One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard the Final Years
by Novalyne Price Ellis
Book Summary Information
Author: Novalyne Price EllisEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1986-09
ISBN: 093798678X
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Donald M Grant
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780937986783
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
Book Reviews of One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard the Final Years
Book Review: R E Howard the true (love) story
Summary: 4 Stars
Novalyne-Price Ellis's account goes beyond genre-interest, telling an honest, unadorned tale that elevates the history of Conan creator Howard to an archetypal level: Howard stands almost completely for the writer-loner-eccentric stereotype that we still find so compelling. He is the man poor-informed people think of when they think of a writer; sensitive, removed from the world. Novalyne is impressed, even star-struck. Howard displays ingeniuos naivety and turns up for a date in ankle-length trousers, never suspecting that Novalyne expected to be accompanied by a well-dressed man to see a show. Instead Howsrd drives around the countryside of Texas, and almost every date after that follows the same pattern - Howard "shoots his mouth off" while driving around with no destination in mind, and Novalyne is by turns impressed and disappointed. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating relationship. Neither Novalyne nor the reader is sure of Howard's true feelings, and Novalyne's position is so honestly told that it is intimate and insightful. It emerges that Howard, the Cross-Plains writer who corresponds with august pen-pals far from beyond the town's insular borders, understands less about human nature than farm-bred Novalyne. Nevertheless, Novalyne recognises a superior writer, and the lonely, shielded Howard, pointing out himself that stories are about people, has all the natural talent.The story stands up as a true love story - there is no false note, no attempt to pull on the heart-strings. Novalyne shares Howard's sensitivity, but rallies her feelings and chooses a practical approach. She is hard-headed and ambitious, taking the society that Howard holds at arms length on her own terms and still finding success. It is a story of that often masculinised entity that politically-aware male writers term "the strong woman," but she is a wholly real woman, taking on pre-feminist Texas and winning.
Howard has been called a misogynist and a racist, and Novalyne Price-Eliss was moved to publish her diaries in order to set the record about Howard right. It becomes apparent that the most notorious of Howard's views were dependent on his moods. A true bigot, of course, is stubborn about such things. Howard exclaims that it was a poor day when women got the vote, and continues to support Novalyne against the male-dominated educational system. He has nothing good to say about ameri-indians, until she encourages him to think about their grievences. He could be popmous to a fault when what he called the Black Irish Mood was on him, but Novalyne shows an ambivalent and mysterious man who should not be reduced to a crude labelling by writers who, when giving pot-biographies, parrot the mistakes of the past. From Novalyne Price-Eliss's first-hand accounts you get an impression of a man who could fiercely defend his views when on the spot, but then become introspective and remorseful when his temper had cooled. Howard felt so intensely that his relationship to Novalyne, his view of society, his attitude to the whole world, rose and fell on the tempest of his moods. Howard, a loner by nature, wore his impassioned opinions like a knight going into the world shielded by his armour.
Novalyne's plain approach, based upon diaries written at the time, manages to become a psychological study merely by reporting on what Howard said and what he did. Much of the book repeats the overly-familiar setting of Howard's car, and consists of Howard's dialogues, but he always has something to say that interests and compels - often because of what it may or may not be revealing about Howard's enigmatic inner world. But Howard is not the only interest. The relationship between Howard and Novalyne never goes further than a kiss, but is more honest, moving and intriguing than any formula romance. Novalyne herself becomes a heroine, but one firmly rooted in the real world.
The film reduces the complexity of her book, portraying Howard as a savant yokel, and suffering for the lack of Novalyne's asute observations. But it caused me to search for the book, which I found had much more to say about Howard, relationships between men and women, and Novalyne herself.
Biographies & Memoirs Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Selected biographies of Fantasy & Science-Fiction Writers
James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldonby Julie Phillips
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2006-08-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.44
Price in other shops:
Dreamer of Dune: The Biography of Frank Herbertby Brian Herbert
Tor Books; Published: 2003-04-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops:
Imprisoned in a Tesseract: The Life and Work of James Blishby David Ketterer
Kent State Univ Pr; Published: 1987-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.50
Price in other shops:
Into the Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Knealeby Andy Murray
Critical Vision; Published: 2005-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.79
Price in other shops:
Cave of a Thousand Tales: The Life and Times of Pulp Author Hugh B. Caveby Milt Thomas
Arkham House Publishers; Published: 2004-06-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $29.50
Price in other shops:
L. Frank Baum: Creator Of Ozby Katharine M. Rogers
Da Capo Press; Published: 2003-10-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.74
Price in other shops:
Long Memories: Recollections of Frank Belknap Longby Peter Cannon
BFS Publications; Published: 1997-12; Paperback; Book
One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard the Final Yearsby Novalyne Price Ellis
Donald M Grant; Published: 1986-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $20.00
Price in other shops:
The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradburyby Sam Weller
William Morrow; Published: 2005-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.29
Price in other shops:
The Devils of His Own Creation: The Life and Work of Richard Mathesonby Terry Brejla
Writers Club Press; Published: 2002-02; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands (Best of Robert E Howard)by Robert E. Howard
Del Rey; Published: 2007-11-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.91
Price in other shops:
A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard (TWO VOLUME SET)by H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard
Hippocampus Press; Published: 2009-09-18; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $100.00
Price in other shops:
Kull: Exile of Atlantisby Robert E. Howard
Del Rey; Published: 2006-10-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.85
Price in other shops:
The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 1: Crimson Shadows (Best of Robert E Howard)by Robert E. Howard
Del Rey; Published: 2007-08-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops:
The Savage Tales of Solomon Kaneby Robert E. Howard
Del Rey; Published: 2004-06-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.24
Price in other shops:
The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howardby Robert E. Howard
Del Rey; Published: 2008-10-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.89
Price in other shops:
The Complete Chronicles of Conanby Robert E. Howard
Gollancz; Published: 2009-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $23.80
Price in other shops:
Two-Gun Bob: A Centennial Study of Robert E. HowardHippocampus Press; Published: 2006-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.07
Price in other shops:
Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howardby Mark Finn
MonkeyBrain Books; Published: 2006-12-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops:
The Whole Wide WorldSony; Release date: 2003-07-29; DVD
Best price: $3.62
Price in other shops: