One Who Walked Alone – Robert E. Howard: The Final Years

by Novalyne Price Ellis

Robert E. Howard killed himself on June 11, 1936. He was thirty years of age. Because of his talent and because of the sheer bulk of his writing - achieved in so short a period of time - Howard has attracted a contemporary following that is devoted to his bigger-than-life characters: Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Breckinridge Elkins...

For the first time, information is available that provides a close observance of the man himself during his final years.
Novalyne Price and Robert E. Howard spent hours riding over the central Texas countryside, and Howard talked enthusiastically and at length about the characters he created, his dreams of the future, his interest in history, and his belief that he had lived other lives.

Novalyne Price, the one girl whom he dated, kept journals, diaries, and wrote short story-like essays of the conversations she had with Robert E. Howard and other members of the Cross Plains community. When Howard died, she held on to the journals, thinking that someday she would write about him. One Who Walked Alone is the culmination of that dream.

Here is an astonishing and remarkable link with the past! Novalyne Price Ellis has written of Robert E. Howard as she knew him. This is not a second hand account.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Writing, History, Sword and Sorcery, Autobiography

317 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1986

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book so I had to give it five stars. In fact, I bawled my eyes out at the end, which pretty much never happens with me and books. Jason had to help calm me down at two in the morning. (Thanks, Jason:)

It's a non-fiction account of the time that Novalyne Price spent with her then boyfriend Robert E. Howard (the great sword and sorcery writer who wrote 'Conan the Barbarian' among many others). Novalyn has a great nack for keeping you in the moment and it's fascninating to read because it's all real and takes place in the mid-1930's. She kept a journal of conversations and things so that she could practice writing because she really wanted to be a writer. Which is why she hooked up with Howard. He was already selling alot of stuff when they met. But at the time, she was a school teacher.

But I think the thing that really gets to me about this book was reading about what Bob Howard was like because he suffered from some serious depression his entire life. He was a brilliant man and Novalyne was one of the few people who recognized this and I'm so glad she chronicled his life the way she did. Otherwise people might latch on to the popular opinion that he was crazy. (Which he wasn't. Eccentric, yes, but not crazy.)

There was a movie made about this book back in 1996 starring Renee Zellweger and Vincent D'Onofrio which is a really well made, good film, but I think Vincent's portrayal of Howard makes him out to seem kinda crazy, which he really wasn't, as I just said. But he put in a great performance nonetheless. The book explains him really well and I felt like I could really relate to him since I have suffered from depression my entire life as well. I guess that's why I cried so much at the end - because he did end up shooting himself after he and Novalyne broke up and his mother (whom he was extremely close to) was dying. He was only 30 years old. It's a very, very sad story, but I'm telling you I could NOT put the thing down! So interesting and realistic. I feel like I know Robert E. Howard now, and I wish that I could meet him. I've started reading some of his work, now, too. He's amazing. He really transports you to other worlds. I'm so glad my husband recommended this book to me.

I've heard now that this book is kind of rare and hard to get a copy of. But I got it off Amazon.

For those of you with weak ears, watch out because Howard swears alot. No F-bombs or anything. But alot of swearing, which I, personally am not used to.

[Jason Waltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I am certain artistic authorial writing occurs, there is no other book like this nor will there ever be. It is the closest we will get to the actual living of life Robert Howard did. So there is nothing to compare this to, and for that I will give it five stars.


It was a difficult book for me to read though, as evidenced by the length of time it took, because I sorrowed as I read it. It was as close to walking in gigantic shoes and seeing life and putting voice - most likely inaccurate - to a fleeting light upon life's stage as I can imagine I'll ever be, and while unbridled passions pulsed from many pages, their heartbeat grew fainter as the pages yet to read grew thinner. There were times I did not like the narrator much, whilst still appreciating her narration. Other times I empathized with her while decrying the authorial censuring that omitted what I wanted to find.

I did greatly appreciate, even cherish, the last 25-30 pages or so. They actually seemed to share the most internal look within Robert than all the rest. Again, there'll be no other book like this; closest are those containing his letter exchanges. I don't really think I could read another such if there were. Sentimental fool I am.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but toward the end, the author began to aggravate me. This is a nonfiction work written by Novalyne Price Ellis who befriended and dated the author Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian, Solomon Kane, he is the father of the Sword and Sorcery genre). The book is taken directly from her journals (or diary as it were). She writes about the town of Cross Plains, Texas, the people in the town and her relationship with Robert E. Howard.

