The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine: A Novel
Written by Peter Straub
Narrated by Michael Kramer
2.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Peter Straub masterfully weaves horror and suspense into a love story unlike any other: the ballad of Ballard and Sandrine.
Ballard and his considerably younger lover Sandrine have been brought together by a shared erotic obsession of the darkest kind. As they travel down a remote part of the Amazon River on a luxurious yacht, they spend their days indulging in their macabre pastime. Through a haze of pain and pleasure, the lovers are witness to a series of increasingly sinister portents, dreams and visions that haunt their claustrophobic and disturbing world. With Peter Straub's signature, breathtaking twists and an astonishing climax, you'll never forget The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine.
Peter Straub
Born in Milwaukee, Peter Straub is the author of fifteen novels, which have been translated into more than twenty languages. He has won the British Fantasy Award, two Bram Stoker awards and two World Fantasy awards. His most recent publications are his acclaimed novel Mr X, a collection of short stories, Magic Terror, and Black House, the international bestselling novel that he co-wrote with Stephen King.
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Reviews for The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine
32 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Seriously. Weird. Novella. I actually debated whether to rate this 1 or 5. I have no idea what category to put it in.A couple, of greatly disparate ages, floating in a yacht down the Amazon. They are in lust. Over a period of 25 years, there are chapters from this year, that year, whatever year in no order. They are on the yacht no matter what year. They never see anyone else on the yacht - no servants, no crew. I don't normally do book report style reviews, but really, what else to say?
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Every so often, I'll come across a book and wonder what I just read. When this happens, I either put the book down and go for a walk, or I turn to the first page and try again. I went for a walk today.
The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine tells the story of two lovers - an older man and the daughter of his client - throughout the decades. Think Memento, if Memento ended with the beginning, as well.
Normally, I'll rehash some of the events for summary purposes, but I don't know what I read, so I can't. I know that they're on a boat. That Sandrine is a bit independent. That they both fell in love with each other the moment they met each other. That Ballard might have something to do with the mob. That, on the yacht, an invisible bird-speaking servants run the show. And thrown in there is a giant bug in a cage, which they might be eating, or they might be eating toucan. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Sandrine and Ballard make an unusual couple. He is many years her senior and over the course of this short novella they enjoy a passionate, if unsettling, relationship that spans 25 years. Their story takes place on the Amazon River as they cruise on several different yachts. Although on the surface everything seems normal and quite idyllic, the reader soon discovers there is a dark side to relationship - in more ways than one.
Peter Straub had always been a “take him or leave him” kind of author for me personally, despite the fact that I do gravitate towards his books from time to time. Although this little e-book sounded intriguing in its description it was a little too disjointed for my taste. Neither of the principal characters really appealed to me in any way, so the madness and horror that ensued lost its power. The ongoing poetic descriptions of floating down the Amazon just were not enough to carry the book. Sorry Mr. Straub but for me this one was a miss.