Border Music

by Robert James Waller

Most people don't run out the back door of a place called the Rainbow Bar in Dillon, Minnesota, with someone they don't even know, get in a pickup truck, drive all day, and end up without any clothes on in a motel room. But that's what Texas Jack Carmine did with Linda Lobo. It was the kind of thing Jack was famous for doing. The people who knew Texas Jack Carmine - such as songwriter Bobby McGregor and Jack's uncle Vaughn Rhomer back in Iowa - called him God's only freeborn soul, rider of the summer roads, traveler of the far places. Where he was headed with dark-haired, long-legged Linda was not just back to his one-horse Texas ranch. It was somewhere he had never been: face to face with his own heart and the wild, strange things that live there. Border Music is the story of Jack and Linda, of long, hot days on a high desert ranch, nights wild with loving beneath West Texas skies, and times when their relationship tears them both apart. It's about Vietnam and the Midwest, and Vaughn Rhomer, an old man who,tries in his own fumbling way to be free. It's about men and women who work hard and care intensely, about romance and the passion that you only find once...and you never stop wanting to find again.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Novels, Westerns, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Robert James Waller was an American author also known for his work as a photographer and musician. Several of his books have been on the New York Times bestseller list including 1992's The Bridges of Madison County, which was the top best-seller in 1993. Both that novel and his 1995 novel, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, have been made into motion pictures.

Reviews

[Brian Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a bargain bin a few years back and finally got around to reading it only recently. I was happy I did, because it was quite interesting and different from what I had expected. No big surprises or stunning twists, but a nice flow all the same. Waller's writing style fits the characters in his story, and he writes from the angle of the Texas cowboy or other southern rugged, feral type. Raw and unrefined.

'Border Music' is the story of untamed love, of romance initiated on a whim. It is the story of Jack Carmine and Linda Lobo, a drifter in a pickup truck and a sexy barroom dancer who meet and decide to take a chance with each other. Sometimes a man will simply be a man, a drifter always a drifter as well; love dwindles and fades, and events become uncontrollable; fate takes control. Life gets on in years and the past appears as a dream. We know, ourselves, how much we'd love to grasp it and hold onto it one more time, but it's gone forever, leaving only faded memories. Country singer, Bobby McGregor, Jack's close friend, eventually realizes that his memories make him smile and reminisce, as he longs for the good ol' days to re-emerge. Uncle Vaughn Rhomer leaves in search of a dream, too, yearning for the experience himself, in search of his nephew also.

Maybe it's Jack who has the right idea, God's freeborn soul, for even though he longs for Linda, his true love, his heart calls on him to wander ... keeping life fresh, free, and unpredictable.

Don't look back, Jack Carmine.

Though it's for women also, this is a love story for men, which is somewhat rare. Waller pulled it off nicely.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just crept up on me. It's not so much a story, as it is listening to a story-teller. I just loved it and loved the way it just rolled quietly along, while keeping me interested and caring about the characters along the way.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story and story telling by Waller. It made me think about how people who think they are free spirits, living life their own way, really aren't unless they have a strong supporting cast of family and friends. Waller always seems to nail emotion to the wall, strip it of pretense while keeping you entertained and quickly turning those pages.

[Jessaka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, the title was good, but this book was going nowhere. So, I gave up somewhere in New Orleans.

What do I remember? Thih skguy, carlyle, saves a stripper. From what I do not know, but she travels with him through the United States and they're going to his ranch in Texas.

Then I read a few reviews of this book and someone said that this book Was going nowhere. Rather it went nowhere. That was anticlimactic. I quit. Do I have to write his books for him?

[Dmehringer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Here's a man who rescues a stripper, drives away with her in his truck, then drives and talks from MN to TX. The storytelling is so slow and repetitive, with whole chapters of books quoted, song lyrics quoted, and me not caring. I quit. I can't read this book. I'd rather clean the basement.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Not much happens in it, but the writing is so pure and clear and true, even though it is written in a West Texas drawl. Reading a book about West Texas during a Stockholm winter was strange, but the writing was so vivid that it completely transported me to West Texas, a place I know well and love deeply. This was a book permeated by place, and even though only a small fraction of the book actually took place in West Texas, the sense of West Texas, the feel and traditions and sensibilities of West Texas run throughout the book, even when the narrator is in Minnesota or Iowa or wherever. This book will also set your feet a'itchin' and make you want to roam! Like "A Thousand Country Roads," this book is peppered with brilliant little insights about life and love. (I'll send these to you, too, Jennifer when I've typed them up!)

