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The Toughest Indian in the World
A beloved American writer whose books are championed by critics and readers alike, Sherman Alexie has been hailed by Time as "one of the better new novelists, Indian or otherwise."
In these stories, we meet the kind of American Indians we rarely see in literature -- the kind who pay their bills, hold down jobs, fall in and out of love.
A Spokane Indian journalist transplanted from the reservation to the city picks up a hitchhiker, a Lummi boxer looking to take on the toughest Indian in the world. A Spokane son waits for his diabetic father to come home from the hospital, tossing out the Hershey Kisses the father has hidden all over the house. An estranged interracial couple, separated in the midst of a traffic accident, rediscover their love for each other. A white drifter holds up an International House of Pancakes, demanding a dollar per customer and someone to love, and emerges with $42 and an overweight Indian he dubs Salmon Boy.
Sherman Alexie's voice is one of remarkable passion, and these stories are love stories -- between parents and children, white people and Indians, movie stars and ordinary people. Witty, tender, and fierce, The Toughest Indian in the World is a virtuoso performance by one of the country's finest writers.
In these stories, we meet the kind of American Indians we rarely see in literature -- the kind who pay their bills, hold down jobs, fall in and out of love.
A Spokane Indian journalist transplanted from the reservation to the city picks up a hitchhiker, a Lummi boxer looking to take on the toughest Indian in the world. A Spokane son waits for his diabetic father to come home from the hospital, tossing out the Hershey Kisses the father has hidden all over the house. An estranged interracial couple, separated in the midst of a traffic accident, rediscover their love for each other. A white drifter holds up an International House of Pancakes, demanding a dollar per customer and someone to love, and emerges with $42 and an overweight Indian he dubs Salmon Boy.
Sherman Alexie's voice is one of remarkable passion, and these stories are love stories -- between parents and children, white people and Indians, movie stars and ordinary people. Witty, tender, and fierce, The Toughest Indian in the World is a virtuoso performance by one of the country's finest writers.
238 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2000
283 people are currently reading
5362 people want to read
About the author
Sherman Alexie
135 books6,653 followersSherman Alexie is a Native American author, poet, and filmmaker known for his powerful portrayals of contemporary Indigenous life, often infused with wit, humor, and emotional depth. Drawing heavily on his experiences growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Alexie's work addresses complex themes such as identity, poverty, addiction, and the legacy of colonialism, all filtered through a distinctly Native perspective.
His breakout book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a semi-autobiographical young adult novel that won the 2007 National Book Award and remains widely acclaimed for its candid and humorous depiction of adolescence and cultural dislocation. Earlier, Alexie gained critical attention with The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, a collection of interconnected short stories that was adapted into the Sundance-winning film Smoke Signals (1998), for which he wrote the screenplay. He also authored the novels Reservation Blues, Indian Killer, and Flight, as well as numerous poetry collections including The Business of Fancydancing and Face.
Born with hydrocephalus, Alexie faced health and social challenges from an early age but demonstrated early academic talent and a deep love for reading. He left the reservation for high school and later studied at Washington State University, where a poetry course shifted his path toward literature. His mentor, poet Alex Kuo, introduced him to Native American writers, profoundly shaping his voice.
In 2018, Alexie faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment, which led to widespread fallout, including rescinded honors and changes in how his work is promoted in educational and literary institutions. He acknowledged causing harm but denied specific accusations. Despite the controversy, his influence on contemporary Native American literature remains significant.
Throughout his career, Alexie has received many awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for War Dances and an American Book Award for Reservation Blues. He has also been a prominent advocate for Native youth and a founding member of Longhouse Media, promoting Indigenous storytelling through film.
Whether through poetry, prose, or film, Alexie’s work continues to challenge stereotypes and elevate Native American voices in American culture.
His breakout book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a semi-autobiographical young adult novel that won the 2007 National Book Award and remains widely acclaimed for its candid and humorous depiction of adolescence and cultural dislocation. Earlier, Alexie gained critical attention with The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, a collection of interconnected short stories that was adapted into the Sundance-winning film Smoke Signals (1998), for which he wrote the screenplay. He also authored the novels Reservation Blues, Indian Killer, and Flight, as well as numerous poetry collections including The Business of Fancydancing and Face.
Born with hydrocephalus, Alexie faced health and social challenges from an early age but demonstrated early academic talent and a deep love for reading. He left the reservation for high school and later studied at Washington State University, where a poetry course shifted his path toward literature. His mentor, poet Alex Kuo, introduced him to Native American writers, profoundly shaping his voice.
