Helpful Score: 3
Good read, I couldn't put it down. It deserved the distinction of Finalist for the National Book Award. The other book of hers I really loved was the Master Butcher's Singing Club. Others of hers I have tried and they weren't my cup of tea. This one stood out.
Helpful Score: 2
This is my second Louise Erdrich book. I love how her writing flows and her stories are so interesting. They are not your everyday stories that get stuck in boredom. This book is told through the eyes of a 13 year old boy and the love he has for his family and friends as he tries to make things right for his mom. It is an interesting and intriguing book.
Helpful Score: 1
This is an author I especially enjoy. Her books are unique most are set in the Midwest and some, like The Round House, on Native American reservations. Antone Basil Joe Coutts Jr. is 13 in North Dakota in 1988. His father is a judge in the tribal court, and his mother Geraldine is a tribal enrollment specialist. Joe (he chose the name when he was 6) spends his time with his best friend, Cappy, and friends Zach and Angus riding their bikes and beginning to think about girls. Joe likes to read his fathers books on Indian law and listen to stories by his grandfather, Mooshum. When Joes mother Geraldine is violently raped, the aftermath takes them on a search for answers and revenge. Its a vivid look at life on a reservation at that time, and the laws and history they have to contend with.
I liked this book about the Objibwe tribe and a young man trying to make sense and avenge his mother's pain.
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-round-house.html
The Round House is set on a North Dakota reservation. It is the story of a boy, a family, a community, and a culture. The book begins as Geraldine Coutts is attacked. The story is about the impact on her and her family, particularly her thirteen year old son Joe. Ultimately, the story is about a search for justice.
The book starts with a sad and disturbing event and proceeds to a sad and disturbing conclusion. Everything in between is - you guessed it - sad and disturbing. That, in and of itself, is not my concern with the book. Many sad stories are very powerful ones. What concerns me most is the perspective from which the story is told. The story is written as a first person narrative through Joe's eyes. Joe is a thirteen year old boy. I don't understand why.
This story puts the child in the middle of an adult world he is not ready to deal with. Again, that in and of itself is not my concern. However, putting a child in the position of the narrator puts a child's perspective on the situation. It hints at the adult emotions and turmoil but does not fully reflect them. As such, I feel as if part of the anguish and reality of this story is actually missing. We see Geraldine's pain through Joe's eyes.
This book brings to light the difficulty in prosecuting rape cases on reservations. I was not aware of this issue until reading this book. I do hope the book can lead to some positive changes.
The Round House is set on a North Dakota reservation. It is the story of a boy, a family, a community, and a culture. The book begins as Geraldine Coutts is attacked. The story is about the impact on her and her family, particularly her thirteen year old son Joe. Ultimately, the story is about a search for justice.
The book starts with a sad and disturbing event and proceeds to a sad and disturbing conclusion. Everything in between is - you guessed it - sad and disturbing. That, in and of itself, is not my concern with the book. Many sad stories are very powerful ones. What concerns me most is the perspective from which the story is told. The story is written as a first person narrative through Joe's eyes. Joe is a thirteen year old boy. I don't understand why.
This story puts the child in the middle of an adult world he is not ready to deal with. Again, that in and of itself is not my concern. However, putting a child in the position of the narrator puts a child's perspective on the situation. It hints at the adult emotions and turmoil but does not fully reflect them. As such, I feel as if part of the anguish and reality of this story is actually missing. We see Geraldine's pain through Joe's eyes.
This book brings to light the difficulty in prosecuting rape cases on reservations. I was not aware of this issue until reading this book. I do hope the book can lead to some positive changes.
I had read Last Report of Miracles At Little No Horse and enjoyed it, and this one did not disappoint. Always engaging, the story constantly evolving and moving, this is a powerful tale that will leave you thinking about it long after.
I guess I need to write this to say that I disagree with the review that did not like the story told through the eyes of a 13 yr. old boy. An assault would affect the whole family. A 13 yr. old would understand, but only to an extent. He would want to take care of his mother, he held her as they went to the hospital, so would feel as though he needed to do something, but for the most part her pain is out of his control.
The story goes beyond the assault, though and is a bit of a mystery. It also has a historical background and present day problems with crime on reservations and even beyond that to show the poverty and alcohol problems. There was sexual content that may be an issue for some.
The story goes beyond the assault, though and is a bit of a mystery. It also has a historical background and present day problems with crime on reservations and even beyond that to show the poverty and alcohol problems. There was sexual content that may be an issue for some.
Sorry to say I just couldn't get into this book. Gave it 120 pages and put it down for good!