The thing I like most about the book is its insight into one of my favorite authors. Of course, she is describing Robert E. Howard from a perspective of a potential boyfriend and not from a critical literary point of view. Nonetheless, she does detail his personality, mannerisms, and his overall demeanor as a person. Howard was an intellectual introvert in a tiny Central West Texas town. This in itself is a bad combination. The people in Cross Plains neither appreciated Howard as a writer, nor as a person, and Howard reacted to their attitude.

Ellis describes her relationship with Howard, their long drives, discussions about various things, arguments they had about writing, politics, civilization, etc. All this I found interesting. Where she began to aggravate me was in the fact that she tried to change Howard. To make him "fit in" to the standard ideal of a "Cross Plains" type person. Kudos for her honesty, but if she genuinely did try to do this (as she describes that she did), she was a bit naive and probably did not understand the man.

If you have an interest in Robert E. Howard, Pulp Fiction, Fantasy novels, and/or the Sword and Sorcery genre, you should find this book interesting.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novalyne Price Ellis's remembrances of Robert E. Howard are presented as excerpts from her journals of the period. They show, bumps and flaws included, her stormy relationship with the man she knew as Bob Howard. The story that unfolds here through her eyes shows that Howard's life was at least as interesting, dramatic, and deeply moving as anything he set down on his typewriter.

This is more than just a memory of Robert E. Howard, though. Novalyne Price Ellis's life was fascinating in its own right, and I found myself at times sympathizing deeply for her, and at times frustrated with her inability to understand Howard. I felt moved by her rebellion against society, and yet saddened that she couldn't see past Howard's own inability to fit in with the people around him. In other words, I was swept up in her thoughts, in her life, and in the time period in which these events unfold.

The events herein are by turns and sometimes all at once funny, touching, heartbreaking, and uplifting. We also get a fantastic insight into Howard's mindset as a writer, as well as writing advice from the greatest pulp writer ever.

My only complaint about this book is that my edition has a picture of Renee Zellweger instead of Novalyne Price Ellis or Robert E. Howard on the cover. On the other hand, the film The Whole Wide World does a wonderful job with the source material, and (perhaps even more importantly) provided a reason to re-issue this out of print book (which is again out of print, according to my resources) and landed me a copy of it.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good look at Reobert E. Howard in his last few years, and a good look at his times as well. This is the basis for the excellent movie "The Whole Wide World."

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who talks books and writing with me learns that I am a fan of Robert E. Howard. My brothers introduced him to me when I was young, and I read him for the first time in my early teens. Although I am not sure if I can call him my favorite author, he is probably the most influential. I think of him as a mentor.
I learned that a book had been written about him by someone who personally knew him a few years ago on the internet. Since then I have seen the movie based upon it (The Whole Wide World), and read many excerpts.
Amanda gave me a copy of this book (I have now learned it is fairly rare) for Christmas, and I didn’t wait to dig in. This was the story of my mentor, after all.

5 Characters
Excellent
This is a nonfiction book, but the author still does an excellent job of conveying the characters to the readers. I felt like I knew both Bob and Novalyne while reading this. I’ve always felt like I’ve known him, but this book brought me closer to him than ever. For the first time he seems kind of normal, and isn’t such a maniac that other people have made him out to be.

4 Pace
Very good
The author does an excellent job of giving us everything we want to know about Bob Howard. Weeks are skipped in her account, but it does not matter. Everything moves along nicely. In addition, I still feel like I understood Novalyne’s life even though the story focuses on her relationship with Howard.

5 Story
Excellent
Of course I am going to love this story, that goes without saying. The author does an excellent job of making 1930s Texas come alive though. I could see the little town of Cross Plains, and I felt like a third passenger in the car during their rides and conversations. In all the good ways, this is a real romance, though ill-fated.

4.5 Dialogue
Very good with excellent exceptions
I think this dialogue is authentic. Novalyne was known at the time for remembering and writing down her conversations, and it’s a technique that I have tested successfully myself (after reading Dracula). Bob is full of life and vigor, but some of the other characters kind of fall flat. For instance, Ethel’s only lines seem to be “oh my, oh my” and there isn’t anything else there. She says that Enid is a great person, but all of Enid’s dialogue makes her feel like a jerk.

