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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
urikastov's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
matthew_jm's review against another edition
4.0
This book fluctuated between 3.5 and 4 stars for me. It very much reads like freshman novel, which it was for Momaday, though it's also kind of supposed to be that way? It is disjointed in timeline and fragmentary in narrative just as Abel's mind and idenitity is both fractured and obfuscated due to what he experiences.
tjgreads's review against another edition
2.0
I get it, N. Scott Momaday’s novels led Native American literature into the mainstream, and I’m glad that happened and that HOUSE MADE OF DAWN drew attention to that culture by winning the Pulitzer. But, this is hardly a novel. It’s more like a random, distorted collection of poems, songs, observations and stories, loosely held together by the character arc of Abel - a young Native American WWII veteran who drinks too much and doesn’t fit in anywhere, and ends up killing someone and then gets himself so badly beaten up he almost dies. Meh. Minimal plot, flat characters. Some beautiful language, but not into it.
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Format: NYPL e-book, via Libby/Kindle
Read for:
✅ 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge Prompt 3A “An ‘own voices’ book.”
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Format: NYPL e-book, via Libby/Kindle
Read for:
✅ 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge Prompt 3A “An ‘own voices’ book.”
emmareadstoomuch's review
2.0
it's been so long since i read lit fic by a man that i forgot why i read mostly female authors.
this had a lot to say and a lot going for it, but unfortunately my reading of it was constantly distracted and brought down by the terrible female characters and the awful man-writing-lit-fic sex scenes.
sorry! i wanted to like it. i promise.
bottom line: sheesh.
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pre-review
blacked out in a barnes & noble in the midst of a sale and emerged with 8 books. anyway it was the best afternoon of my life and this was one of them
this had a lot to say and a lot going for it, but unfortunately my reading of it was constantly distracted and brought down by the terrible female characters and the awful man-writing-lit-fic sex scenes.
sorry! i wanted to like it. i promise.
bottom line: sheesh.
------------------
pre-review
blacked out in a barnes & noble in the midst of a sale and emerged with 8 books. anyway it was the best afternoon of my life and this was one of them
kenarashley's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A relevant piece of literature for understanding identity and the consequences of war. Non-linear timelime can get confusing at times, but it speaks to the inner conflict of the main characters throughout the novel.
princessajia's review against another edition
3.0
This book was hard to follow as the the timeline and pov kept shifting. After reading study guides, I understand it more but not from the book itself.
heyheybooks's review against another edition
4.0
I was drawn to this book (outside of wanting to read more Native American literature) by the beautiful poetic title, and was not let down by the writing inside; it is gorgeous. Other reviewers have complained of the broken up narrative, but I didn’t have much trouble understanding the different sections and their place in time, aside from part 2 where it is not clear until part 3, but is clarified quickly. It was much easier for me than my experience with Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, but perhaps that book improved my comprehension and made this one easier from the start.
dougawells's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure why I'm so late to the Momaday party. His prose is melodic, especially when he writes of the natural world.