Rating: 
Summary: A Special Kind of Dawn
Review: This 1969 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel alternates between vivid observations of nature coupled with intense word pictures which are a joy for the reader to enigmatic sketches that can leave the reader with a sense of bewilderment as to the possible symbolic meaning. This patchwork construction of the piece begs a second reading of the work even by the careful reader. This is not a work to be undertaken lightly but will be most rewarding to the careful reader.The Author takes us on a journey through the life of Abel from his beginnings on the reservation through his tragic life in urban society to his eventual return to his roots on the reservation.
Rating: 
Summary: astounding
Review: This book is a masterpiece in that it approaches language as art, and thus paints a picture that, while not everybody will be able to see the significance, those who do will be rewarded with something stimulating and moving, something that straightforward, entertainment-based books never offer. When I first read it, I struggled. I can't imagine anybody could manage much on the first run. But by the end of the second reading I had begun to piece things together, and develop new questions. And by the time I stumbled upon the question of whether or not the "white man" exists literally, I was hooked. I could chew on this for a lifetime, and still find new things with each reading.
Rating:
Summary: Vivid and fresh take on ancient mythology
Review: This book is a staple of the modern American Indian literary diet. The novel opens with a side-lit vision of Southwestern life in the mid-century. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful writing... but what else?
Review: This book is beautifully written, with descriptive scenes reminiscent of O'Keeffe paintings. However, I did not find it to be successful fiction. The characters are opaque, while the plot is slight and rendered nearly incomprehensible by the confused time sequence. I finished the book asking 'What was the point?'
Rating:
Summary: Very talked about!
Review: This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969, and has had all sorts of articles and criticism written about it ever since. For proof, visit http://users.mwci.net/~lapoz/Momaday.htm
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Yet Difficult Read
Review: This is a beautifully written novel about a man Able who is struggling to find his identity and place in life. He is a Native American from New Mexico who is convicted of murder and when released moves to Los Angeles. He is torn between the choice of his traditional Native American culture and the Americanized culture of LA.
Momaday writes the novel in a modernist tone, switching perspectives, narrators, and even periods of time. He writes in the present in the past using flashbacks, he then will throw in a few myths and maybe some history. This makes the novel very difficult to follow chronologically at times, even though each chapter is dated. The majority of the book is told from the perspective of Able, his character I found to be fairly under developed a long with many of the other characters. The novel seems somewhat allegorical at times because of this, especially with the character Ben Benally. He is Abel's friend and roommate in LA and a portion of the novel is told in his point of view. He is a simple character who represents a huge concept that is vividly portrayed throughout the novel. This is the idea of Native American Assimilation; Ben Benally represents the assimilated Native America, Abel the man who cannot choose if he wants to assimilate, and then Francisco (Abel's Grandfather) the traditional "ideal" Native American. This is all very confusing to pick in a first read though, because there are so many different things going on and ideas being tossed around at once that the reader is too overwhelmed to do anything but decode the plot.
Despite its confusing nature, Momaday is able to portray some of the most beautiful nature images a novelist can. He describes an eagle in flight as if he is the eagle, a grasshopper framed by the moon like his lover, and suicidal fish like the miracle of birth. "They were golden eagles, a male and a female, in their mating flight. They were cavorting, spinning and spiraling on the cold, clear columns of air, and they were beautiful. They swooped and hovered, leaning on the air, and swung close together, feinting, and screaming with delight." His tidbits of Native American myths and history add to the allegorical feel of the novel, and make for an interesting read.
This is a wonderful novel despite Momaday's modernist writing style, and switches in perspective and time. It does require at least two reads though, do not expect to sit down and thoroughly understand it the first time through. Do expect it to get better with each read, for the descriptions to become more alive, and the themes to become more real. For the patient reader who enjoys modernism, Native American literature, or just overall beautiful writing this book can be what you want it to be. I highly recommend this book, and if it does not fit your liking the first time just try, again it will only get better.
Rating:
Summary: Enigmatic Story
Review: This novel is a fascinating, albeit challenging, read. The basic plot and the main characters do emerge upon a first reading, but the book needs to be read at least twice for one to see its richness. I find it especially interesting to read _House Made of Dawn_ along with _Way to Rainy Mountain_. Reading both books makes each of them clearer and yields a richer understanding of Momaday's artistry. It also would be useful to read a great about Kiowa folklore and history between different readings of both books.
Rating:
Summary: Enigmatic Story
Review: This novel is a fascinating, albeit challenging, read. The basic plot and the main characters do emerge upon a first reading, but the book needs to be read at least twice for one to see its richness. I find it especially interesting to read _House Made of Dawn_ along with _Way to Rainy Mountain_. Reading both books makes each of them clearer and yields a richer understanding of Momaday's artistry. It also would be useful to read a great about Kiowa folklore and history between different readings of both books.
Rating:
Summary: Different
Review: Understanding the plot of this book was difficult at first. In particular, in Part One, I was confused whether the protagonist of certain episodes was Abel or his grandfather as a young man. However, after surmounting this difficulty, I found this book to be a subtle, moving, and intricate narrative. The prose remained starkly simple and poetic throughout, a distinguishing characteristic of this book. Abel, the main character, has little dialogue throughout the novel, thus marking his role as a symbol for Momaday's theme, rather than a developed character. I believe that the lives of Abel and his grandfather are meant to coincide. After the latter's death at the end of the novel, Abel sprinkles blue and yellow meal on his body before reporting the death to the priest - which, as we learn from the memoirs of a 19th century priest, was exactly what the grandfather's people had done in their day. Abel returned to his roots.
|
