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tarkalson's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a wonderful re-read. Revisiting this book 17 years later this text resonates in a different way for me. There is much melancholy and sadness in this book, but it's so beautifully written. Sherman Alexie poetically paints stories of what reservation life is like for the Spokanes in the Pacific North West. Definitely looking forward to my next Sherman Alexie read, he can depress me, make me laugh, and really crave authentic Native American frybread and chilli. If you gotta recipe, hook a girl up.
tlctbr's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book again last weekend- it had been years since I'd read it. Since "Smoke Signals" is one of my favorite movies, it's not a big surprise that I enjoyed this book. At the risk of sounding a bit obtuse, however, I have to admit that I have a hard time understanding several of the stories. For example, I read " The Trial of Thomas Builds the Fire" several times and still felt that I was missing the underlying meaning of the story. Maybe I need to brush up on my history at bit before I tackle this one again.
My favorite moments:
From: All I Wanted to do was Dance"
"It happened that way. He thought one more beer could save the world. One more beer and every chair would be comfortable. One more beer and the light bulb in the bathroom would never burn out. One more beer and he would love her forever. One more beer and he would sign any treaty for her."
From: The First Annual All Indian Horseshoe Pitch and Barbeque"
"There is something beautiful about broken glass and the tiny visions it creates. For instance, the glass from that shattered beer bottle told me there was a twenty-dollar bill hidden in the center of an ant pile. I buried my arms elbow deep in the ants but all I found was a note that said Some people will believe in anything. And I laughed."
"How can we imagine a new alphabet when the old jumps off billboards down into our stomachs? Adrian, what did you say? I want to rasp into sober cryptology and say something dynamic but tonight is my laundry night. How do we imagine a new life when a pocketfull of quarters weighs our possibilities down?"
My favorite moments:
From: All I Wanted to do was Dance"
"It happened that way. He thought one more beer could save the world. One more beer and every chair would be comfortable. One more beer and the light bulb in the bathroom would never burn out. One more beer and he would love her forever. One more beer and he would sign any treaty for her."
From: The First Annual All Indian Horseshoe Pitch and Barbeque"
"There is something beautiful about broken glass and the tiny visions it creates. For instance, the glass from that shattered beer bottle told me there was a twenty-dollar bill hidden in the center of an ant pile. I buried my arms elbow deep in the ants but all I found was a note that said Some people will believe in anything. And I laughed."
"How can we imagine a new alphabet when the old jumps off billboards down into our stomachs? Adrian, what did you say? I want to rasp into sober cryptology and say something dynamic but tonight is my laundry night. How do we imagine a new life when a pocketfull of quarters weighs our possibilities down?"
katelynne's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
cameronkobesauthor's review against another edition
5.0
One of my new favorites. It's comic and tragic and heartbreaking and painfully accurate all at the same time. I definitely need to read more of Sherman Alexie's work.
My favorite short story in here was 'The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor', but all of the stories in here were excellent.
My favorite short story in here was 'The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor', but all of the stories in here were excellent.
pharmadelica's review against another edition
I read this because I thought it had "Toughest Indian in the World" in it, which is an incredible story. It did not. That story was in another collection from Alexie called, you guessed it, "The Toughest Indian in the World." Oh well.
This was good, but I'm still interested to read the other collection. A lot of the stories kind of blended together here, and I think it might have something to do with Alexie taking the "multiple stories about the same setting and group of characters" approach. I was also extremely busy and not as committed as I should have been while I made my way through this, so there's a chance I could have connected more under different circumstances.
Lone Ranger & Tonto does hit some high points, though, and about 25-30% of the stories are very much worth reading. Toughest Indian in the World could be that way too. I don't know. Maybe Alexie is a "curated New Yorker podcast reading" type author.
This was good, but I'm still interested to read the other collection. A lot of the stories kind of blended together here, and I think it might have something to do with Alexie taking the "multiple stories about the same setting and group of characters" approach. I was also extremely busy and not as committed as I should have been while I made my way through this, so there's a chance I could have connected more under different circumstances.
Lone Ranger & Tonto does hit some high points, though, and about 25-30% of the stories are very much worth reading. Toughest Indian in the World could be that way too. I don't know. Maybe Alexie is a "curated New Yorker podcast reading" type author.
izgabo's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
monkeyhouse's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite books. Also recommend the movie Smoke Signals.
caleb_tankersley's review against another edition
3.0
Despite what everyone else and their mother has reviewed this book as, I didn't think it was anything brilliant. It was barely readable at all. Alexie covers some great topics, and a few, two or three, of the stories are impressive. However, the good stories are virtually drowned in less-than-stellar stories that are far too long and boring and all sound the same. I literally fell asleep reading parts of this. I think Alexie has fallen under that unfortunate enchantment we see so often in modern literature: he should have been a speaker, a comedian, something like that. Not a writer.
erincataldi's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know how I made it through life not having read this book. It had a profound impact on me, the lyrical prose, beauty, heartbreak, and cultural awareness that this book brings is beyond impressive. A collection of short stories about growing up on the Spokane reservation and dealing with alcohol, corrupt government agencies, tradition, love, basketball, culture, and more. Some stories make you laugh but many more make you depressed. It's a book that demands to be felt and is wonderful in getting people to understand at least a little bit of the struggle that Native Americans deal with on a daily basis. Alexie is a gifted storyteller and weaves his words to create dozens of poetic and moving stories that readers will think about long after they finish the book. I can't wait to watch the movie adaptation, Smoke Signals. I hope it does the book justice!