In 2018, Alexie faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment, which led to widespread fallout, including rescinded honors and changes in how his work is promoted in educational and literary institutions. He acknowledged causing harm but denied specific accusations. Despite the controversy, his influence on contemporary Native American literature remains significant.
Throughout his career, Alexie has received many awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for War Dances and an American Book Award for Reservation Blues. He has also been a prominent advocate for Native youth and a founding member of Longhouse Media, promoting Indigenous storytelling through film.
Whether through poetry, prose, or film, Alexie’s work continues to challenge stereotypes and elevate Native American voices in American culture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
June 2, 2023
This was excellent! My first Sherman Alexie book! I love it when I am introduced to a different culture and fully immersed in it in so many ways. Alexie's storytelling ensures that the reader understands that Native American culture is vast. He identifies the tribes that he is talking about and makes it clear that different tribes have diverse cultures. Alexie writes about Spokane and Couer d'alene tribes. This was a book of stories which felt to me like I was getting a flavor of the culture without resorting to stereotypes (at least from my limited perspective). I was immersed in an otherness different from my own and yet richly textured.
The book description says these stories are love stories. That is a true assessment, but this is not a book of romance. It's a book that examines different types of love through a cultural lens. Alexie does a great job of world building in terms of atmosphere; putting the reader into the minds of the characters. I think of him as a cultural bridge. His stories bring some cultural enlightenment. Be advised that Alexie has a reputation . Still, I was able to enjoy his writing which BTW I found to be relatively gender egalitarian. Though most of the main characters were male in his stories; the female characters were not written in ways that diminish women or devolve to gender stereotypes. He also stays away from cultural stereotypes. Bonus: he likes to dismantle systemic white supremacy and the many ways the micro aggressions reveal themselves. This was a gem!
4.5 Stars rounded up
Read on kindle
The book description says these stories are love stories. That is a true assessment, but this is not a book of romance. It's a book that examines different types of love through a cultural lens. Alexie does a great job of world building in terms of atmosphere; putting the reader into the minds of the characters. I think of him as a cultural bridge. His stories bring some cultural enlightenment. Be advised that Alexie has a reputation . Still, I was able to enjoy his writing which BTW I found to be relatively gender egalitarian. Though most of the main characters were male in his stories; the female characters were not written in ways that diminish women or devolve to gender stereotypes. He also stays away from cultural stereotypes. Bonus: he likes to dismantle systemic white supremacy and the many ways the micro aggressions reveal themselves. This was a gem!
4.5 Stars rounded up
Read on kindle
January 30, 2016
Wowzers.
I've been saving this one for a while, almost in an "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS" kind of way. And now that I'm somewhat homebound with a ruptured achilles I finally indulged in this perfect collection of literary comfort food.
Absolutely loved it.
And once again validated my belief that Sherman Alexie is the best writer of my generation.
I've been saving this one for a while, almost in an "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS" kind of way. And now that I'm somewhat homebound with a ruptured achilles I finally indulged in this perfect collection of literary comfort food.
Absolutely loved it.
And once again validated my belief that Sherman Alexie is the best writer of my generation.
December 9, 2007
Sherman Alexie really kicks ass, doesn't he?
I always approached the tenth most attractive white woman at any gathering. I didn't have enough looks, charm, intelligence, or money to approach anybody more attractive than that, and I didn't have enough character to approach the less attractive.
My feelings are my feelings, said Salmon Boy, they belong to me, and you don't have to worry about them at all.
"What did you do?"
"I broke my heart."
"I didn't realize that was illegal."
"Well," he said. "In Missoula, it seems to be a misdemeanor."
Roman's entire political philosophy revolved around the basic tenet that a person, any person, had only enough energy at any given time to believe in three things. "Choose your three," Roman was often fond of pontificating. "And stick with them." Roman himself believed in free expression, Grace Atwater, and basketball. Neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Roman had always voted for the candidate who looked like he or she could hit a twenty-foot jump shot with three seconds left on the clock and the home team down by one.
He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing.
I always approached the tenth most attractive white woman at any gathering. I didn't have enough looks, charm, intelligence, or money to approach anybody more attractive than that, and I didn't have enough character to approach the less attractive.
My feelings are my feelings, said Salmon Boy, they belong to me, and you don't have to worry about them at all.
"What did you do?"
"I broke my heart."
"I didn't realize that was illegal."
"Well," he said. "In Missoula, it seems to be a misdemeanor."
Roman's entire political philosophy revolved around the basic tenet that a person, any person, had only enough energy at any given time to believe in three things. "Choose your three," Roman was often fond of pontificating. "And stick with them." Roman himself believed in free expression, Grace Atwater, and basketball. Neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Roman had always voted for the candidate who looked like he or she could hit a twenty-foot jump shot with three seconds left on the clock and the home team down by one.
He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing.
September 25, 2024
I’ve been reading Sherman Alexie ever since I saw Smoke Signals in the theater and searched out his book that inspired it, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. What I discovered there wowed me, and Alexie joined the list of authors that I followed closely, reading the majority of his work. Unfortunately, Alexie hasn’t published a new book since 2017, so I’m going back and rereading some of my favorites.
Alexie will capture your imagination with his brilliantly clever wordplay. And while I lack the experience to opine on how accurate his depiction of Native life and culture is, I can vouch that he captures the human experience vividly and honestly, often so accurately that it hurts.
Assimilation: Powerful! Race, identity, marriage, resentment, regret, love and family are all examined in this story of one day in the life of a professional married couple; indigenous wife and white husband. The wordplay is clever, and the feelings evoked spot on.
5 ⭐️
The Toughest Indian in the World: ”I don’t know what they believed in exactly, but they wore hope like a bright shirt.”
Professional city Indian and itinerant fighter Indian he picks up hitchhiking connect through conversation leading to a surprising intimate encounter.
4 ⭐️
Class: ”Deep in the heart of the heart of every Indian man’s heart, he believes he is Crazy Horse.”
Urban Indian lawyer leaves his rarified world to slum at an Indian dive bar. It doesn’t go well.
4 ⭐️
South by Southwest: ”I aim to go on a nonviolent killing spree and I need somebody who will fall in love with me along the way.”
Seymour is a white guy who robs The International House of Pancakes with an unloaded pistol. He longs to be romantic, dangerous, memorable. He wants somebody to love him. Salmon Boy is a fat Indian who believes in love. This unlikely pair adventures together into the wild land of Arizona. Ridiculous. Funny. Sad. Brilliant.
4 1/2 ⭐️
The Sin Eaters: ”They’re going to take the tomorrow out of our bones”
What the hell did I just read? Chaotic, magic realism nightmare is about as close as I can describe it. Nasty dark. While exploitation of Indians seems to be what it is driving at, it is so muddy and confusing as to only be disturbing without being illuminating.
2 ⭐️
Indian Country: Low Man, a successful Indian author, begins this tale with a heartbreak, moves on to a mini breakdown, is rescued by an old college friend, and joins her in an absurdly uncomfortable dinner with her fiancé and fiancé’s homophobic parents. Interracial relationships, homophobia, and toxic masculinity all make star appearances in this funny, harsh, sad story.
3 1/2 ⭐️
Saint Junior: ”They all sang because they understood what it meant to be Indian and dead and alive and still bright with faith and hope.”
A love story. The basketball player and the poet. This story meanders some, and is maybe a tick too long, but it’s a feel good piece.
3 1/2 ⭐️
Dear John Wayne: ”John Wayne wept.”
”If it’s fiction, then it better be true.”
An academic interviews an ancient Indian woman who spins him a tale of losing her virginity to John Wayne while filming The Searchers.
4 ⭐️
One Good Man: ”What is an Indian?”
Wonderful father/son story — son caring for his dying dad. Funny and bittersweet.
5 ⭐️
Alexie will capture your imagination with his brilliantly clever wordplay. And while I lack the experience to opine on how accurate his depiction of Native life and culture is, I can vouch that he captures the human experience vividly and honestly, often so accurately that it hurts.
Assimilation: Powerful! Race, identity, marriage, resentment, regret, love and family are all examined in this story of one day in the life of a professional married couple; indigenous wife and white husband. The wordplay is clever, and the feelings evoked spot on.
5 ⭐️
The Toughest Indian in the World: ”I don’t know what they believed in exactly, but they wore hope like a bright shirt.”
Professional city Indian and itinerant fighter Indian he picks up hitchhiking connect through conversation leading to a surprising intimate encounter.
4 ⭐️
Class: ”Deep in the heart of the heart of every Indian man’s heart, he believes he is Crazy Horse.”
Urban Indian lawyer leaves his rarified world to slum at an Indian dive bar. It doesn’t go well.
4 ⭐️
South by Southwest: ”I aim to go on a nonviolent killing spree and I need somebody who will fall in love with me along the way.”
Seymour is a white guy who robs The International House of Pancakes with an unloaded pistol. He longs to be romantic, dangerous, memorable. He wants somebody to love him. Salmon Boy is a fat Indian who believes in love. This unlikely pair adventures together into the wild land of Arizona. Ridiculous. Funny. Sad. Brilliant.
4 1/2 ⭐️
The Sin Eaters: ”They’re going to take the tomorrow out of our bones”
What the hell did I just read? Chaotic, magic realism nightmare is about as close as I can describe it. Nasty dark. While exploitation of Indians seems to be what it is driving at, it is so muddy and confusing as to only be disturbing without being illuminating.
2 ⭐️
Indian Country: Low Man, a successful Indian author, begins this tale with a heartbreak, moves on to a mini breakdown, is rescued by an old college friend, and joins her in an absurdly uncomfortable dinner with her fiancé and fiancé’s homophobic parents. Interracial relationships, homophobia, and toxic masculinity all make star appearances in this funny, harsh, sad story.
3 1/2 ⭐️
Saint Junior: ”They all sang because they understood what it meant to be Indian and dead and alive and still bright with faith and hope.”
A love story. The basketball player and the poet. This story meanders some, and is maybe a tick too long, but it’s a feel good piece.
3 1/2 ⭐️
Dear John Wayne: ”John Wayne wept.”
”If it’s fiction, then it better be true.”
An academic interviews an ancient Indian woman who spins him a tale of losing her virginity to John Wayne while filming The Searchers.
4 ⭐️
One Good Man: ”What is an Indian?”
Wonderful father/son story — son caring for his dying dad. Funny and bittersweet.
5 ⭐️
November 18, 2021
Rarely disappointed by anything I have read from Sherman Alexie. "Dear John Wayne" was not at all what I expected, and I'm glad. "One Good Man" and "South By Southwest" are two other favorites in this collection. Again, I point out that in just one sitting with any of these stories, this reader was totally transported into the lives, travels, heartaches, and realizations that the characters were engaged in. Much of Alexie's work really pulls me in to the stories, even the ones that seem the most improbable. I think because as I've grown older, I now believe scenarios that appear too unfathomable to be true..and so I just go with it.
February 12, 2017
AMBIVALENCE.
“The silence is not about hate or pain or fear. Indians just like to believe that white people will vanish, perhaps explode into smoke, if they are ignored enough times.”—The Toughest Indian in the World. (p. 22)
I absolutely love Sherman Alexie’s writing/storytelling—he’s a consummate wordsmith; while absolutely hating some of his stories—too dark and depressing. In his collection of nine short stories entitled, The Toughest Indian in the World even the title story left me less than thrilled for having read it; while the story entitled, The Sin Eaters might be the worst piece of dog feces I’ve ever read.
Even after subtracting for those two stories, though, I did like reading this collection enough for at least three (ambiguous) stars.
Recommendation: Not my first choice of Alexie’s books, but worth reading.
“I’m not exactly racist. I like white people as a theory; I’m just not crazy about them in practice.” —One Good Man (p. 217).
Open Road Media. Kindle Edition. 238 pages
“The silence is not about hate or pain or fear. Indians just like to believe that white people will vanish, perhaps explode into smoke, if they are ignored enough times.”—The Toughest Indian in the World. (p. 22)
I absolutely love Sherman Alexie’s writing/storytelling—he’s a consummate wordsmith; while absolutely hating some of his stories—too dark and depressing. In his collection of nine short stories entitled, The Toughest Indian in the World even the title story left me less than thrilled for having read it; while the story entitled, The Sin Eaters might be the worst piece of dog feces I’ve ever read.
Even after subtracting for those two stories, though, I did like reading this collection enough for at least three (ambiguous) stars.
Recommendation: Not my first choice of Alexie’s books, but worth reading.
“I’m not exactly racist. I like white people as a theory; I’m just not crazy about them in practice.” —One Good Man (p. 217).
Open Road Media. Kindle Edition. 238 pages
May 8, 2013
One or two I didn't especially like, though each and every one of them is a pretty great short story. But I loved the ones I loved, and am rather in awe that one person wrote all of them, and the way they play with sexuality and identity and belonging from many angles. The way that people move between worlds and what that means to them, what it does to them. And of course I love the points of view, and the complexity and the absence of charicature and all the things I really hate in a lot of writing about (rather than by, generally speaking) Indians...
