Alexie, Sherman - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

[oyceter]

Junior has lived all his life on the Spokane Indian Reservation, but he decides to attend a non-reservation (read: all white) school in an attempt to find hope. His move ends up breaking apart his friendship with Rowdy, and soon, Junior has to fight for acceptance in both his new school and back at the reservation.

As an added bonus, he wants to be a cartoonist, so we get some truly hilarious cartoons (I love the romance novel cover lampoons). The book is illustrated by Ellen Forney.

Alexie does awesome voice in this book; Junior is sarcastic, funny, heartbreaking, and struggling to make sense of everything, usually at the same time. He doesn't overlook the desperate circumstances on the rez, but he also doesn't downplay just how much white complicity there is in that, from the white savior teachers to pretendians. I loved how complex Alexie made Junior's decision; how he does find more opportunities off the rez, but also how betrayed the rez feels, and how all this plays out in local basketball.

While the book is very funny, largely thanks to Junior's voice, it's also very depressing at times, just because of the circumstances in the rez, from the influence of alcohol to the way poverty and racism just keep grinding people down and down and down. Alexie is very good at navigating tragedy and humor all at once; what could be pathos is instead just Junior's harsh reality, but the book still avoids being a problem novel, largely by being very aware of the political complexity involved in Junior's life.

Definitely recommended; I'm looking for more of Alexie's books now.

Links:
- rachelmanija's review
- minnow1212's review
- gwyneira's review
- troisroyaumes's review

Comments

[seajules]

I heard him do a poetry reading once, when I was living with my grandparents in my hometown for a few months in my early twenties. His poetry does that same thing, blending tragedy and humor and letting you feel the razor edges of both. Amazing stuff. So are his short stories. I can also recommend his novel, Reservation Blues.

[oyceter]

Ooo, awesome! Thanks for the rec.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

He's worked on movies too (THIS BUSINESS OF FANCY DANCING, maybe a version of RESERVATION BLUES?), he does a lot of readings up here, and I've seen him, like, crossing the street in the U District.

Hey, when I was on vacation I was at the library and saw a copy of DOES MY HEAD LOOK FAT IN THIS? and read through it (from one of your recs), thanks! :)

[oyceter]

I saw on his website! I put Business of Fancy Dancing and Smoke Signals in my Netflix queue.

Also, yay, people reading books I rec!

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

The Business of Fancydancing was written by Alexie based on his book of poems by the same name; it's one of my top five favorite films, it's *that* good.

Smoke Signals is wonderful too, Adam Beach is marvelous in it, so is Irene Bedard.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

And don't forget Gary Farmer as Victor's dad, and Evan Adams absolutely stealing his scenes as Thomas. An actual NDN nerd character, how often do you see THAT?

Really, the casting for both films is love.

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

True, true. Gary Farmer was especially good.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

I love that man to bits, he needs to get more screen work, damnit! Did you ever see Dead Man? And his cameo in Ghost Dog kills me.

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

Your ICON! OMG. DED

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

*evil giggling*

I may not be able to use that one very often -- my buddy who sent me the freebie copy of Savage Honor claims it's mentally scarring. ;)

[oyceter]

I'm so looking forward to it, though somewhat sad that the Netflix blurb indicates that there is not dancing in the movie? /total dance geek

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

Nope, no dancing for the most part, "the business of fancydancing" is more a metaphor for the business of being a contemporary NDN.