War Dances

Sherman Alexie is the master of the short-short story. Although not all of the tales are funny, some had me really laughing. I don't know if one of my favorite stories is called "War Dances"* or not but it should have been. I imagined the man in the story stomping on that dead cockroach in his driveway and I roared with laughter. There's more to his stories than this, so you will have to read them. Once again, he is the short-short story master.

*I listened to the audiobook with Sherman Alexie doing a perfect job narrating!

//
Upon second reading it was just as good. But don't read it in public as I did. It had a lot of profanity. I loved it. hee hee hee

This collection of short stories and poetry is fabulous. I read it in an evening. The mixture of humour and tragedy is deftly handled and just when you are relaxing and laughing you are punched in the stomach with reality. A young man winces as a traditional healing song is sung at his father's hospital bedside and the hospital staff looks on in wonder at this wonderful display of aboriginal culture. And he thinks,
"I knew this song would not bring back my father's feet . This song would not repair my father's bladder, kidneys , lungs , and heart. This song would not prevent my father from drinking a bottle of vodka as soon as he could sit up in bed. This song would not defeat death."
As for the smiling nurse,
"Sometimes , even after all show more of these years , she could still be surprised by her work. She still marveled at the infinite and ridiculous faith of other people."
And the young man ponders whether dying slowly from alcohol and disabetes should be called an "a natural Indian death".
Sherman Alexie is a fearless writer, mocking, rebellious, yet completely entertaining. show less

This is an excellent collection of stories, difficult to read in that they are often unsettling, reflecting the pain of being a Native American both in the past and today. It makes the experience of being a much reviled and mistreated minority clear and shares the pain felt in that existence with those of the majority white race that caused the pain. But beyond that, the stories also give insight into what we lost, what we sacrificed by permitting this genocide to keep America from fully integrating its own cultures with those which were here long before "white men" came to the continent.
I was particularly impressed with the story, "The Senator's Son" because it so beautifully told the story of moral bankruptcy present in so many of us: show more we SAY we believe something, and those of us who are more thoughtful about matching our actions to our words try to "practice what we preach," but, given the right circumstances, self interest overwhelms moral imperatives for many of us.
The entire book was a lesson in morals, cultural awareness, and in the effects of oppression on both the oppressed and the oppressors and I believe this book ought to find a wide audience. We need to hear what Alexie has to say. show less

This is an excellent collection of stories, difficult to read in that they are often unsettling, reflecting the pain of being a Native American both in the past and today. It makes the experience of being a much reviled and mistreated minority clear and shares the pain felt in that existence with those of the majority white race that caused the pain. But beyond that, the stories also give insight into what we lost, what we sacrificed by permitting this genocide to keep America from fully integrating its own cultures with those which were here long before "white men" came to the continent.
I was particularly impressed with the story, "The Senator's Son" because it so beautifully told the story of moral bankruptcy present in so many of us: show more we SAY we believe something, and those of us who are more thoughtful about matching our actions to our words try to "practice what we preach," but, given the right circumstances, self interest overwhelms moral imperatives for many of us.
The entire book was a lesson in morals, cultural awareness, and in the effects of oppression on both the oppressed and the oppressors and I believe this book ought to find a wide audience. We need to hear what Alexie has to say. show less

Alexie’s War Dances is a collection of stories about the complexities of all manner of relationships: father/son, husband/wife, homeowner/robber, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend/friend, modern Native American/cultural heritage. Alexie uses both poetry and variations on the standard short story to communicate the tragic struggles and small triumphs of forgiveness and quiet resolution at turning points in the character’s lives. Critical moments for reflection—a son seeing his father’s alcoholism lead to his death, a man mindlessly committing a violent hate crime, another man losing innocence by learning the lies behind all he has believed—center each story and guide the character and the reader through a thoughtful, meditative show more examination of self and belief.

I believe this book deserves its honor of the National Book Award because Alexie has mastered the art of capturing a deeply true and tragically beautiful thought’s essence and crafting it into the fabric of a honest, fallible, and heartbreakingly real character’s life experience. His dialogue is piercing, moving, and challenging, and his pacing in his prose development mirrors the careful construction of his poetry, which I have always found sublime. I would recommend this book because it is highly enjoyable and freeing in spite of (or even because of) its heavy content. His wrenching vignettes, interwoven with his powerful poetry, sing of expert, intentional wordsmithing, that both refreshes with its sparseness and originality and soothes with rhythm and truth.

Rebecca H. show less

This collection of poems and short stories reaffirms my belief that Sherman Alexie is some kind of literary rockstar. The words can get kind of crazy and they don’t all make sense to me, but I love them anyway. The stories are bold and aggressive, and that’s exactly why I’m a fan. When I finished War Dances, I wanted to jump around and scream and take home a souvenir of smashed pencil splinters.

The title story tells of an American Indian dealing with the impending death of his alcoholic, diabetic father (a “natural Indian death”). Other narrators include a film editor who reacts violently to an intruder in his home, a news intern who must write the obituary of the obituary editor, and a music fan who thinks a burned show more compilation CD just ain’t got the same soul as a mix tape made the old way. While the content may not be shocking, the authenticity is. I get the feeling that these characters all have the same burning questions that I have. Alexie puts those questions (even the scary ones) into words, gives them breathing room, and doesn’t pretend that he has all the answers. As a whole, the book is a slap in the face, or a relief, or both. Also, it’s hilarious.

I’ve read four other books by this author, and this much I can tell you: while reading Sherman Alexie, I’m never bored and I’m never certain. I often feel like I’m trailing a maniacal driver who does 90 and zigzags frequently. It’s a wild ride, so I’m not promising that you’ll finish War Dances in the same condition you were in when you started … but getting roughed up by a read can be a good time. If you’ve resolved to do something daring in the New Year, check out this book.

Review written by Laura Richardson, 11/9/2009 show less

A collection of poems and short stories from Sherman Alexie, whose ironic take on Americans, no matter when they or their ancestors arrived here, is by turns funny, poignant, sometimes weird but always on the mark.