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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Review originally posted 22 March 2015 at Falling Letters.
Green Grass, Running Water was the CBC Books’ Goodreads group pick for March, and another book for my Indigenous Canadian authors list. Green Grass, Running Water first came on my radar a few years ago, during my time tutoring. Some students came to me with papers on the story. I don’t remember what the papers were about (I think they were comparative?) but somehow, I didn’t get the impression that this is a funny book. I expected a deep, serious story, full of vast symbolism. Well, it’s definitely full of symbolism, but certainly not as solemn as I expected. Humorous satire plays a huge role in this book.
I made many small notes whenever something in the story clicked for me. There are many things I understood only a little bit, things I recognized I didn’t understandd (the significance of the puddles...), and probably plenty more things I didn’t even know I didn’t understand (a good example of this is the names of the bit characters – Jennifer’s posts in the Goodreads discussion brought this to light). So, I was very pleased with myself when something, even if it was obvious, did click! This is a book that could benefit from multiple readings. But, I think some outside research would be necessary to understand a lot of it, for those of us who aren’t history buffs. I may hit up a reader's guide. King has said understanding every reference isn’t critical to understanding the story, but now that I know they’re there, I want to understand them!
Because there is so much going on, much of it without context, I wonder – what’s the author’s purpose in writing this sort of story? How much will his readers get out of it? What does he want them to get out of it? But then I think “Screw it! Why am I always asking this question?” Even though I don't think authorial intent is important to consider when understanding a story, I guess I think that if I know the author’s intent, I could garner something from a book I didn’t really understand. When I don’t understand something seems to be the only time I ask the question…if I get something out of a book, it doesn’t matter what the author intended – that book succeeded for me in some way. I wrote a bit more about this early in the Goodreads discussion (I wondered how much work should an author leave to the reader in understanding the cultural and historical backgrounds of a novel). Anyway. That’s this review’s tangent for you.
This is an Aboriginal story that touches on a lot of ‘issues’ without those ‘issues’ being the main purpose of the story. It goes beyond specific tragic circumstances (for example, residential schools abuse, alcoholism, etc.) to explore a broader picture of Indigenous people trying to find their place in today’s world, a balance between tradition and modernity. I think this quote sums up what the policies and attitudes Indigenous people are left to face today:
The Bottom Line: Even though a lot of this story probably went over my head, I enjoyed the story lines and characters.
Green Grass, Running Water was the CBC Books’ Goodreads group pick for March, and another book for my Indigenous Canadian authors list. Green Grass, Running Water first came on my radar a few years ago, during my time tutoring. Some students came to me with papers on the story. I don’t remember what the papers were about (I think they were comparative?) but somehow, I didn’t get the impression that this is a funny book. I expected a deep, serious story, full of vast symbolism. Well, it’s definitely full of symbolism, but certainly not as solemn as I expected. Humorous satire plays a huge role in this book.
"Why are you talking to animals? says the little man. This is a Christian ship. Animals don't talk. We got rules." (125).I might even recommend it for someone who wants a laugh (if they’re ready to work for it). However, I wonder how much of the humour depends on understanding some of the symbolism, or the cultural/historical context. My advantage came from the Aboriginal spirituality courses I took in university. I think without that, the Coyote and four Elders threads would have been beyond my understanding (and that's just one major example - plenty of less significant bits would have gone by me as well.)
I made many small notes whenever something in the story clicked for me. There are many things I understood only a little bit, things I recognized I didn’t understandd (the significance of the puddles...), and probably plenty more things I didn’t even know I didn’t understand (a good example of this is the names of the bit characters – Jennifer’s posts in the Goodreads discussion brought this to light). So, I was very pleased with myself when something, even if it was obvious, did click! This is a book that could benefit from multiple readings. But, I think some outside research would be necessary to understand a lot of it, for those of us who aren’t history buffs. I may hit up a reader's guide. King has said understanding every reference isn’t critical to understanding the story, but now that I know they’re there, I want to understand them!