3.5 Style/Technical
Good with positive exceptions
There are times that I wonder how much Novalyne may have embellished her memories. Driving seems nearly impossible in the picture she paints, and although I know cars were different back then, it just feels dangerous from the way she describes it. Her writing is otherwise clear and easy to follow.

4.4 Overall
Very good with positive exceptions
I have wanted this book for a long time… and I got it. I am not disappointed. This is required reading for any fan of Robert E. Howard’s writing who wants to know him better, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about writing, life in the 1930s, Texas history, people overly-attached to their parents, or anyone interested in a tragic romance.
Above all, I think One Who Walked Alone is a story about the dreams we carry with us and what we do with them during the course of life.

[Joe Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wondrous, beautiful, and sometimes sad glimpse into the lives of Novalyne Price and Robert E. Howard during the Depression. Truthfully, I enjoyed reading about Novalyne even more than I did peeking into the creator of Conan the Barbarian's private life. The glimpses of Texas in the 1930s throughout the book are fabulous, along with the recollections recorded about Novalyne's grandmother, who had memories of the American Civil War.

Highly recommended for any fan of REH or anyone interested in The Great Depression or the history of Texas. Writers may also find inspiration in some of Bob Howard's advice to Novalyne during their time together, as she wanted to become a published author.

[Jessie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent complex biography written by one of the two women that Robert "Bob" E. Howard loved. His mother who died shortly after him and the author Novalyne Price Ellis. I normally do not care for biographies written according to someone's memoirs but this was exceptional to me! About three quarters of the books was used to make the movie "The Whole Wide World"

[Pollyanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite view of Robert E Howard. This is a story of true yet untouchable love. It shows the tormented genius of Robert E from the viewpoint of the women he loved and the women whom turly loved him.

[Everbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

An abslutely remarkable book. Anyone interested in pop culture history should read this, it is an invaluable treasure. I am so grateful Ms Ellis kept this record and shared it with us. She has a warm heart, and she touched mine.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. Lots of insights into the writer's life, the writing life- the loneliness
of being a fantasy writer in Crossplains, Texas, circa 1930. What might have been, and what
decidedly was, from probably the closest friend Howard had.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must for fans of R.E. Howard. You get a real feeling for who the creator of Conan and others was. But also for Novalyne Price and the world of the time. Both of them were strong personalities, clashing as much as they got along.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you would like to know what Robert E. Howard was like then this is the book. A fascinating look at Howard from his one time girl friend Novalyne.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's gonna take me a bit to fully process this book, but suffice to say it was tremendous.

[Beatrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

My very first impression of this book wasn’t too favorable: Novalyne Price starts off in a school-girlishly gushy manner (for example, she uses way more exclamation marks - seriously, and not humorously - than I can stomach without sarcastic remarks and irritated eye-rolls – “I met Bob Howard today! I’m so excited! Bob Howard is a real writer, and I met him, today!”), which made me wonder whether this was going to be 300 pages of fan-girling (which would have surprised me, knowing the friend who gifted me the book), but then the actual book started, Price cut down a bit on her exclamation mark usage, and even though I could never come to fully appreciate her style, the content more than made up for any possible stylistic incompatibility, and soon I started to find this book thoroughly enjoyable, exhilarating, admirable, delightfully unruly and also heart-breaking.

And as I came to realize that there’s no way for me to write a coherent review, I decided to write one based on my random thoughts and feelings, separated by headings (to create the illusion of coherence).

The blurb

I’d recommend skipping the sensationalist, trashy blurb altogether, because based on that, you might just think that this is a - well, a sensationalist and trashy memoir/biography, when in fact it's anything but.

What is this made of?

The book mostly consists of the text of Price's journals and diaries, from that roughly two-year period when she knew and dated Howard. I don't know how heavily Price edited or revised her text, and how much she deleted from it when - more than 40 years later - she took her journals and turned them into this book, but in any case, the book still retains a lot of journal-like characteristics, which in itself is neither good nor bad. Price's book is as intimate and vivid as any journal that is faithfully kept by its author, but it's also full of tiresome repetitions, flights of fancy and a certain monomania - it's full of details which are probably very interesting for the author of the journal, but perhaps not so interesting for anyone else.

