The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
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Community Reviews
I was blown away by this book. I thought about it while I was reading it. I thought about it when I'd put it down. I thought about it after I'd read the last word there was to read.
I'm probably a terrible audience for this book for several reasons.
Reason #1: I know little about Native Americans other than what Hollywood and [b: The Indian in the Cupboard|125404|The Indian in the Cupboard (The Indian in the Cupboard, #1)|Lynne Reid Banks|https:images.gr-assets.com/books/1171903915s/125404.jpg|824446] have revealed to me. And I'm pretty sure they've revealed little worth hanging my hat on.
Reason #2: I know nothing about living on an Indian Reservation (in modern day).
Reason #3: I'm just ignorant enough on the topic(s) to not know when to be sensitive enough. Was that where I was supposed to laugh? Was that where my heart was supposed to ache? I didn't know, so I just went with it.
Yet...I am not blind. I know when writing is AMAZING. This is one of the first books I've read that is so simultaneously funny and sad. To be clear, I don't mean funny in a doubled over belly laugh sort of way.
Yet...I am not heartless. I know when there's an injustice. I know about the isolation alcohol can create. I know about hard relationships - the relationship my parents had and ones of my own. To be clear, I am absolutely not getting into a "my hardships are harder than your hardships" match (mine are but dust in comparison) but rather nodding at small humanity connections within the book.
And I didn't feel like Alexie was talking/writing down to me. He was just telling it whether I was there or not. And I was lucky enough to be there reading it.
I couldn't STOP writing down quotes (which is when I know a book is hitting me hard), but here's just a sampling of the ones that just socked me in the gut.
Somehow my father's memories of my mother grew more beautiful as their relationship became more hostile. By the time the divorce was final, my mother was quite possibly the most beautiful woman who ever lived.
"Everyone wanted to call her sweetheart. But she only danced for me. That's how it was. She told me that every other step was just for me."
"But that's only half of the dance," I said.
"Yeah," my father said. "She was keeping the rest for herself. Nobody can give everything away. It ain't healthy."
"Really, why'd you come back?"
"Because someone needs to help you die the right way," she said. "And we both know that dying ain't something you ever done before."
And we laughed, you know, because sometimes that's all two people have in common.
And we laughed, you know, because sometimes you'd rather cry.
5 (Thousand?) Stars
I'm probably a terrible audience for this book for several reasons.
Reason #1: I know little about Native Americans other than what Hollywood and [b: The Indian in the Cupboard|125404|The Indian in the Cupboard (The Indian in the Cupboard, #1)|Lynne Reid Banks|https:images.gr-assets.com/books/1171903915s/125404.jpg|824446] have revealed to me. And I'm pretty sure they've revealed little worth hanging my hat on.
Reason #2: I know nothing about living on an Indian Reservation (in modern day).
Reason #3: I'm just ignorant enough on the topic(s) to not know when to be sensitive enough. Was that where I was supposed to laugh? Was that where my heart was supposed to ache? I didn't know, so I just went with it.
Yet...I am not blind. I know when writing is AMAZING. This is one of the first books I've read that is so simultaneously funny and sad. To be clear, I don't mean funny in a doubled over belly laugh sort of way.
Yet...I am not heartless. I know when there's an injustice. I know about the isolation alcohol can create. I know about hard relationships - the relationship my parents had and ones of my own. To be clear, I am absolutely not getting into a "my hardships are harder than your hardships" match (mine are but dust in comparison) but rather nodding at small humanity connections within the book.
And I didn't feel like Alexie was talking/writing down to me. He was just telling it whether I was there or not. And I was lucky enough to be there reading it.
I couldn't STOP writing down quotes (which is when I know a book is hitting me hard), but here's just a sampling of the ones that just socked me in the gut.
Somehow my father's memories of my mother grew more beautiful as their relationship became more hostile. By the time the divorce was final, my mother was quite possibly the most beautiful woman who ever lived.
"Everyone wanted to call her sweetheart. But she only danced for me. That's how it was. She told me that every other step was just for me."
"But that's only half of the dance," I said.
"Yeah," my father said. "She was keeping the rest for herself. Nobody can give everything away. It ain't healthy."
"Really, why'd you come back?"
"Because someone needs to help you die the right way," she said. "And we both know that dying ain't something you ever done before."
And we laughed, you know, because sometimes that's all two people have in common.
And we laughed, you know, because sometimes you'd rather cry.
5 (Thousand?) Stars
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