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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
I thought I would follow up on my Reading Without Walls post and give you guys an update on how I'm doing on Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
As mentioned in the original post, I'm listening to the audiobook version, and so far I've only gotten through the first CD, but I'm enjoying it a lot. (There are 5 CDs in the set, so I guess I'm about one-fifth of the way through the book?) Alexie is the one doing the reading, and I like his delivery. The main character is Junior, a 14 year old Spokane Indian who was born with brain damage but has grown into a bright and funny kid who hasn't yet had his spirit crushed by the unrelenting poverty, racism, and bullying that he experiences on the reservation. Much of the story is very painful to read (or hear, in my case), and as one reviewer noted, would be almost unbearable if not for the sense of humor that Junior maintains in his narration--though at times, it definitely has the feel of "having to laugh because otherwise you'd cry".
I've just gotten to the part where Junior, with the encouragement of one of his teachers, has decided to transfer out of the reservation school to a much better school in the white town of Reardan, in an attempt to make a better life for himself that will allow him to escape the poverty and hopelessness of the reservation. His parents are unexpectedly supportive, but warn him that the other people on the reservation will hate him for it. The first disc ended at that point, but I suspect that Junior will have a difficult time of it, fighting a battle on both fronts, both at home and the new school. I've just loaded disc 2 onto my iPod, and am eager to find out what happens next!
As mentioned in the original post, I'm listening to the audiobook version, and so far I've only gotten through the first CD, but I'm enjoying it a lot. (There are 5 CDs in the set, so I guess I'm about one-fifth of the way through the book?) Alexie is the one doing the reading, and I like his delivery. The main character is Junior, a 14 year old Spokane Indian who was born with brain damage but has grown into a bright and funny kid who hasn't yet had his spirit crushed by the unrelenting poverty, racism, and bullying that he experiences on the reservation. Much of the story is very painful to read (or hear, in my case), and as one reviewer noted, would be almost unbearable if not for the sense of humor that Junior maintains in his narration--though at times, it definitely has the feel of "having to laugh because otherwise you'd cry".
I've just gotten to the part where Junior, with the encouragement of one of his teachers, has decided to transfer out of the reservation school to a much better school in the white town of Reardan, in an attempt to make a better life for himself that will allow him to escape the poverty and hopelessness of the reservation. His parents are unexpectedly supportive, but warn him that the other people on the reservation will hate him for it. The first disc ended at that point, but I suspect that Junior will have a difficult time of it, fighting a battle on both fronts, both at home and the new school. I've just loaded disc 2 onto my iPod, and am eager to find out what happens next!