RIVER WITH, THE LAST OF THE BREED, and PASSIN THROUGH, became not only 'watch words' for L'Amour the writer in other books, but became titles for the later books he wrote. Small wonder that this book then carries such a title as it does from one of his oft used phrases, yet this is a very good book with a passel of interesting people 'passin through' it.

Though one of the female charaters here is named Matty Higgins of the Clinch Mountain Higgins, ardent foes of the Sackett family back in Tennessee, this book was never listed by Louis in his book THE SACKETT COMPANION as a true Sackett book.

All fans of the late Louis L'Amour will read and should find enjoyment in this book, one of the final books from him; others such as MILO TALON, THE MAN FROM THE BROKEN HILLS, and several others all offer the mature Louis L'Amour at his very best. Had he been given more time on earth, I truly believe his future books would have contained even greater dimension and depth, further adding to his already legendary reputation as a solid western story author. Story telling just does not come any better than a book from the mature Louis L'Amour.

Semper Fi.

The time of this October, 1985, western novel is 1881 and as the main character, Mr. Passin', states: "The west was growing up and they no longer liked the old wild cowboy reputation.".

The locale of the story is the four corners areas of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, with the bulk of the story focused on Colorado in the La Plata Mountains highlighting Parrott City which once existed between the La Platas and Mesa Verde. As Mr. L'Amour explains, Parrott City no longer exists, but early on owed its existence to the mining activity on Madden Peak in the lovely La Plata Mountains; with their 13,000 feet peaks, holding high country spruce, ponderosa pine, and aspen trees. The La Plata river as well as several others of small branches also begin here.

Our fictional hero is a man called 'Passin' Through', that's all, nothing more nor less. His real name is never given, though we are told the year is 1881 and that Mr. Passin' is approximately 28 years of age. We are also told that he has found gold in a mountain pocket and that he has taken out only $1200 dollars with which to use in seeing some of the country. In that attempt he comes afoul of many activities of both Parrott City and Animas.

Mr. Passin' see himself as a peace loving man, yet trouble in the form of gunfighters, back shooters, Pinkerton agents, poisoning women, pretty women, legal battles, or a roan horse with a skull and cross bones branded on it, all fit together to form a plot of varying interest.

This book was released late in Louis L'Amour's career, with him having less than three years left to live. In those later years and books, phrases such as 'with the bark on', 'one to ride the river with', 'the last of the breed', and 'passin' through, became common watchwords in his writing. Small wonder that this book carries a title from one of those frequently used phrases, yet this is a very good book with a passel of interesing people. And though the book suffers from somewhat of an brupt ending, the book remains a very satisfying read.

Though one of the female characters here is named Matty Higgins of the Clinch Mountain Higgins, a foe of the Sackett's in Tennesse, this is not a Sackett book. In another later release from L'Amour, one he was editing a few hours before his death, THE SACKETT COMPANION, this book is never listed by him as a Sackett book.

All true fans of the late Louis L'Amour will read and enjoy this book. PASSIN' THROUGH, as well as MILO TALON, THE MAN FROM THE BROKEN HILLS, and a few others, all offering Louis L'Amour writing at his mature best. Had he been given more time, I truly believe his future books would have contained even greater dimension, one adding to his already legendary, reputation for solid western story telling. Story telling just does not come any better than a book from Louis L'Amour.

Semper Fi.

If you like the Sackett novels, and anyone reading this will be a fan, then you will like this novel for sure. The main character never gives his name in the book, but enough clues are in there (especially at the end) that everyone should recognize the main character as a Sackett. At any rate, this is a good one and should be on everyone's list.