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theresidentbookworm's review against another edition
2.0
A Brief Review
Sherman Alexie's creepiness is showing. *sarcastic voice* Gee, this guy sexually harrasses women? Who would've thought?
Sherman Alexie's creepiness is showing. *sarcastic voice* Gee, this guy sexually harrasses women? Who would've thought?
sarah_d's review against another edition
3.0
I've really enjoyed pretty much everything I've ever read by Sherman Alexie, I think he's really an excellent storyteller, but this book wasn't my favorite. In fact, although I did enjoy it, it might by my least favorite book by him. Oh well, can't win them all I suppose.
zarazuck's review against another edition
3.0
Some stories are fantastic; others, good not great. A quick read and worth it.
emmastia's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this short story collection quite a bit - I have liked his YA work that I have read in the past, but this adult fiction was quite good and unexpected. His poetry is scattered throughout the book and I liked that too.
robk's review against another edition
3.0
War Dances is a collection of poems and short stories by Sherman Alexie, author of the national book award winning young adult novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Prior to reading this, I had only read Alexie’s YA books, the aforementioned Diary and Flight, and a chapter of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, possibly the best titled book in history and a book I plan on returning to eventually. After reading this collection, which was written for adults, I think I prefer his young adult writing more. His YA stuff is entertaining, fun, tightly crafted, and contains just the right amount of philosophy. This book seemed all over the place, both in content and in quality. I won’t bother to recount every detail in this review, but here are my thoughts on a few of the works in this collection:
Breaking and Entering:
Really not sure how I feel about this one. I liked it, but I feel like he was just trying too hard. The story is about a man who inadvertently kills a young black man who broke into his house and robbed him. Throughout the story, the man recounts the events and wonders if things could have happened differently. It was a fine enough premise, but Alexie threw in some quotes that felt a little forced, almost like he was trying to have someone quote him in the future. So, I guess I will quote him. Take the following for example: “It's not oil that runs the world, it's shame.” Or this little nugget: “Pain is never added to pain. It multiplies.” (Ps: he goes on to quote himself saying this in a later story.) Both of these banal and platitudinous observations seem almost randomly inserted in the narrative in an attempt to lend it some gravitas or depth. Furthermore, the narrator tells us a hundred times how freaky his circumstances are, but then says something like, “Nothing happened of course. nothing ever happens, you know. Life is infinitesimal and incremental and inconsequential.” Really? Did you forget what you’ve been talking about for almost the entire story? I don’t know.
"Go, Ghost, Go"
Great perspective on the irony of a white man who likes the “ghost dance.” You see a similar idea more thoroughly explored in Flight.
Bird-watching at Night
Awesomely written vignette about a man who, while driving with his girlfriend, narrowly misses an owl. Short, but, like, you know, deep and stuff.
The Senator's Son
This is one of the stronger pieces in the book, I think. It deals with a lot of important issues regarding class, politics, homophobia, and friendship.
The Ballad of Paul Nonetheless
This story was quite good. Worth reading for sure. This story centers around an adulterous, middle-aged hipster who struggles to make meaningful connections with his family. He basks in his own loneliness and eventually spirals into madness.
Overall, the book is a good, quick read. Nothing too powerful or life-changing, but some good thought provoking material. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author.
Breaking and Entering:
Really not sure how I feel about this one. I liked it, but I feel like he was just trying too hard. The story is about a man who inadvertently kills a young black man who broke into his house and robbed him. Throughout the story, the man recounts the events and wonders if things could have happened differently. It was a fine enough premise, but Alexie threw in some quotes that felt a little forced, almost like he was trying to have someone quote him in the future. So, I guess I will quote him. Take the following for example: “It's not oil that runs the world, it's shame.” Or this little nugget: “Pain is never added to pain. It multiplies.” (Ps: he goes on to quote himself saying this in a later story.) Both of these banal and platitudinous observations seem almost randomly inserted in the narrative in an attempt to lend it some gravitas or depth. Furthermore, the narrator tells us a hundred times how freaky his circumstances are, but then says something like, “Nothing happened of course. nothing ever happens, you know. Life is infinitesimal and incremental and inconsequential.” Really? Did you forget what you’ve been talking about for almost the entire story? I don’t know.
"Go, Ghost, Go"
Great perspective on the irony of a white man who likes the “ghost dance.” You see a similar idea more thoroughly explored in Flight.
Bird-watching at Night
Awesomely written vignette about a man who, while driving with his girlfriend, narrowly misses an owl. Short, but, like, you know, deep and stuff.
The Senator's Son
This is one of the stronger pieces in the book, I think. It deals with a lot of important issues regarding class, politics, homophobia, and friendship.
The Ballad of Paul Nonetheless
This story was quite good. Worth reading for sure. This story centers around an adulterous, middle-aged hipster who struggles to make meaningful connections with his family. He basks in his own loneliness and eventually spirals into madness.
Overall, the book is a good, quick read. Nothing too powerful or life-changing, but some good thought provoking material. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author.
hollowbook's review against another edition
2.0
Can't help but feel he missed the mark on this one--overshot it, rather.
gorecki's review against another edition
3.0
Sherman Alexie’s War Dances is a book I was really looking forward to and really enjoyed reading. I loved it without being in awe with it, enjoyed it without making a song and dance about it. It’s a book you don’t really have much to say about once you finish reading it. Like having a coffee with a friend you see often – you talk about things in life: family problems due to alcohol, falling for someone you’ve met at an airport, politics and finding out your high-school friend is gay, some poetry, some questions, but these things are not life-changing, or eye-opening, or emotionally intense. They are just things that happen. Things you’d talk about and move on to another topic. As Alexie himself puts it in the opening poem:
“Why do poets think
they can change the world?”
Sherman Alexie writes with unparalleled honesty and fluency. He’s frank and open, does not aim to shock or surprise, to preach or teach. His writing is so believable because of the irony and sarcasm he uses. A character in any other book would faint or do something drastic when they learn they have a benign brain tumor. Sherman Alexie’s character would crack a joke about it. He’d be scared witless, that’s a fact, but he would still crack a joke. Another character would start feeling a deep understanding and sympathy for an old, demented lady who speaks incoherently. Alexie’s is making polite excuses while trying to get closer to the door and run for it. Wouldn’t most of us? Honestly? And this brings Alexie’s characters so much closer to being like a real and believable people.
I can’t really say more about this book. I would not go recommending it, but I will surely drink some more coffee with Sherman. You decide if that’s a good recommendation.
“Why do poets think
they can change the world?”
Sherman Alexie writes with unparalleled honesty and fluency. He’s frank and open, does not aim to shock or surprise, to preach or teach. His writing is so believable because of the irony and sarcasm he uses. A character in any other book would faint or do something drastic when they learn they have a benign brain tumor. Sherman Alexie’s character would crack a joke about it. He’d be scared witless, that’s a fact, but he would still crack a joke. Another character would start feeling a deep understanding and sympathy for an old, demented lady who speaks incoherently. Alexie’s is making polite excuses while trying to get closer to the door and run for it. Wouldn’t most of us? Honestly? And this brings Alexie’s characters so much closer to being like a real and believable people.
I can’t really say more about this book. I would not go recommending it, but I will surely drink some more coffee with Sherman. You decide if that’s a good recommendation.
livjul's review against another edition
funny
sad
there are some pieces here that are just devastating. I especially found the poetry to be engaging, and while Alexie is a writer that pulls you in with his charismatic storytelling, something about the women in his stories left a not-great taste in my mouth.
bearforester's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting stories. My reason for not rating higher is that there just aren't very many stories in this book. It contains some poems, etc. too, which isn't my preference. Of course, that isn't the author's fault.
pyrrhicspondee's review against another edition
4.0
High 3. Funny how Alexie's prose is so lovely--almost poetic at times--and his poems are so godawful prosey. My favorite pieces in this collection were the interview-type pieces, which read more like poetry than any of his poems.