The “story”

In 1934, Novalyne Price gets a job as a teacher in Cross Plains, a small Texas town, where she soon manages to pick up Robert Howard. Price and Howard already knew each other briefly from earlier, and I'm not even sure what I mean here by "picking up", because even though they go on to spend a lot of time together in the next several months, and even though Price sometimes thinks about Howard as a possible romantic interest, they just remains friends throughout their relationship - friends who spend their time driving up and down through the Texas countryside, reading books together, discussing writing, literature and the downfall of civilization, and also arguing a lot.

And even though in the beginning I briefly thought that perhaps Price is just a fan-girl, hanging on the words of Howard-the-Barbarian with fascination, I soon realized that she's in fact a smart, determined, hard-willed, ambitious and self-confident young woman with a quirky sense of humor, who doesn't give a damn about many of her environment's conventions and expectations, while at the same time she's an often clumsy, irritating, not-very-imaginative country girl who sometimes displays a frightful lack of empathy. In short - I realized that Novalyne Prize is a real human, a person with random moods, with good and bad moments and traits, with prejudices, biases, deeply held beliefs, with a lot of enthusiasm and lust for life, with all kinds of joys and sorrows. And though it's possible to dislike her as a person, the real-ness of her own personal reality is indisputable.

What's this about?

Theoretically, it's about the last two years of Robert E. Howard, as witnessed by a close friend, but in reality, it's much more about the friend herself. Yes, Novalyne Price wasn't afraid to look closer and go closer to Howard, whom almost the whole town considered a lunatic, so it's probable that she really got to know Howard better than anyone else. Still - Price's main concern and interest was always her own life: she soon gave up the idea of getting into a closer, romantic relationship with Howard, she dated other men, too (and some of her journal entries concerning one of her regular dates, Truett, who was also Howard's friend, really bring to mind the world of teenage-girl diaries), and she often got fully engrossed in her job and ignored everything else - therefore I sometimes felt that, after all, she probably didn't see/understand Howard as well as she claims.

And about what else?

About so much more. The book contains the whole life of a small Texas town in the 1930s, and it's alive and vibrant with the whole era, environment and background - it's just there, without any long descriptions, which is amazing; it's also full of discussions about writing, literature and literary aspirations (and I'll probably never again look down upon pulp writers paid by the word count, and definitely not on Howard); and (whenever Novalyne Price manages to put her ego aside) it's also full of beautiful and sensitive descriptions about the things you cannot change, about all that's goddamned tragic in life, about the sense of living at the wrong time in the wrong place.

All in all, it's a fascinating and nerve-racking book. (If Novalyne Price's style didn't get so much on my nerves as it did, it would be simply fascinating.)

[Ron Gilmette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible insights into one of my favorite writers. Robert E. Howard was an insightful yet troubled man. Novalyne Price seemed to bring him a certain amount of peace.
It was a shame she couldn't save him from himself .

[yassmine]

I saw the movie, The Whole Wide World, Renee Zellweger and I want to read the book

[R.Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book!

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairly diligent, hardworking writer works for maybe three hours per day, a little more if they’re in the throes of some great inspiration. Author Robert E. Howard claimed he wrote sometimes as much as eighteen hours a day, and although he was a teller of tall tales, I believe him. In the span of something like a decade, he wrote hundreds of short stories in multiple genres, and in so doing also invented the modern sword and sorcery genre. His most prized creation, Conan the Barbarian, continues to excite and enthrall millions of readers around the world, and even the illiterate know of the Cimmerian’s exploits.
One Who Walked Alone is the diary-cum-memoir of Novalyne Price, a young woman who befriended Howard and got to know him well before his untimely death.
The book unfolds in a series of diary entries that span several years of uneasy semi-platonic courtship. Robert and Novalyne enjoy each other’s company—especially when they go for long rides in Bob’s car across the Texas countryside. It’s there, under a canopy of stars, that they share their dreams and ideas with each other. Bob gives Novalyne advice on how to become a selling professional writer, and Novalyne tries to get Bob to come out of his shell, to feel and trust more.
It’s slow going, and a frustrating process, watching two star-crossed not-quite-lovers approach each other in friendship only to separate in mutual recrimination. And then to watch them return to each other with a crazy kind of magnetic attraction again, that’s more intellectual than sexual, and therefore somehow more profound and fascinating. Any young man and woman can sleep with each other, as they’re biologically hardwired to do. It requires something else to sit across from each other, resist the obvious urges, and talk, think, challenge each other.
As time passes it becomes clear that Bob and Novalyne need each other, even when they can’t stand each other. Cross Plains—the town where they live—is too small for them, and if they don’t share passions and ideas, their mutually-reinforcing imaginations will starve. But there are problems, dark forces driving them apart even in their most intimate and calm moments together. Bob’s mother is sick, and his attachment to her means he must take care of her, which pulls him away from Novalyne, and distracts him his writing.
Love for one’s mother is virtuous, but there is something stunted, unhealthy, and a touch obsessive about Robert’s love for his mother. Is it oedipal, or something less sinister and psychologically fraught, yet more pathetic? It remains an ever-present threat to whatever might develop between Novalyne and Bob, and yet diagnosis just produces a big, inchoate blank.
The more time Novalyne spends with Bob, the more she notices the paradox at his heart: He worships violence and lionizes men of action, yet in many ways is timid, “tied to his mother’s apron strings,” as she puts it.
Ultimately, as things veer toward their tragic, inevitable conclusion, it becomes painfully clear: Bob is a boy, or a kind of man-child, while Novalyne Price is a young woman. Both fear the big bad world of adulthood, where their parents cannot protect them, yet one faces the fear while the other retreats deeper into a dreamworld.
It would be a cruel disservice to dismiss Robert Howard’s monumental literary output as an act of pure escapism. His world—as Manichean as it is, with good and evil clearly delineated—is still in some fundamental way true to life, to nature, and to human experience. He in fact did his best writing while still marginally engaged with the world around him, further undermining the idea that fantasy stunted his worldview.
But the picture that emerges in the end—after “the lamps expire”—is a cautionary tale. Some balance must be maintained between the inner life and the outer world, a compromise reached with reality, no matter how much you hate it. Else it will win, by killing you, sometimes literally.
That said, the tale is also one of triumph, of Novalyne Price discovering herself, her own purpose, and strength, after spending so many years trying to save Bob. Yes, the book is very much about Robert E. Howard, but it is also a testament by and for the woman who survived his suicide. Highest recommendation, for the romantically inclined as well as for Robert E. Howard scholars, pulp history enthusiasts, and those who remember the dance done between young men and women, ineptly, innocently, beautifully.

[David Zimny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful memoir written by Novalyne Price Ellis- a Texas schoolteacher who had a relationship with writer Robert E. Howard. Howard is best known for creating the character Conan the Barbarian. Novalyne writes of being introduced to Howard through a mutual friend. She, an aspiring writer who had as yet failed to get published, was impressed that Howard had work published and was making a living as a writer. They soon developed a tumultuous friendship/mild romance- though it seems they never got more intimate than kissing.

Novalyne taught speech and history in the town of Cross Plains, Texas, and though she enjoyed teaching she dreamed of becoming a writer. She got pointers about writing and about the business aspect of publishing from Howard. Their romance had major problems. Howard was obsessively devoted to his mother, especially once she got sick. At 30 years old he still lived with his parents and had never lived on his own. In 1930's Texas a writer was looked down upon; it was not considered an "honest days work" like a doctor or a farmer. Robert lacked basic social skills, and refused to go with Novalyne to parties or anything other than a private date. He dressed like a slob. He also said that women tied men down and he did not want to be died down. For these reasons Novalyne decided Howard was not the romantic partner for her, but she still wanted to be friends.

Towards the latter stages of their friendship, Novalyne saw him becoming increasingly despondent. His mother's health had deteriorated so much he spent all of his time caring for her, and no longer had time to write. He still courted Novalyne to be his girlfriend, but by then she had moved on from that type of relationship with him. He said to her (I am paraphrasing) "A person needs a great cause or a great love. I have neither." Novalyne went away from Texas to study for her master's at LSU. During her first weeks there she received a telegram saying Robert E. Howard had killed himself. He had been told his mother was in a coma and would likely never wake up. As soon as he heard that, he walked into his car, took his gun out of the glove compartment, and shot himself in the head.

One Who Walked Alone was made into a movie; the title was changed to The Whole Wide World but it remained faithful to the book. It is an excellent movie as well as book; I highly recommend both.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up One Who Walked Alone after reading and being familiar with all the Conan stories, as well as some of Robert E. Howard's other material including Kull and Solomon Kane. I was interested in learning more about Mr. Howard. Someone interested in reading this book should be aware that this is not a book about Conan or others. It is about Robert, and more specifically it is about Robert through his relationship with Novalyne Price. It is written using a series of her journal entries, and documents with detail, the time when Novalyne meets Robert ('Bob') in 1934, through the time of their separation.

It was very interesting to read, and gave me mixed emotions. On one hand, I enjoyed the insight into Robert Howard's personality and mannerisms, but on the other hand I felt that he probably wouldn't have wanted the details of their personal encounters shared in such a way. Without spoiling it for those who wish to read- knowing what I did about his life ahead of time provided a bittersweet feeling as things progressed that I wouldn't have had if I'd known nothing about Howard prior to reading this book.

[Gabriella Galvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe that Robert was manic depressive, undiagnosed. His mother was sick. She was flirting with him at times, and they had a sick attachment. Shame on her! His Dr. father loved him but was distant. Novalyne knew Robert well.
She must have been thinking that his mother dying and her going away is going to be too much.
She could have suggested to his father to get him mental health.
And this is the reason I don't like Novalyne. She was selfish and clueless. If she was more in tuned with him, he would not have killed himself.
Robert clearly said; a man needs either a great love or a great cause. I have neither! Poor guy believed he had nothing to live for.
Nobody can say that Robert did not have serious mental health issues, but nobody helped him.

[DeWayne Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply personal sharing of Novalyne's journals when she dated Bob Howard. This is a fascinating piece of literature because of its raw set of emotions and thoughts, which were written at the time that they happened. The assessments are not written with the clouded perspective of memory and reflect two very complex individuals, complete with their strengths and flaws. It is left to the reader to interpret and examine the nature of the relationship and the dynamics that lie beneath the surface.

[Ben Duerksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a look at the renowned author Robert E Howard (creator of Conan, Solomon Kane, King Kull, and others), through the eyes of Novalyne Price Ellis, a girl he dated in the years leading up to his death. It's composed of edited excerpts Price Ellis took from nightly journals she meticulously recorded daily events and conversations in, so while there may be some artistic license in her rememberances of each day it's the closest we'll likely ever get outside of Howard's letters and stories to really hearing from the man himself.

And what we find is, frankly, a fairly sad tale...a fatalistic individual at war with himself; someone both cynical and pessimistic about his time and the world, yet in moments of vulnerability clearly troubled by his social ineptitude and inability to partake in the very societal functions he so boisterously assaulted and claimed to disdain. Someone who was passionate in his highs and lows, and deeply emotional in how he viewed the world. We see Howard, animated at the steering wheel of his car excitedly pontificating about his theories on inherited memory, and the beauty and importance of everyday struggle, but also see him instantly and angrily jealous and insecure at a snap, or broodingly depressed. At the end of the book approaching Howard's suicide, I think there's little guess at how pained the author's thoughts were. He remarked that a man needed to have either a great love or a great purpose, and that he had neither, and that a person can't change the things or people around them, so you weigh things in the balance and if there's more bad than good, you discard it. At the end, I'd speculate that's how Howard saw his life...about to lose his mother (his purpose), and having lost his love (Price Ellis), Howard was no man at all in his eyes...a failure in a world he perceived as corrupted and cruel in the detached perspective he built up in his mind, and one that was ultimately stacked against him.

It is also worth mentioning that, while not the main focus, the book is also in intriguing look at 1930s small town Texas, and a window into the social norms of the day. It's also a portal into the thoughts of a young woman in the 1930s trying to navigate work and society, and it's interesting to juxtapose her positions on certain issues with Howard's. To be sure, some of the conversations they had were contrarian for contrarianism's sake (a trend which I've also found play out in Howard and Lovecraft's letters, where it seems one or the other often wanted to maintain an argument for argument's sake), but the discussions further help to build out Howard as a person for modern readers interested in getting to know the genius behind the 'yarns' that were his life's blood. They also help to completely dispel the internet-spawned apologist myth that Howard was somehow progressive for his day; if context from other sources weren’t enough, Price Ellis’s recollections lay bare Howard’s wholly traditionalist nature and opinions, some of which were even outside the norm for the time in the opposite direction as progressivism in the 30s.