Starred Review. Grade 7–10—Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, Alexie's first young adult novel is a semiautobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Meeting his old classmates on the court, Junior grapples with questions about what constitutes one's community, identity, and tribe. The daily struggles of reservation life and the tragic deaths of the protagonist's grandmother, dog, and older sister would be all but unbearable without the humor and resilience of spirit with which Junior faces the world. The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.—Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Arnold Spirit, a goofy-looking dork with a decent jumpshot, spends his time lamenting life on the "poor-ass" Spokane Indian reservation, drawing cartoons (which accompany, and often provide more insight than, the narrative), and, along with his aptly named pal Rowdy, laughing those laughs over anything and nothing that affix best friends so intricately together. When a teacher pleads with Arnold to want more, to escape the hopelessness of the rez, Arnold switches to a rich white school and immediately becomes as much an outcast in his own community as he is a curiosity in his new one. He weathers the typical teenage indignations and triumphs like a champ but soon faces far more trying ordeals as his home life begins to crumble and decay amidst the suffocating mire of alcoholism on the reservation. Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience, and he doesn't pull many punches as he levels his eye at stereotypes both warranted and inapt. A few of the plotlines fade to gray by the end, but this ultimately affirms the incredible power of best friends to hurt and heal in equal measure. Younger teens looking for the strength to lift themselves out of rough situations would do well to start here. Chipman, Ian --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
"Sure to resonate and lift spirits of all ages for years to come." ( )
"This is a gem of a book....may be [Sherman Alexie's] best work yet." ( )
"Nimbly blends sharp with unapologetic emotion....fluid narration deftly mingles raw feelings with funny, sardonic insight." ( )
"Deftly taps into the human desire to stand out while fitting in." ( )
"[Alexie] has created an endearing teen protagonist in his own likeness and placed him in the here and now." ( )
"Exceptionally good....Arnold is a wonderful character." ( )
"Fierce observations and sharp sense of humor...hilarious language." ( )
"Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience." ( )
"Few writers are more masterful than Sherman Alexie." ( )
"What emerges most strongly is Junior's uncompromising determination to press on while leaving nothing important behind." ( )
"The line between dramatic monologue, verse novel, and standup comedy gets unequivocally-and hilariously and triumphantly-bent in this novel." ( )
"Realistic and fantastical and funny and tragic-all at the same time." ( )
"Breathtakingly honest, funny, profane, sad....will stay with readers." ( )
"A Native American equivalent of Angela's Ashes." ( )
【美】薛曼•亚历斯:薛曼•亚历斯
华盛顿州立大学毕业,海明威文学奖暨美国国家书卷奖得主。撰写的喜剧电影剧本《以烟传讯》,曾赢得“最佳观众票选”及“制片人大奖”两项荣誉。在诗文的创作上,他于1998年“世界重量杯诗人创作竞赛”获得首奖,之后创下连夺该奖四年冠军的记录,至今无人可匹敌。
得奖记录
★1993年海明威文学奖(最佳首创小说)
★1998年达科玛公共图书馆年度文学奖
★1999年获选“纽约客杂志21世纪文学20强”之一
★1999年欧•亨利文学奖(O. Henry Award)
★2000年亚马逊短篇故事奖
★2001年美国诗学会“雪莱纪念讲”
★2001年获得福克纳基金会颁发的马拉默德文学奖
★2005年普世卡诗奖
★2006年入选Miles Franklin奖
文化差异还是什么其他原因,翻译? 总感觉这本书真的是浪费我钱,十七岁生日礼物的三本书,唯这一本最无趣。 装帧确实不错,有一句话“唯有风,可以穿越荆棘”不错,除此基本没什么有意思章节,故事无聊,翻译文笔渣爆。 豆瓣评分其实在我看来其实是不怎么靠谱的,这种一人一票...
评分只是想说 我不了解美国的种族歧视 我不知道印第安人生活在如此的水深火热之中 我不懂得医学上的所谓脑袋积水 我所明白的只是书中所说的信心和勇气 我们在这个世界上一天 就请不要放弃努力 不向任何人投降 生命是充满缺陷的 没有十全十美的人 像那句“幸好我们还拥...
评分每个人小时候都有很牛B的梦想,但当我们真正长大了,那些牛B的梦想呢,我们是否还记的,或许记得,也被这个世界的残酷所削减,让我们努力为了最初的梦想继续进发,挑战这个残酷的世界. 全书的文笔幽默风趣,很容易让人产生认同感,然而在每一个幽默的小插曲背后有体...
评分优点:爆笑、自嘲、暗讽、analogy、穿插漫画 花了两个夜晚看完这本书,甜蜜又心酸。 乍一看书名我还以为是以印度人写的,后来翻了下才知是一印第安小孩的journal。那么,INDIAN这个词什么时候表示印度人,什么时候又表示印第安人呢??答案是不知道,得看上下文。 In·di·a...
评分在这本书中,特别喜欢两句话。 一是二世在高弟的引导下所领悟到的一句话:如果书中的每一刻都该被认真对待,那么生命的每一刻也该被认真对待。 是啊,也许你的人生总是遇到很多出乎意料的意外,在你追逐梦想的路上设下诸多埋伏,但我们也不应该对接下来的一切采取任其发展的态...
坦率地说,这本书所涉及的主题是极其沉重的,关乎贫困、酒精依赖、种族隔离和梦想的重量。但最让我感到震撼的是,它在描绘这些黑暗面时,并没有让悲剧压垮读者,反而从中提炼出了一种坚韧不拔的希望。主人公身边的那些人物,无论是看似愤世嫉俗的祖母,还是那个默默支持他的朋友,每个人身上都闪烁着微小但坚定的光芒。他们的缺点和错误被毫不留情地揭示出来,但他们的爱与牺牲同样被歌颂。这本书教会我的最重要一课是:生活或许永远不会变得“容易”,但我们有能力选择如何去面对它。它颂扬的不是逃避,而是直面生活的磨难,并从中找到属于自己的声音和价值。读完后,我感觉自己被注入了一种强大的精神力量,去更勇敢地面对自己生活中那些“不完美”的部分,这是一种非常积极且鼓舞人心的阅读体验。
评分我得说,这本书的语言风格极其鲜活,充满了那种未经雕琢的生命力。它不是那种文绉绉、需要反复推敲才能领会的文字,而是像直接从主人公的脑海里倾泻而出,带着粗粝的质感和令人会心一笑的幽默感。特别是那些关于学校生活和家庭互动的描写,充满了鲜活的对话和充满地域特色的表达,让人感觉就像坐在他们身边听他们聊天一样。更妙的是,作者在描绘那些痛苦、挣扎的时刻,比如面对歧视或者家庭的困境时,依然能找到一种独特的、近乎黑色幽默的表达方式来缓冲情绪的重量,使得整本书读起来既不至于过于沉重,又能保持对现实的深刻洞察。这是一种非常高明的平衡术,让读者在捧腹大笑之后,又能被猛地拉回现实的残酷性中。这种文字上的反差和碰撞,构建了一个既令人心碎又让人充满希望的叙事世界,展现了底层人物在逆境中依然保持乐观和韧性的强大生命力,读起来酣畅淋漓,痛快无比。
评分这本书给我最大的震撼在于它对“局外人”身份的细腻捕捉。主人公总是在寻找一个能完全接纳他的地方,无论是他出生的保留地,还是他后来转去的白人高中,他都像是一个游走在边缘的观察者,永远无法完全融入其中任何一个群体。作者通过大量的内心独白和细致入微的观察,展现了这种“双重身份”带来的身份危机:一方面,他被期望要成为族群的代表,承担沉重的文化责任;另一方面,他又渴望摆脱那些他认为束缚他的旧有模式,去追求更广阔的未来。这种“两边不靠岸”的状态,是许多在文化边缘挣扎的人共同的痛点,而这本书精准地捕捉到了这种复杂的情感结构——既有对过去的依恋和愧疚,又有对未来的向往和忐忑。它没有给出简单的答案,而是坦诚地展示了这种持续的拉扯本身就是生活的一部分,教会我们如何带着这份破碎感继续前行,这本身就是一种极大的勇气和智慧。
评分这本小说简直是部奇迹,读完后我感觉自己的心被狠狠地揪了一下,然后又被一股暖流温柔地包裹起来。作者对角色内心世界的刻画简直是入木三分,你能清晰地感受到主人公在两个截然不同的世界之间挣扎、碰撞的那种剧痛与迷茫。他试图在保留自己文化根源的同时,去拥抱外部世界带来的机遇和挑战,这种拉扯感在每一个细节中都体现得淋漓尽致。我特别欣赏作者处理严肃议题的方式,它既尖锐又充满人性的光辉,没有刻意去美化困境,也没有陷入无谓的控诉,而是用一种近乎残酷的诚实,展现了生活本来的面貌。那种青春期特有的敏感、对归属感的极度渴望,以及面对偏见时的无力和反抗,都写得如此真实,让我仿佛又回到了那个青涩又躁动的年纪,感同身受。这本书的叙事节奏张弛有度,时而轻快幽默,时而沉重压抑,这种情感的过山车体验,让阅读过程充满了张力,让人欲罢不能。它不仅仅是一个关于成长的故事,更是一份对身份认同、文化冲突以及个体自由的深刻探讨,读完后留下的思考余韵,久久不散。
评分从文学技巧的角度来看,这本书的结构设置简直精妙绝伦,每一次视角或场景的转换都服务于主人公心理成长的某个关键节点。它不仅仅是一个线性叙事,更像是一系列碎片化的、具有强烈冲击力的生活切片组合而成,这些切片虽然看似独立,却通过主人公不断变化的心境紧密地联系在一起。我尤其喜欢那些充满象征意义的意象,比如运动场上的追逐、篮球的起跳与落地,这些都不仅仅是简单的体育活动,而是被赋予了逃离、超越和证明自我的深层含义。作者巧妙地将体育竞技的热血与现实生活的冰冷进行对比,使得主人公在赛场上获得的短暂胜利,与他在现实中面对的结构性困境形成了鲜明的张力。这种高超的场景调度和意象运用,使得原本可能显得平淡的日常生活场景,都焕发出了强烈的文学光彩,每一次阅读都有新的发现。
评分了解一下印第安人保留地,贫穷和酗酒、赌博分不开呢。
评分Racism, courage, rebellion, love, family, and friendship...amazing YA you can't miss.(书评体????)
评分今天读关于indigenous的visual sovereignty的时候想到以前高中读的
评分很多 图画 有意思的小说
评分Poignant.
本站所有内容均为互联网搜索引擎提供的公开搜索信息,本站不存储任何数据与内容,任何内容与数据均与本站无关,如有需要请联系相关搜索引擎包括但不限于百度,google,bing,sogou 等
© 2026 qciss.net All Rights Reserved. 小哈图书下载中心 版权所有