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Reviews
Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere: A Memoir by Poe Ballantine, Cheryl Strayed
helpfulsnowman's review against another edition
4.0
This is a damn solid read.
If you're a person who uses the word "meandering" as a way of criticizing a book, then skip this one. DO READ one of Poe Ballantine's other books because he is an excellent writer you should get to know, but what I'm saying is that if you've got a problem with a story that doesn't have a very clear, linear progression, this one might not be the right choice. If you're looking for a plot-driven novel with a Scooby-Doo reveal, take a pass here.
I don't want to just address criticisms here...but I've read a few things about Ballantine being an unlikable character. This, my friends, is a criticism I'm sort of over, in general.
I don't have to like a guy or agree with him to find his story interesting. Nor do I need my "characters" (in quotes because in this case the cast is composed of actual, real people) to present themselves as fully-formed people who know what the fuck they're doing.
I don't need them to be right all the time. Because honestly, I don't see a lot of point in reading something that's about being fair to all parties involved. A voiceless, dimensionless pack of pages that tells me what happened and then how I should think about what happened. I'd prefer to hear a more one-sided account of things. I'm a grownup. I understand that this is one person's perspective, and as an empathetic human I can understand that other parties would almost certainly tell the same story differently.
I don't have to share the point of view of a narrator to enjoy a book, nor does my enjoyment of a book mean I endorse the narrator's beliefs. Guys, if I want a book where the author shares my every belief and point of view, I'll have to write the goddamn thing myself.
What needs separation is whether you don't enjoy the character, the choices made or the character's viewpoint, or if you don't like the writing.
Is it the point of view or the expression of that point of view?
Yes, a character can come off as whiny or obnoxious, or the opinions can be so skewed and bizarre or touch on an issue close to your heart, and if that happens you'll never enjoy it. Just accept it.
But if a book is well-written, you'll read it regardless. Because although you might not agree with the point of view, its presentation is beautifully done.
Or maybe you won't. I don't know. I would just encourage readers to ask themselves before criticizing a book because they "didn't like" the characters. Did you dislike them because they said and did things you wouldn't do? Or that you think are bad? Or did you dislike them because the way they presented the material just didn't cut it?
If you're a person who uses the word "meandering" as a way of criticizing a book, then skip this one. DO READ one of Poe Ballantine's other books because he is an excellent writer you should get to know, but what I'm saying is that if you've got a problem with a story that doesn't have a very clear, linear progression, this one might not be the right choice. If you're looking for a plot-driven novel with a Scooby-Doo reveal, take a pass here.
I don't want to just address criticisms here...but I've read a few things about Ballantine being an unlikable character. This, my friends, is a criticism I'm sort of over, in general.
I don't have to like a guy or agree with him to find his story interesting. Nor do I need my "characters" (in quotes because in this case the cast is composed of actual, real people) to present themselves as fully-formed people who know what the fuck they're doing.
I don't need them to be right all the time. Because honestly, I don't see a lot of point in reading something that's about being fair to all parties involved. A voiceless, dimensionless pack of pages that tells me what happened and then how I should think about what happened. I'd prefer to hear a more one-sided account of things. I'm a grownup. I understand that this is one person's perspective, and as an empathetic human I can understand that other parties would almost certainly tell the same story differently.
I don't have to share the point of view of a narrator to enjoy a book, nor does my enjoyment of a book mean I endorse the narrator's beliefs. Guys, if I want a book where the author shares my every belief and point of view, I'll have to write the goddamn thing myself.
What needs separation is whether you don't enjoy the character, the choices made or the character's viewpoint, or if you don't like the writing.
Is it the point of view or the expression of that point of view?
Yes, a character can come off as whiny or obnoxious, or the opinions can be so skewed and bizarre or touch on an issue close to your heart, and if that happens you'll never enjoy it. Just accept it.
But if a book is well-written, you'll read it regardless. Because although you might not agree with the point of view, its presentation is beautifully done.
Or maybe you won't. I don't know. I would just encourage readers to ask themselves before criticizing a book because they "didn't like" the characters. Did you dislike them because they said and did things you wouldn't do? Or that you think are bad? Or did you dislike them because the way they presented the material just didn't cut it?
dhgwilliam's review against another edition
5.0
There were very few sentences I had to stop and ponder; the writing is not dense, not academic, not prosaic. It's like thinking out loud, and Poe is inside my brain, as if I was the one thinking in the first place. I'll be searching out the movie ASAP.
leessa's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting read. Does skip around somewhat but very interesting. Homicide, at least that’s my perception, was never solved. Crime in a 5000 person small town. Pretty interesting ideas in book.
kimswhims's review against another edition
3.0
Poe Ballantine is a very entertaining writer. Somehow his style reminds me of Carl Hiaasen, and is possibly more factual, but I suspect the jury would be out on that one.
Investigating a suspicious death in a small town is certainly an original and quirky idea for a memoir.
Glad I read it but one I'd only recommend to my most quirky of friends.
Investigating a suspicious death in a small town is certainly an original and quirky idea for a memoir.
Glad I read it but one I'd only recommend to my most quirky of friends.
ivleafclover's review against another edition
5.0
Ballantine is far and away the most lyrical nonfiction writer I've ever read. Readers looking for a standard true crime book will be disappointed, but readers looking for good writing will be delighted over and over and over again.
courtney_mcallister's review against another edition
4.0
Poe Ballantine has a wonderful narrative voice, which I really enjoy. I also partially identify with his late bloomer complex and his discomfort with other people's definitions of success/stability. Although Love and Terror is a bit repetitive at times, the story of how a tragedy affects a small town is handled well. The documentary based on this book is also very good.
I think what I appreciate most about Ballantine's prose is that he doesn't set himself up as an authority on anything. He isn't a know-it-all or a patronizing expert; he's just a curious person who walks around, talks to the people who are willing to talk to him, and tries to formulate hypotheses. Along the way, he explores the inner workings of his relationships, his town, and the daily assumptions we make that are threatened by unexpected violence.
I think what I appreciate most about Ballantine's prose is that he doesn't set himself up as an authority on anything. He isn't a know-it-all or a patronizing expert; he's just a curious person who walks around, talks to the people who are willing to talk to him, and tries to formulate hypotheses. Along the way, he explores the inner workings of his relationships, his town, and the daily assumptions we make that are threatened by unexpected violence.
mattpr_co's review against another edition
5.0
I can't pinpoint why I loved this book, but I do. Ballantine's writing is warm and descriptive with just enough flourish to make you take a step back now and then to go back over a paragraph to dwell on the words.
Yes this is a story about a real tragedy, but it's mostly a story about a man and his life and his adopted home town, his wife and his son. There is no real conclusion, and it's good to know that going in. It's a very readable slice of life, and this slice winds up in 300 some pages.
Yes this is a story about a real tragedy, but it's mostly a story about a man and his life and his adopted home town, his wife and his son. There is no real conclusion, and it's good to know that going in. It's a very readable slice of life, and this slice winds up in 300 some pages.
richardwells's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine hanging with a good friend who is kind, witty, articulate, and honest. You talk about life: wives/marriage, autistic kids, friends, America, and adventures in the trades, and trenches. For this few rounds of beers you spend a good bit of time discussing the disappearance and strange death of a mutual friend. Enjoy!
h2oetry's review against another edition
4.0
Poe Ballantine has a tendency to be in the wrong place at the right time. Or the right place at the wrong time. He may have actually said that about himself, and I’m just quoting him. If you see his name in a byline, read it.
After facing the financial travails that is modern-day authorship, Ballantine found himself in the panhandle of Nebraska in a little town, Chadron. A few scattered thousand populate the town, and Ballantine brought his wife, whom he courted in her native Mexico. They had a child together, Tom, thought by many to be autistic. Tom is a delightful companion throughout the memoir. His curiosity and imaginative demeanor provide an ease from the slowly-building tensions in Chadron.
Ballantine’s jobs and lack thereof present him with ample opportunity to mingle with the oddball populace. Four books behind him and looking ahead, his publisher(and her detective fiance) fly out to scope out book opportunities. She suggests a graphic novel centered on the town folk, or a quirky cookbook, to capitalize on his skills as a short-order cook. Dead-end ideas abound till Chadron is confronted with a terror(amplified when given the small town dynamics). A math professor ends up missing, only to be found ninety-five days later burned to death.
I will deviate from the plot-review here. In the small town, nearly everyone knows everyone, and the intrigue and suspicion is on high alert -- Ballantine floats among the major parties looking to solve the crime. But that suspicion runs deep and finds conflicts with trust, truth, and tension.
Ballantine is a perfect writer to capture a city shook; his sturdy journalistic unwillingness to cave to theories and pressure from friends or enemies is admirable. I count this among the finer true crime tales such as Dave Cullen’s ‘Columbine’ or Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood.’
After facing the financial travails that is modern-day authorship, Ballantine found himself in the panhandle of Nebraska in a little town, Chadron. A few scattered thousand populate the town, and Ballantine brought his wife, whom he courted in her native Mexico. They had a child together, Tom, thought by many to be autistic. Tom is a delightful companion throughout the memoir. His curiosity and imaginative demeanor provide an ease from the slowly-building tensions in Chadron.
Ballantine’s jobs and lack thereof present him with ample opportunity to mingle with the oddball populace. Four books behind him and looking ahead, his publisher(and her detective fiance) fly out to scope out book opportunities. She suggests a graphic novel centered on the town folk, or a quirky cookbook, to capitalize on his skills as a short-order cook. Dead-end ideas abound till Chadron is confronted with a terror(amplified when given the small town dynamics). A math professor ends up missing, only to be found ninety-five days later burned to death.
I will deviate from the plot-review here. In the small town, nearly everyone knows everyone, and the intrigue and suspicion is on high alert -- Ballantine floats among the major parties looking to solve the crime. But that suspicion runs deep and finds conflicts with trust, truth, and tension.
Ballantine is a perfect writer to capture a city shook; his sturdy journalistic unwillingness to cave to theories and pressure from friends or enemies is admirable. I count this among the finer true crime tales such as Dave Cullen’s ‘Columbine’ or Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood.’