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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Such a good writer, and such good stories. I have a feeling I would have preferred reading these here and there, in magazines and such, rather than all in one collection. But dude speaks the truth, in a way that really pierces.
A series of classic short stories by the preeminent Native American author about modern Indian disillusionment with the United States.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
It was hard to read this after reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. It's a totally different thing and I kept wanting it to be funny at first. It really grew on me though.
Love a good book of short stories written by a poet. Almost every one a winner for me, but if you're dissuaded by the first in the collection, keep going - it was my least favorite of the collection. Just an excellent soulful book.
Sherman Alexie grew up on the Spoke Indian Reservation in Wellpinit Washington, near Spokane. He has written nearly 20 books of fiction, poetry, short stories, and has had a couple films made based on his work. One of those films, Smoke Signals, was based on this book.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven.. This book is a series of shorts about living on or around the Res he grew up on. Every story is different, with ties linking back to each other. The characters know each other, though each story is told from the perspective of a different person.
The first story in the book, “Every little hurricane”, starts off with the description of a storm coming. You imagine a hurricane touching down in Washington state. The hurricane is not meteorological in nature, instead it is the fast moving storm of drunken violence that a child sees as his uncles fight drunkenly on the front lawn. The coming together of two forces of nature into an explosive and unstoppable swirling mess.
The movie Smoke signals was primarily based off the short story “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona.” The story’s axis is Thomas Builds-the-Fire. Thomas is known as a story teller. He tells stories from his heart and soul. Everything has a tale to tell. some may not have happened, some are spiritual and will never be seen. Some of his narratives are visions of what he sees in others and how they would be had our world not decimated his.
The story begins when Victor learns that his father has died. His body is in Phoenix AZ and he enlists the help of Thomas to get to AZ to pick up his fathers ashes and belongings. Victor and Thomas have not been friends for many years. and there is tension between them. Victor needs his money to get there, but does not necessarily his company.
The Res is a tight community with everyone’s business hanging out in the open. Thomas was been sidelined from the other boys for most of his life due to his stories, so Victor is surprised to learn that Thomas has memories of his father. Victor asks him what he remembers about his father.
Excerpt
-Thomas Builds-the-Fire closed his eyes and told this story: “I remember when I had this dream that told me to go to Spokane, to stand by the Falls in the middle of the city and wait for a sign. I knew I had to go there but I didn’t have a car. Didn’t have a license. I was only thirteen. So I walked all the way, took me all day, and I finally made it to the Falls. I stood there for an hour waiting. Then your dad came walking up. What the hell are you doing here? he asked me. I said, Waiting for a vision. Then your father said, All you’re going to get here is mugged. So he drove me over to Denny’s, bought me dinner, and then drove me home to the reservation. For a long time I was mad because I thought my dreams had lied to me. But they didn’t. Your dad was my vision. Take care of each other is what my dreams were saying. Take care of each other.”
Every story is a piece of a life, fictional, based on reality, or fully factual.. Captured in it’s sorrow and happiness, excitement and dismay.
This book, much as others I have read of Alexie’s makes my heart ache.
--
xpost RawBlurb.com
The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven.. This book is a series of shorts about living on or around the Res he grew up on. Every story is different, with ties linking back to each other. The characters know each other, though each story is told from the perspective of a different person.
The first story in the book, “Every little hurricane”, starts off with the description of a storm coming. You imagine a hurricane touching down in Washington state. The hurricane is not meteorological in nature, instead it is the fast moving storm of drunken violence that a child sees as his uncles fight drunkenly on the front lawn. The coming together of two forces of nature into an explosive and unstoppable swirling mess.
The movie Smoke signals was primarily based off the short story “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona.” The story’s axis is Thomas Builds-the-Fire. Thomas is known as a story teller. He tells stories from his heart and soul. Everything has a tale to tell. some may not have happened, some are spiritual and will never be seen. Some of his narratives are visions of what he sees in others and how they would be had our world not decimated his.
The story begins when Victor learns that his father has died. His body is in Phoenix AZ and he enlists the help of Thomas to get to AZ to pick up his fathers ashes and belongings. Victor and Thomas have not been friends for many years. and there is tension between them. Victor needs his money to get there, but does not necessarily his company.
The Res is a tight community with everyone’s business hanging out in the open. Thomas was been sidelined from the other boys for most of his life due to his stories, so Victor is surprised to learn that Thomas has memories of his father. Victor asks him what he remembers about his father.
Excerpt
-Thomas Builds-the-Fire closed his eyes and told this story: “I remember when I had this dream that told me to go to Spokane, to stand by the Falls in the middle of the city and wait for a sign. I knew I had to go there but I didn’t have a car. Didn’t have a license. I was only thirteen. So I walked all the way, took me all day, and I finally made it to the Falls. I stood there for an hour waiting. Then your dad came walking up. What the hell are you doing here? he asked me. I said, Waiting for a vision. Then your father said, All you’re going to get here is mugged. So he drove me over to Denny’s, bought me dinner, and then drove me home to the reservation. For a long time I was mad because I thought my dreams had lied to me. But they didn’t. Your dad was my vision. Take care of each other is what my dreams were saying. Take care of each other.”
Every story is a piece of a life, fictional, based on reality, or fully factual.. Captured in it’s sorrow and happiness, excitement and dismay.
This book, much as others I have read of Alexie’s makes my heart ache.
--
xpost RawBlurb.com
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This collection was pretty cool. I think that my favorites were This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona, Family Portrait, and Every Little Hurricane. I think that Alexie has a very unique story telling style/prose. I thought Thomas was a cool and fun character. I don't think that I've ever read a story quite like this one.