Scan barcode
hannahjeanie's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
a_shelf_of_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
meme_too2's review
3.0
Louise Erdrich is the most popular American Indian author. She writes about her culture, yet invites the idea that any of her characters could be white American as well.
I found this book very depressing and maybe a little over-the-top feeling sorry for Indian people in general. I discovered this book when I found her short story called "I'm a Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy," which hosts the most definitely sorry-for-myself character.
Lipsha has a father he never knew, who has been in jail, and a mother who tried to drown him as a baby. He grows up having been raised by other family members (which is the Indian way). He never seems to be able to break out of the so-called "American Indian mentality," which means he misses every opportunity to move forward and make something of his life.
The short story is found near the end of the book with a completely different ending. Lipsha actually makes an effort to change for the better, but the book is too deep into the "loser" lives of these people, it remains inconclusive and frustrating.
I found this book very depressing and maybe a little over-the-top feeling sorry for Indian people in general. I discovered this book when I found her short story called "I'm a Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy," which hosts the most definitely sorry-for-myself character.
Lipsha has a father he never knew, who has been in jail, and a mother who tried to drown him as a baby. He grows up having been raised by other family members (which is the Indian way). He never seems to be able to break out of the so-called "American Indian mentality," which means he misses every opportunity to move forward and make something of his life.
The short story is found near the end of the book with a completely different ending. Lipsha actually makes an effort to change for the better, but the book is too deep into the "loser" lives of these people, it remains inconclusive and frustrating.
birdsnest's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
jackgoss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sayward18's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
earnestgirl's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.5
bookishwendy's review against another edition
5.0
I stumbled across this book at in independent book store in Medora, ND. They had a massive display right up front of Louise Erdrich books, and I couldn't resist an impulse purchase. Apparently this book and I were Meant to Be Together. What have the mysterious Fates wrought?
I didn't realize it at the time, but The Bingo Palace is a continuation of Erdrich's earlier book Love Medicine, which I've swiftly added to by TBR list. Clearly, reading this one first didn't dampen my feelings for it in the least. When I finally got around to cracking the cover, I felt somewhat dutiful about it, like I was gamely hefting some kind of educational, "nutritious" tome. After all, it's literary, lyrical fiction. The POVs are scattered and the timeline is more a loose weave than a single thread.
By the time Lipsha Morissey (whom I can't help but picture as Ed Chigliak from Northern Exposure) takes Shawnee on their first unfortunate date (and his foil-wrapped brick of fruitcake is mistaken for drugs at the Canadian border), I had fallen for this book and the characters about as hard as Lipsha awkwardly, inappropriately, and messily falls for Shawnee Ray.
I love how Erdrich straddles ancient myth and contemporary reservation life in this book. She doesn't judge her characters, they all feel like individuals, from bingo owner and Lipsha's rival Lyman, to straight-shooting Zelda, to the terrifying matriarch Fleur Pillager. I also really liked the pervading strange sense of humor that gives the often bleak surroundings a humanizing bent and steers far clear of stereotypes. At one point, Lipsha goes on a "traditional" spirit quest and...I laughed so loudly at how it turned out. The author turned the whole thing into near-irreverence...but it totally worked for me. There's a generous slathering of magical realism here, but the story continually felt rooted and contemporary. I can't wait to read more books featuring these characters.
I didn't realize it at the time, but The Bingo Palace is a continuation of Erdrich's earlier book Love Medicine, which I've swiftly added to by TBR list. Clearly, reading this one first didn't dampen my feelings for it in the least. When I finally got around to cracking the cover, I felt somewhat dutiful about it, like I was gamely hefting some kind of educational, "nutritious" tome. After all, it's literary, lyrical fiction. The POVs are scattered and the timeline is more a loose weave than a single thread.
By the time Lipsha Morissey (whom I can't help but picture as Ed Chigliak from Northern Exposure) takes Shawnee on their first unfortunate date (and his foil-wrapped brick of fruitcake is mistaken for drugs at the Canadian border), I had fallen for this book and the characters about as hard as Lipsha awkwardly, inappropriately, and messily falls for Shawnee Ray.
I love how Erdrich straddles ancient myth and contemporary reservation life in this book. She doesn't judge her characters, they all feel like individuals, from bingo owner and Lipsha's rival Lyman, to straight-shooting Zelda, to the terrifying matriarch Fleur Pillager. I also really liked the pervading strange sense of humor that gives the often bleak surroundings a humanizing bent and steers far clear of stereotypes. At one point, Lipsha goes on a "traditional" spirit quest and...I laughed so loudly at how it turned out. The author turned the whole thing into near-irreverence...but it totally worked for me. There's a generous slathering of magical realism here, but the story continually felt rooted and contemporary. I can't wait to read more books featuring these characters.
huncamuncamouse's review
4.0
3.5 stars (rounded up). Not my favorite Louise Erdrich--the second half feels kind of rudderless and meandering in a dissatisfying way--but as always, this is a beautifully written book with familiar characters. I don't have a ton to say on this one, other than that I would say there are simply better books in her oeuvre.