Talented writing but didn’t have a good line to follow ( )

"There are things in nature which engender an awful quiet in the heart of man; Devils Tower is one of them. Man must account for it. He must never fail to explain such a thing to himself, or else he is estranged forever from the universe."

As much as I hate to use an overused term, this book has a very organic quality to it. It is about finding balance in the world. It is about awareness and understanding -- personal, cultural, and societal. All of these forces impact each person in different ways. This books feels like an argument for not forgetting the past while still moving forward to the future.

The prose in this book is -- not surprisingly -- very poetic in nature. It feels like a song -- maybe even a lullaby. The words just carry one gently forward and the story becomes a comfortable blanket. At the same time, the book points out social issues that may or may not have changed in the 50+ years since it was written.

I am pretty sure this is a book I will return to as I think there is much more to be gleaned from the text and it was such an enjoyable read. ( )

Reason read: Pulitzer winner
This book, by Native American author N. Scott Momaday, won the Pulitzer in 1969. This author is described as the author who opened literature for Native American authors and he is listed as the inspiration for Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie, as several other Native American Authors. This is the story of a returning WWII vet to his reservation and the struggles to fit in. The theme is alienation. The book started as poetry, then stories and morphed into a novel and it reads as if it doesn't quite fit any form. The title is a reference to the land and its people. I did not enjoy this book. Rating 3.2 ( )

This 1969 Pulitzer winning novel reads like an epic poem and its descriptions of the New Mexican landscape are so vivid you can almost feel like you're there. But, for me, whatever other merits it might have are overshadowed by the lifeless portrayal of its female characters. ( )

“There was a house made of dawn. It was made of pollen and of rain, and the land was very old and everlasting. There were many colors on the hills, and the plain was bright with different-colored clays and sands. Red and blue and spotted horses grazed in the plain, and there was a dark wilderness on the mountains beyond. The land was still and strong. It was beautiful all around.”

As the story opens, protagonist Abel, a young Native American, has recently returned to New Mexico after serving in WWII. He lives with his grandfather, develops a relationship with a woman, interacts with the local priest, and commits a crime. Years later, he is living in Los Angeles with a friend. He experiences drug-induced hallucinations and drinks heavily. He attends Native American ceremonies. He is beaten and left for dead. In the country or city, he has trouble assimilating.

The storyline is fragmented and told in non-linear fashion. It is one of those books where I appreciate the literary merit, but it held little appeal for me. It toggles back and forth between the current experiences, flashbacks, and stories of Native American ceremonies. I was not always sure when events were supposed to be taking place. The writing is descriptive. The concept is creative. However, I found it disjointed and never felt truly engaged.
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