[Carl Fanning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert James Waller's novel is a moving, touching, beautifully written sad song of a story. It moves slowly and effortlessly like a poem you love to revisit.
The novel centers on Jack Carmine, a west Texas drifter of sorts, who picks up a woman (Linda Lobo) in a Minnesota bar and just take off down the road in his truck.
Jack is a kind and gentle man, with a big heart, but a troubled mind caused by unspecified events he experienced while a soldier in Vietnam.
Jack Carmine is a character that joins my list of unforgettables: Doc (Cannery Row), Atticus Finch, and Jay Gatsby come quickly to mind.
This is a slow-moving, but powerful novel. It's probably not for those who prefer action/adventure or fantasy/mystery. But for me, I loved it!

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seems simple: a story of a cowboy drifter, who falls in love with a similar drifter, Linda Lobo, a wanderer, who is trying to make ends meet and find peace, but can't seem to find the way. They start an affair, with no expectations, and find happiness for a time. This book is all dusty roads, country music, drifters, travellers who have scars and who've been around the block. But this writer is a poet, the whole novel a beautiful poem about life in all its glory: the good, the bad, the ugly. Its real, about how there are peaks and valleys, times of sadness, and moments of beauty. The characters are well written and endearing, and I think that the author writes of complex themes, like being disappointed and hurt by life, and having difficulty getting back, the fleeting nature of happiness. On one hand, it seems like a good TV movie you find at 11pm on Saturday night. But this book is very well written, and I think it would resonate with many people

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic Waller, the fractured tale of Texas Jack, Linda Lobo, and the friends and family they influence through their lives. If you have a taste for fictional adventure, heavily sprinkled with philosophy and dreamer's lament, you'll enjoy this novel of love, dreams, finding and losing yourself midst West Texas skies.

[Judi Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself thinking with a West Texas drawl. Waller really develops such interesting characters and leaves tasty tidbits of wisdom regarding the life we chose to live vs the life we could have. The past is baggage whether it be in a new suitcase or a shabby dufflebag we carry.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is One of Those Books Where the Author, Waller, Beautifully Describes Everyday Things That are Hard to Put into Words.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept waiting for something to happen in this book. It never did.

[Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most boring books I’ve ever read. I should’ve put this down multiple times. I don’t know why I finished it. Oh well I guess.

[Pauline · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so happy to FINALLY get done with this book. Picked it up at a second hand store. I do not find the characters complex as written on the book jacket! I found that pages and pages of song lyrics were uncalled for. Very disappointed!

[Victoria]

No review available.

[Sarah Pongracz · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Border Music" is a love story by Robert James Waller, the author of "The Bridges of Madison County." It is the story of Texas Jack Carmine, a West Texas rancher, a Vietnam Vet with PTSD, and itinerant worker running combines harvesting wheat or laying pipeline. Texas Jack rescues Linda Lobo, an exotic dancer in a bar in Northern Minnesota, and they end up traveling together in his pick-up truck through Minnesota, Iowa and back south to his ranch in West Texas. It is also the story of Bobby McGregor, a country western musician and Jack's old traveling partner; and Vaughn Rhomer, Texas Jack's Uncle, a produce department manager at an Iowa grocery store and a dreamer of great adventures.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by James Waller. I really liked it. It started out kind of slow but once it picked up, it really held my interest. It’s a story about Texas Jack Carmine, a drifter, a free spirited cowboy who takes life as it is. Sadly, he’s tormented by his past and PTSD, and even though he finds the woman of his dreams his past destroys his chance at happiness. I thought the plot was great, sad but realistic. Character development was also very good. I think I’m going to read more of Waller’s books.

[Andrew Farr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not stop wanting to be done with this book. It was somehow pretentious AND low brow at the same time. I've greatly enjoyed Walker's other books, but this is clearly his,weakest work.

The narrative begins and ends through the eyes of a character that isn't really in the storyline much. It breaks up the story in a disjointed way. Like, though the story is nonexistent and we don't grow to love the characters, it's annoying that those characters aren't finishing the story with us.

There was really nothing good about this book.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of two wandering souls who meet in an instant, and take off together. Two middle-aged souls recapturing that youthful carefree spirit we all look back on nostalgically. You can re-capture this spirit for a while, but everything is much more complicated later on in life. For a lot of the book, the message is “settled life vs. the road,” but it turns out to be about the illusions and disillusions of life. This may be my favorite book of all time, not because it’s the best written, but because I could relate to so much of it.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A friend is reading this and it reminded me that I read this dreadful book as well. I had loved The Bridges of Madison County so picked this book and another one of his up. SO disappointed. Blech.
I do not even remember what it was about as I forgot it as soon as I read it. Meh.

[Sandie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe this wasn't made into a Netflix flick with all the crass material to work with.

[Maggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book, the story is so poignant, that left me in tears when I finished it!

[Anusha · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways tedious.
In some unexpected ways, touching.

[Michael Faris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Top 20 Worst Dialogue Lines in Border Music

Jack Carmine:
“I was born to be wild, Linda. Taming me would be like trying to leash a tornado.”
Critique: Overblown metaphor that feels unnatural.

Linda Lobo:
“I’ve been running from shadows my whole life, Jack. But your shadow? It’s the only one I want to follow.”
Critique: Contrived romanticism with a heavy-handed metaphor.

Jack:
“This desert isn’t just a place, Linda. It’s a state of mind—a place where only the free can thrive.”
Critique: Philosophical to the point of pretension.

Linda:
“Sometimes, love isn’t enough, and sometimes, it’s the only thing keeping you alive.”
Critique: Trite and lacking originality.

Jack:
“I’ve got dust in my veins and fire in my soul. Don’t try to put it out.”
Critique: Reads like a line from a cheesy country song.

Linda:
“Your love is like a storm, Jack—beautiful, destructive, and impossible to contain.”
Critique: Overwrought metaphor that feels forced.

Jack:
“The road isn’t just where I live, Linda. It’s who I am.”
Critique: Stereotypical drifter line with no new insight.

Linda:
“I don’t know how to love you, Jack, but I know I can’t stop trying.”
Critique: Vague and melodramatic without depth.

Jack:
“Freedom isn’t free, Linda. It’s paid for in broken hearts and lonely nights.”
Critique: A clichéd play on a well-known phrase.

Linda:
“I’m not afraid of the dark anymore, Jack, because your light blinds me.”
Critique: Corny and excessively sentimental.

Jack:
“When you’ve got nothing to lose, Linda, you find out who you really are.”
Critique: Generic “philosophical” line without substance.

Linda:
“You can’t fix me, Jack. I’m like a mirror shattered into too many pieces.”
Critique: Overdone metaphor that reduces her complexity.

Jack:
“Love is a game I’ve never been good at playing, but damn if I’m not trying now.”
Critique: Awkwardly phrased and lacking emotional weight.

Linda:
“Your voice is like a song, Jack, and I’ve been dancing to it since the day we met.”
Critique: Romantic to the point of being saccharine.

Jack:
“The open road is my only home, and the stars are my ceiling.”
Critique: Poetic but clichéd and unoriginal.

Linda:
“I’m just a bird with broken wings, Jack. I’ll never fly as high as you.”
Critique: Overused imagery that undermines Linda’s strength.

Jack:
“I wasn’t looking for love, Linda. It just ran me over like a freight train.”
Critique: Hyperbolic and unrealistic.

Linda:
“I don’t want to be saved, Jack. I just want someone to sit with me in the darkness.”
Critique: A poignant idea, but phrased too dramatically.

Jack:
“There’s a fire burning inside me, and it won’t go out until I find my place in the world.”
Critique: Overly abstract and unrelatable.

Linda:
“Every scar on my body tells a story, but the ones on my heart scream your name.”
Critique: Overwrought and lacking subtlety.

[Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strong start smeared by a disjointed development.

Border Music begins with a hundred or so pages focusing on the main characters; a cowboy drifter who lives day by day ala carpe diem, escaping from a civilized world into a new way of life that's more moving and constant, never settling down and always on the move; and a stripper enjoying the last days of the twilight of his beauty battling against the anxiety of growing old.

A simple yet sweet idea that feels mature and enduring, Waller makes a great job at potraying the two characters as these two outcasts that live in a world between the shadows and the light, far away from the comfort of a home but carrying a warmth that envelopes the reader into a romantic blanket. The subtle eroticism, the noticing of the details, the curve of the lines and the sweetness of the dialogue, it all makes up for a compelling read that shows you a simple yet enthralling story. The ambience of the scenes feel like staying late-night at a bar, with a soft guitar gently weeping in the corner, and the rattle and dazzle of bottles moving around. It worked wonders at capturing my mind and transporting me into a snowy night in the Midwest.

On the other hand, that is as far as it goes. Once the first hundred or so pages are done, the story takes a sharp turn and introduces a plethora of new characters at a neck-break speed. Part of what made the first part so endearing was the strong focus on just the two main protagonists going about their lives, and now, suddenly, the scope turns bigger and you jump between new faces and even across decades as the writer seems to struggle on what to write about.

There's an odd style here too, particularly how Waller likes to introduce entire excerpts from songs, newspapers, reviews, letter, and so on. It feels a little too exposition-heavy, as if he wasn't capable of transmitting the idea with a few words and needs the help from others, which just breaks the narrative flow and slows down the pace even further.

I wasn't a big fan of this, and, unfortunately, we never get the same feel and experience as we did with the first part of the book, with the story now feeling like a fragmented collage of different scenes across the lives of the characters, rather than one strong narrative with a focus on the romance of these two. A pity. I would have enjoyed it a lot more had the author decided to put a stronger emphasis on the first love story.

[Ttg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout this creatively written novel I actually began to hear Sam Elliot narrating each page. At first I labored with the prose filled experiences of the main characters while Waller constructed the “tale to be.”

Then, just as it is in most novels, I began to turn the pages more eagerly, looking forward to the next. Waller writes by converting nuances into visuals - as an art form I’d have to say... Ive never read any novel where that becomes such an integral part in absorbing the story line.

One thing this particular style of writing does, is describe each character as revealed through an experience. The back and forward events in the timeline become a tool that gradually connects the reader to understand a character’s nature.

This author seems to innately understand body language and how to express the inner most ramblings that go on in your own head, while rather mechanically facing even the most mundane events of each day. He also seems to idealize a darker, more sensual side of human desires and laces that throughout his “prose”… AND last but not least, his own prose itself.. to a point of self-compulsory!

I often investigate the author’s biographies after I finish a particularly creative or interesting book. This one, “RJ Waller”, famed for his brevity in penning “Bridges of Madison County”, seems to need to revise and project pieces of his own life, loves and talents in each story.

Coincidentally, in real time (for example), he divorced his wife of perhaps 30 years or so, for the landscape manager “they” hired.. named “Lina Bow”. His sweetheart in THIS tale? “Linda Lobo”. Take it from there folks.

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hey, to the author's credit, when the first two characters in the book are named Carmine Jack and Linda Lobo, well, you've been warned. Is it any surprise that he's from Texas and she's a stripper? Somehow, even two pages into this, that felt inevitable. When people tell you, "nobody writes like Robert James Waller," they are 100% correct. Interpret that as you will. If you continue reading past page 3, you have nobody to blame but yourself.

It doesn't get better. The biggest groaner was when Mr. Carmine, or Mr. Jack, meets one of Miss Lobo's disrespectful, mouthy kids, and puts the kid in his place in a manner that could only occur in a book like this one.

I'lll give it two stars, because, hey, there are people that like this kind of stuff, and who am I to rain on their parade? If you can get past the first couple of pages, knock yourself out. But if curiosity compels you to read this, do yourself a favor and check it out of the library. I'm sure they have a copy.

(Note: I only read this because a very amusing critic named Joe Queenan, who is not a Texan and not a stripper and actually knows how to write, wrote such a brilliant snark review twenty years ago that I still remember it. My own poor showing here cannot compare to his brilliant takedown.)

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waller certainly has a 'style' of writing and this one was certainly different but poignant in describing peoples' inner most thoughts, fears and feelings .... Texas Jack Carmine is a complex middle aged man, cool and lean like a cowboy, full of fun yet full of inner demons e.g. the Vietnam war. But Jack's soul is warm, loving and oh so helpful .... Now Jack's path crosses with Linda (a lady in her thirties) and together they fall in love in true Waller style. And together with her daughter they travel the borders before settling down in Jack's hometown ranch. Wanderlust and demons seem to run in the Carmine family as Uncle Vaughn Rhomer also splashes out in New Orleans with his dreams of one more dance with a beautiful woman ... but all the fun and all the music cannot outweigh the realities of life moving on ... but we have the memories, don't we?

[Don Inman]

This is far and away my favorite of Waller's books. Yes I know he wrote BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY which was made into a romantic movie blah,blah,blah. Border Music is a road trip story that centers around Texas Jack Carmine and Linda Lobo. Jack rescues Linda who is dancing at the Rainbow Bar in Dillon Minnesota and head out on pilgrimage to Jacks "ranch"in Texas. What follows is a road trip across the country. The characters are well developed and believable. The plot(somewhat predictable)carries you along easily. Are there metaphors here,too many to mention. But in the end everyone admires Jacks free spirit approach to life and even get drawn in. What does the future hold for Linda Lobo,Vaughn Roamer and Bobbie MacGregor and all the other colorful characters created by Waller.

[vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

se me hizo DEMASIADO largo tardé meses en terminarlo. me gustaron algunos capítulos q me re atraparon pero eran específicos de ma historia de jack y linda. cuando se cruzaban las historias me reee perdía al punto que llegó a caerme mal vaughn romer, no hizo nada malo pero lo odié pq cada vez q aparecía yo dejaba de entender la trama. ENCIMA hay demasiaaados personajes q me costó unir y al haber tardado tanto me olvidaba también las relaciones entre ellos. en fin, bobby es alto chajá re mal amigo y estoy orgullosa de linda lobo por dejarlo al tarado de jack abandonado q se re mil JODA quien se piensa q es mirá q vas a tener esperando a una mina así??? idiota. mi personaje favorito es EARL me pareció un tipazo encima re trabajador q hombreeee amarlo. fin.