Because there is so much going on, much of it without context, I wonder – what’s the author’s purpose in writing this sort of story? How much will his readers get out of it? What does he want them to get out of it? But then I think “Screw it! Why am I always asking this question?” Even though I don't think authorial intent is important to consider when understanding a story, I guess I think that if I know the author’s intent, I could garner something from a book I didn’t really understand. When I don’t understand something seems to be the only time I ask the question…if I get something out of a book, it doesn’t matter what the author intended – that book succeeded for me in some way. I wrote a bit more about this early in the Goodreads discussion (I wondered how much work should an author leave to the reader in understanding the cultural and historical backgrounds of a novel). Anyway. That’s this review’s tangent for you.
This is an Aboriginal story that touches on a lot of ‘issues’ without those ‘issues’ being the main purpose of the story. It goes beyond specific tragic circumstances (for example, residential schools abuse, alcoholism, etc.) to explore a broader picture of Indigenous people trying to find their place in today’s world, a balance between tradition and modernity. I think this quote sums up what the policies and attitudes Indigenous people are left to face today:
“Who’d have guessed there would still be Indians kicking around in the twentieth century?” (121)I'd be remiss to not mention that this book is chock-full of great characters. My favourites were Alberta, a no-nonsense character I admired, Lionel, who’s really trying, and Babo, who understands more of what's going on than the rest of us, probably.
The Bottom Line: Even though a lot of this story probably went over my head, I enjoyed the story lines and characters.
"The treaties aren't worth a damn. Government only made them for convince. Who'd have guessed that there would still be Indians kicking around in the twentieth century."-Thomas King
Green grass, running water takes place just outside of Calgary in Southern Alberta. It jumps around a lot which made it hard to follow each story line but once you got use to the style it was an enjoyable book. Because of this style, I rated it 3 instead of 4 as it was just not for me. It follows four people on their way to the Sun Dance. It looks at the effects history and the government's way to abide by treaties and laws only when it is convenient for them, has on First Nation culture. I was irritated that I could not google the translations at the beginning of the sections to English, so I can't even image their pain and frustration at having their language and culture oppressed. Very interesting read and great to see a different view on current issues.
Green grass, running water takes place just outside of Calgary in Southern Alberta. It jumps around a lot which made it hard to follow each story line but once you got use to the style it was an enjoyable book. Because of this style, I rated it 3 instead of 4 as it was just not for me. It follows four people on their way to the Sun Dance. It looks at the effects history and the government's way to abide by treaties and laws only when it is convenient for them, has on First Nation culture. I was irritated that I could not google the translations at the beginning of the sections to English, so I can't even image their pain and frustration at having their language and culture oppressed. Very interesting read and great to see a different view on current issues.
A story that is rich with the oral tradition, satire, well-molded characters, and a lot of fun. Perhaps this is a novel that you need to read a few times to fully appreciate, but after the first reading I mostly just feel "meh" about the novel. Is it good? Sure. Would I read it again at a later point? Maybe. If a friend wanted to read a book with a lot of oral tradition and multiple POVs would I hand them this? Of course.
If someone wanted to read a Thomas King novel, would this be the one that I would recommend first? No...
If someone wanted to read a Thomas King novel, would this be the one that I would recommend first? No...
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
kinda chaotic, especially at first, with a whole bunch of different storylines where it's unclear how they all connect, but it was fun trying to figure out how everything connected as i went along. also, i read this with a group of people which made it more enjoyable than reading it alone because we could bounce ideas off each other and share our confusion.
i personally liked all the chaos of the book (coyote was my favourite character :) ) and so really enjoyed discussing it and puzzling out how things connected, but this book does take more work to understand than most books do.
i personally liked all the chaos of the book (coyote was my favourite character :) ) and so really enjoyed discussing it and puzzling out how things connected, but this book does take more work to understand than most books do.
The format of this novel and the cyclical oral tradition/literary mashup that King presents us with is fantastic, interesting, and satirical of canon, as well as Western & Native cultures. The three levels of narration are intriguing and although they may complicate the story at times, they provide a certain amusement and insight that would not otherwise be possible. The characters are believable and lovable and when the novel is finished you will feel as if you have lost a close friend. The part that I most enjoyed, however, was King's humour. Witty and satirical and just out-right funny, it was a great. I highly recommend this book to all adult readers!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
One of my all-time favs. Layers and layers of symbolism and meaning make this one worthy of a second, third, and even fourth read. Not knowing what was going on for half of the story was only part of the pleasure!
Didnt get to it in time before exam might try again soon
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
Extremely well written and thought provoking.