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Jess's Reviews > The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by
by
Jess's review
bookshelves: young-adult, high-school, sports, mock-printz-2008, national-book-award
Nov 27, 2007
bookshelves: young-adult, high-school, sports, mock-printz-2008, national-book-award
Read 2 times. Last read November 1, 2007.
2018 update - with all of the women coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment from Alexie, I'm no longer comfortable with the glowing review I originally wrote. I still think the book is fantastic, but I don't think the same of its author, and I can't promote his writing with any enthusiasm. I'll leave the original review below.
______________________________
I kinda got on the Sherman Alexie bandwagon, as an undergrad, when all freshmen were required to read his The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. I liked it. Put it next to Plato’s Republic and it was pretty damn exciting. But I didn’t go out and gobble up all this other books. Plus I’m not the hugest fan of short stories. But you know me, I’m a sucker for YA. And for YA that everyone’s been raving about. And that wins the National Book Award.
Here’s one of my favorite things about the book: almost everything that makes you laugh is also heartbreaking. This in no way makes it less funny, or less sad. It’s both, perfectly, at once. Just like the times when Junior is heartbroken but can’t. stop. laughing.
Also, Junior is a book kisser.
I grabbed my book and opened it up.
I wanted to smell it.
Heck, I wanted to kiss it.
Yes, kiss it.
That’s right, I’m a book kisser.
Maybe that’s kind of perverted or maybe it’s just romantic and highly intelligent.
While it certainly packs a punch, it’s a quick, engaging read and I think it would be equally engaging to high schoolers and adults. It’s one I could pick up and read through again, if I didn’t have so many others waiting for me.
Also, the 1 and 2 star reviews on Amazon are pretty diverting. “The protagonist is too similar to all of those annoying protagonists in young adult fiction today,� says the 1 star. Yes, they’re all so annoying aren’t they? They’re not, you know, struggling with figuring out who they are and what their place is in the world. They don’t have problems with friends or family or school or themselves. They’re simply annoying. Oh, teenagers. Both reviews pick on the Catcher in the Rye similarities, but honestly I never thought of Catcher until Junior mentioned it on his list of favorite books. Along with The Grapes of Wrath. And Feed. And Fat Kid Rules the World. And Invisible Man. And some others that I haven’t read. But really, I was more struck by the inclusion of Steinbeck and Ellison than the others - you have poverty and you have race, pretty squarely represented. Issues that are much more emphasized, I would say, than any similarities to Holden.
______________________________
I kinda got on the Sherman Alexie bandwagon, as an undergrad, when all freshmen were required to read his The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. I liked it. Put it next to Plato’s Republic and it was pretty damn exciting. But I didn’t go out and gobble up all this other books. Plus I’m not the hugest fan of short stories. But you know me, I’m a sucker for YA. And for YA that everyone’s been raving about. And that wins the National Book Award.
Here’s one of my favorite things about the book: almost everything that makes you laugh is also heartbreaking. This in no way makes it less funny, or less sad. It’s both, perfectly, at once. Just like the times when Junior is heartbroken but can’t. stop. laughing.
Also, Junior is a book kisser.
I grabbed my book and opened it up.
I wanted to smell it.
Heck, I wanted to kiss it.
Yes, kiss it.
That’s right, I’m a book kisser.
Maybe that’s kind of perverted or maybe it’s just romantic and highly intelligent.
While it certainly packs a punch, it’s a quick, engaging read and I think it would be equally engaging to high schoolers and adults. It’s one I could pick up and read through again, if I didn’t have so many others waiting for me.
Also, the 1 and 2 star reviews on Amazon are pretty diverting. “The protagonist is too similar to all of those annoying protagonists in young adult fiction today,� says the 1 star. Yes, they’re all so annoying aren’t they? They’re not, you know, struggling with figuring out who they are and what their place is in the world. They don’t have problems with friends or family or school or themselves. They’re simply annoying. Oh, teenagers. Both reviews pick on the Catcher in the Rye similarities, but honestly I never thought of Catcher until Junior mentioned it on his list of favorite books. Along with The Grapes of Wrath. And Feed. And Fat Kid Rules the World. And Invisible Man. And some others that I haven’t read. But really, I was more struck by the inclusion of Steinbeck and Ellison than the others - you have poverty and you have race, pretty squarely represented. Issues that are much more emphasized, I would say, than any similarities to Holden.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
November 1, 2007
–
Finished Reading
November 27, 2007
– Shelved
November 27, 2007
– Shelved as:
young-adult
November 29, 2007
– Shelved as:
high-school
November 29, 2007
– Shelved as:
sports
December 9, 2007
– Shelved as:
mock-printz-2008
January 14, 2008
– Shelved as:
national-book-award
Started Reading
(Audio CD Edition)
January 27, 2009
– Shelved
(Audio CD Edition)
January 27, 2009
– Shelved as:
audiobook
(Audio CD Edition)
January 27, 2009
– Shelved as:
young-adult
(Audio CD Edition)
January 27, 2009
–
Finished Reading
(Audio CD Edition)
February 14, 2011
– Shelved as:
odyssey-award
(Audio CD Edition)
Comments Showing 1-32 of 32 (32 new)
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I like the consumer review model if only because it lets me make fun of other people.
I'm reading it to my homeroom kids right now and they love it! The humor is great - and because they're blind, my kids can all relate to Junior being a social outcast. Well done, Sherman! I need to watch Smoke Signals again:)
Made of awesome. I've been saying that a lot lately too. It's coming from Brotherhood 2.0 I think. ;-)
I must confess to picking up "made of awesome' from the Greens.
Your review and comments are vastly more eloquent than anything I could say. Thanks you for wonderful comments on a terrific book.
"Here’s one of my favorite things about the book: almost everything that makes you laugh is also heartbreaking. This in no way makes it less funny, or less sad. It’s both, perfectly, at once. Just like the times when Junior is heartbroken but can’t. stop. laughing."How brilliantly put. YES!!!!
Yup this book is deceptively powerful and when you finish it, it clobbers you.
The humor in the book stood out to me. Alexie did a good job of making you laugh, then making you heartbroken the next chapter. The detailed two life scenario the character lives in is great, really showing how hard it can actually be being a teenager. I think this is a for sure read for all young high schoolers.
This book was absolutely wonderful and I think the title of this book was a great metaphor:)
Everything about this review is how I feel. Thanks for a great review
I am thinking this would be a great book to read to my freshmen. Would parents kill me?
Good question! Theresa read to her students, but I can't remember what range of high schoolers she had. Have you already read the book? I think the reaction might depend on the community. Part of me wants to say who cares how they'd react, but the book has definitely been challenged before for content.
How did you give the book no stars? I haven’t figured that one out.
Reading this for an undergrad class, and my prof plans to open the conversation up to whether it should remain on the syllabus with the recent allegations, so I wondered if I’d see anything about that in the reviews. I think I feel the same way you do, both about the book and the author. I’m torn between a love for the craft of writing and the reality that writers are flawed beings—some far more than others. Thanks for speaking up.
Julie wrote: "How did you give the book no stars? I haven’t figured that one out."I just saw your comment - I removed my original rating by editing my review and clicking "clear" next to the star rating. If you haven't rated something yet, just don't click on any of the stars and it will leave it blank.
Many wonderful artists / writers are completely horrible people or simply asses. And many wonderful people are crap artists or writers. All of us have imperfections, and what we see or feel or take away from experiencing an person's creative work may be informed by how it touches us in a visceral sense, or it may be informed by our experience of their behaviors. I don't often like to hear interviews with writers or artists because I think their works speak for themselves. I never was a big Picasso fan, but when I learned how he treated people I stopped even trying to like him. Alexie's work in general has a voice I understand, regardless of his unwritten actions.
I read this book because a teen in my life was assigned it as required reading in high school. I thought it touched on a lot of important themes, and especially for teens, created a lot of opportunities for conversations about the realities they're living with or at least finally becoming aware of. And then I came here, and read this review, and did some googling and ugh. I'm more disappointed than anything else. I agree with Maxine above to an extent, but only if one has agency, right? So the fact that this was assigned reading in a classroom, where they didn't discuss the author (I asked), makes it feel grimy. While reading the book, again, without knowing the recent news about the author, I was also disappointed by the female characters in the book. I did enjoy the reverse Bechdel moment between the teacher and Junior in the beginning of the book when two men were discussing Junior's sister Mary. And although we don't hear Mary speak ONCE in the book, we do get her direct words twice through an email and a letter. It just really doesn't seem like a enough. The narrator admittedly is shallow and when Penelope is trying to have a real conversation he is just staring at her chest. That's good to kids to think about, call it out, recognize it. But then what? He doesn't really do anything with that realization. Just continues to do it. He doesn't see Penelope as a person, but as a prize. So in short, lots of potential. If taught by the right teacher, and the students are provided information about the abuse of power by the author, this book could be a great catalyst for conversation and growth.
OR, maybe assign a book by a female author and see how that goes. (Went through all the books I was assigned when I was in school, and the only female written books I was assigned before college were the Westing Game in high school and A Wrinkle in Time in elementary school. That's it. WTF.)
I have never seen or heard of any of these accusations.If you research further into the US History of the treatment and Genocide on Native American People, you will understand why Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, lack of education, sexual abuse and suicide runs rampant in our communities.
Definitely not condoning any of this BUT it is finally MY generation that is starting the healing and the change.
Educate before you judge.
And yes I'm gonna research this rumor because he's my cousin.
It troubled me a lot too but I still think the book in itself is important to read to understand what's going on in America
Ugh. After this I am putting the book in the recycle bin.
I have read many of Alexie’s books and they are true stories of the what occurs on the Reservations. This book and the many he wrote for youth are exactly what those kids and us need to understand. I can recognize every student who passed through middle school in his writing! These writings are so needed for those students and for us to “get it�!
Yes, there were charges against Sherman but after reading his biography one understands what his upbringing was and how that made him be a good role model for Indian youth. I feel most treat him more harshly than necessary. He is a good man that uses his skill to help others!
Girl if The its true that he SA-ed girls he would be in prision or convicted unfortunally people like to lie
@danijel Strejkic, not entirely true. We like to think that but not always the case. I do think there are MANY praised authors with problematic pasts. I don't think we should ignore that, but sometimes we do have to separate the art from the artist and proceed accordingly. I don't entirely know what that looks like but a good book is a good book even if you dislike the author or believe they should have justice rendered for their bad behavior. Both things can be true at the same time.
I had the same experience -- and now I am being tasked with teaching it. I think separating art from the artist is all well and good when you walk in a book store, but making an entire grade read it with no title to balance it (say, a book by a female about her adolescence) feels, to be unacademic, icky.
It's difficult, but possible - and worthwhile I think - to separate the sin from the sinner, the crime from the criminal, and also the art from the artist. We are all more than our worst moments. So I'm glad you let the review stand, and qualified it with a caveat.
The artist is different from the art. The reality is that few people don’t have any skeletons in their closet. I think k it’s totally okay not to want to support the author (I downloaded the book instead of buying lol) but that doesn’t mean the book should be punished.
Yikes I didn’t know about this and maybe wouldn’t have read the book if I did, especially after looking up the details. Thankfully I just borrowed the ebook from my library. It makes the parts with Penelope feel a bit creepy in hindsight. This was an insightful read, particularly for 2007, but there are thankfully lots of other indigenous authors out there who reflect on similar experiences and aren’t predators. The artist vs art argument is definitely valid and it’s up to each person to decide whether they can make that distinction. Personally I can’t but to each their own.
Thanks for your update. I removed the "Want to Read" tag. There are so many other books out there to read, I'd prefer not to voluntarily support an author with that type of bad behavior.
thanks for the cyber recommendation!