The Daltons Redeem Themselves by René Goscinny

Why read the book?

Joe, William, Jack and Averell Dalton stage a show of good behaviour and persuade the authorities to set them free on probation. To redeem themselves they must perform good deeds, and Lucky Luke, with Rantanplan trailing behind, is assigned to keep an eye on them.

The comedy comes from the gap between the brothers' pretended reform and their thieving instincts. Joe seethes at every honest task, dim Averell only wants to eat, and Luke watches the charade slowly collapse as old habits win out.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The Daltons are the heart of this one, and the running joke of forced virtue is a rich seam. Joe's fury and Averell's appetite power most of the gags, with Rantanplan adding hapless chaos.

Goscinny mines the irony of crooks pretending to be saints, and the result is one of the warmer Dalton outings.

Key Takeaway

A delightful study of bad men trying, and failing, to be good.

Enjoyed this post?

Well, you could share the post with others, follow me with RSS Feeds and/or send me a comment via email.

Tags