Reviews tagging 'War'

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (20th Anniversary Edition) by Sherman Alexie

2 reviews

dontwritedown's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

"I am a poet who can whine in meter."

Somehow Alexie is simultaneously the most aware and unaware author in everything he writes. Sadly, it's part of this quirk that makes it extremely hard to separate the author from the work. A lot of the warnings signs of his later behavior are clearly illustrated in this book, especially when he admits in the 20th anniversary edition that this is a thinly veiled memoir.

If you don't know recently Alexie has been getting a lot of heat online for his views on "Pretendians", Urban Natives that he so frequently trash talks in this book, along with being called out during the #MeToo movement....I could go on but I shan't.

Of course there is also talk in the Indigenous Literary circle about how Alexie's work does more harm than good, especially in Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, as this book in particular puts Natives into two clearly defined separate stereotypical categories: you're either the Native shaman with inifinte wisdom or the bumbling Indigenous drunk with toxic behavoirs with no middle ground or nuance.

.....got any reccs for better Indigenous writers? Send them my way.
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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

i'd like to preface by saying that my rating doesn't reflect the quality of the book, merely my own personal feelings towards it.

if books were rated by how much they read like a classic, the lone ranger and tonto fitfight in heaven would've gotten 5 stars by its cultural significance and as an amplification of essential native voice in american lit, shedding a crucial light on the rarely seen scenes of life on a reservation (and outside it). 

though going by my own feelings, i like this book for its startling and oft subtly intriguing twists and turns of prose (heck, i wanted to take notes just to savor it all like 2 pgs in) and the no-holds-barred depiction of native life, informing and educating me on the culture, way of life, and customs. however, i found the book confusing at times bc of the oft varying main characters in each chapter, which seemingly blended them all into an indistinct whole--though i suspect that is the point. but ultimately, this is a read so crucial and important that it renders my personal thoughts irrelevant.
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