My Thoughts:

I had never heard of this book before but discovered it from my reading list for my summer course. After devouring it, I wanted to share it with others who may have also missed out (till now).

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is a collection of short stories about life, love and the hardships of living on a reservation and being a Native Indian in general. Through school, we hear about lost civilizations and have to wonder about what they were like before disappearing into the sands of time. I think in the case of Indian tribes, the relatively recent history of their cultural losses has more meaning in that we have accessible documentation showing what the first settlers in North America observed. It wasn’t all that long ago that these people were free and living in the land that they had considered their own for countless years before it became “The New World”. We’ve also been able to witness the set up of the reservation system and the destruction of the Indian people by alcohol, small pox, and for some, the inability to continue their nomadic lifestyle. But I digress into a history lesson (sorry!)

Alexie has created stories, inspired by his own life, that at time show a gritty realism of the past and the present. Then, he delves into others that have a more mystic feel, like you’re sitting around at a powwow, smoking a peace pipe. The combination is chilling at times. What’s nice is that there are elements of humour throughout each tale that give a levity while still not detracting for the deeper meaning behind the words. The battle of trying to stay true to one’s own culture while surrounded by the “white man” is an evident, ongoing struggle.

At some points, I felt I needed more information to get to the heart of things. References to Crazy Horse had me scratching my head but this way easily remedied by a quick Wiki search. Besides that, I found this an enjoyable collection and didn’t really want to put it down. Even Alexie’s intro is entertaining. I’m not sure how to classify this, except to say that if you enjoy plain old, good writing, I think you would enjoy The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven!