The Lord of Lonely Valley

by Peter B. Kyne

The Lord of Lonely Valley is a novel written by Peter B. Kyne. Set in the early 20th century, the story follows the adventures of a young man named Jim, who inherits a vast and remote ranch in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Despite the challenges of living in such an isolated and rugged environment, Jim is determined to make a success of his new life.As he struggles to establish himself as a rancher, Jim must also contend with a variety of threats, including hostile neighbors, rustlers, and a mysterious figure known only as the ""Lord of Lonely Valley."" With the help of his loyal friends and the love of a strong-willed woman, Jim battles to protect his land and his way of life.The Lord of Lonely Valley is a classic Western tale that combines action, romance, and adventure. Kyne's vivid descriptions of the harsh landscape and the characters who inhabit it bring the story to life, and his themes of perseverance, loyalty, and honor resonate with readers of all ages.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

298 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Peter Bernard Kyne was an American novelist who wrote between 1904 and 1940. Many of his works were adapted into screenplays starting in the silent era, particularly his first novel, The Three Godfathers, which was published in 1913 and proved to be a huge success. He is credited in 110 films between 1914 and 1952.

When still under 18, he lied about his age and enlisted in Company L, 14th U.S. Infantry, which served in the Philippines from 1898-1899. The Spanish-American War and the following insurrection of General Emilio Aguinaldo provided background for many of Kyne's later stories.[1] During World War I, he served as a captain in Battery A of the 144th field Artillery, known as the California Grizzlies.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My edition is a very worn hardcover published in 1932. It is cool that there is still a library checkout stamped paper on the inside (it looks there were at one time more that have been removed.) The earliest date stamped I can read is Mar. 14, 1936. I cannot find what library it was from though. : (

[Falina · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot going on here. Flowery, unnatural dialogue. Boring, unending, overly detailed discussions of the finances of a cattle ranch. Super racist depictions of Asian and Native American servants. A male protagonist who is uber-masculine but also incompetent and cries a lot. A weird plot hole in which a main character survives an assassination but then is dead anyway with no segue. And a bizarre ending:

"'Kiss me,' he pleaded. 'I'm away behind in my loving, despite all the love I've experienced today.'
'Ah Fong is peering at us through the crack in the kitchen door.'
'Who cares! All he wants is some assurance, so he can carry on. It's been a long time since I was a baby and climbed upon his knee.'
THE END"

What does that even mean?
Anyway, I gave this two stars because of the pleasure I got from anticipating writing this review as I read it. I think I've finished more bad books since joining Goodreads for this reason. Not every bad book is so bad it becomes amusing, and while I'm sure that wasn't Kyne's intent, I think it rates an extra star nonetheless.