Blake's writing is a reflection of the landscape he writes about--beautiful, brutal and deeply moving. The movie is well-known, for good reason. The book adds depth to Lt. Dunbar and his Indian family. The sequel, The Holy Road, is better than Dances With Wolves, although both are vivid and realistic vignettes of the American west. ( )

The film is my favourite ever (that i can think of, and i've been trying to identify my favourite for several weeks), and the book's a lot better than the film. Vivid, moving, deep, beautiful. ( )

Sorry to say so, but I find this book very boring. I had expexted it to be better after seeing the movie.

John J. Dunbar is a Union soldier who has been sent to the remote Fort Sedgewick, which turns out to be completely deserted. Regardless, Dunbar settles in to restore the fort, and is eventually discovered by a curious wolf and more curious Comanches. The relationship between Dunbar and all parties is at first marked by mutual distrust and some hostility, but over time the Indians come to learn that Dunbar shares many qualities in common with them, and he is eventually accepted into the tribe with the name "Dances With Wolves". He finds companionship, respect and love in the Comanche tribe, and eventually must make a choice of life paths between his new brothers and the encroaching White Man. An excellent and engaging book; I actually enjoyed it more than the overlong movie it inspired. It was interesting to read of the changes the movie made in the author's afterword. ( )

I bought my copy of Dances With Wolves at a country grocery story many years before Kevin Costner ever read a scripted version of it. I hate Kevin Costner so that he is associated with a western I really enjoyed burns my biscuits to no end.

The book is a suprisingly simple read but simple in a way that an elegant gown is simple. The seams are all hidden and only the beauty shows. I love the book. The main character, Lt. Dunbar, dreams of being stationed in the West. He finally arrives only to find his post deserted. He lives alone for awhile and then slowly makes friends with the local American Indian tribe and a lone wolf.

He evolves as a person through this relationship. His lens of the world widens and his damaged soul knits back together. Then, his world changes again and he must choose to be the solider, Lt. Dunbar, or the Indian man named Dances with Wolves.

If you enjoy tales of the West, this is an enjoyable book. ( )