The one story I'm still thinking about involves John Wayne, because I really don't like John Wayne, though the Searchers was one of his best films. Probably because he's not pretending to be a good guy in it.
The one story I'm still thinking about involves John Wayne, because I really don't like John Wayne, though the Searchers was one of his best films. Probably because he's not pretending to be a good guy in it.
February 18, 2016
My prior experience with Sherman Alexie was An Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, which was great and absolutely wrecked me. I was saving this book for a time I needed some feelings.
And there are feelings a-plenty to be found in these short stories, especially the last one "One Good Man." A son takes care of his father during his dying days, asking "What's an Indian?" but also silently asking "Who am I?"
But these stories lean more to thoughtfulness than pure sentimentality. Alexie explores what it's like to be a modern Indian, what identity can be. What it means to conform to or reject a culture. And how it's often tied to having sex with white people.
And there are feelings a-plenty to be found in these short stories, especially the last one "One Good Man." A son takes care of his father during his dying days, asking "What's an Indian?" but also silently asking "Who am I?"
But these stories lean more to thoughtfulness than pure sentimentality. Alexie explores what it's like to be a modern Indian, what identity can be. What it means to conform to or reject a culture. And how it's often tied to having sex with white people.
July 19, 2015
Outstanding, just like all of Alexie's other work I have (and will continue) to read. I won't add much more as I've written volumes about Alexie's wonderful exposition of what it 'means' to be 'Indian' and the concept of race and how it divides. A fantastic collection of short stories.
August 20, 2012
This collection of short stories spans many different genres--realistic fiction, magic realism, sci-fi--all exploring the identity of the American Indian. Some were better than others, but it was one of the most cohesive short story collections I have ever encountered. Alexie uses these perfect little gems to communicate the complicated feelings he has about race and belonging.
I didn't know when I first picked it up that it was a short story collection, and I was a little sad when I figured it out, because I was hoping to spend more time with the characters I had already met. Obviously, I just hadn't read the blurb carefully enough. Oh well. The book was a fortunate find at a used book store by Andrew's college (I bought lots of books that day, and they should last me until the end of the summer!). I picked it up because I enjoyed The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a YA version of the themes I rediscovered in this book. (TATDOAPTI also one of the few books that I can pretty much hand to any kid and he or she will like it.)
Race and racial relations really captivate me, and I love Alexie's honesty. I wish everyone could talk about race this candidly. I think that being an American Indian gives him a special pass from political correctness, and I am grateful that he has that pass.
The collection ends with its best story, in my opinion. That last story, called "One Good Man," repeats the refrain, "What is an Indian?" with varied answers that reflect the small, poignant action, such as "Is it a son who can stand in a doorway and watch his father sleep?" This last story seems the most autobiographical to me--the heartbreak threaded in the situation, the characters, and most of all the style, suggests a purity of emotion. The story is so delicate that it reminds me of that great last story that closes The Dubliners, the beautiful and perfect "The Dead." So, I guess that I'm saying that Alexie is to American Indians what Joyce is to the Irish.
I didn't know when I first picked it up that it was a short story collection, and I was a little sad when I figured it out, because I was hoping to spend more time with the characters I had already met. Obviously, I just hadn't read the blurb carefully enough. Oh well. The book was a fortunate find at a used book store by Andrew's college (I bought lots of books that day, and they should last me until the end of the summer!). I picked it up because I enjoyed The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a YA version of the themes I rediscovered in this book. (TATDOAPTI also one of the few books that I can pretty much hand to any kid and he or she will like it.)
Race and racial relations really captivate me, and I love Alexie's honesty. I wish everyone could talk about race this candidly. I think that being an American Indian gives him a special pass from political correctness, and I am grateful that he has that pass.
The collection ends with its best story, in my opinion. That last story, called "One Good Man," repeats the refrain, "What is an Indian?" with varied answers that reflect the small, poignant action, such as "Is it a son who can stand in a doorway and watch his father sleep?" This last story seems the most autobiographical to me--the heartbreak threaded in the situation, the characters, and most of all the style, suggests a purity of emotion. The story is so delicate that it reminds me of that great last story that closes The Dubliners, the beautiful and perfect "The Dead." So, I guess that I'm saying that Alexie is to American Indians what Joyce is to the Irish.
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December 2, 2012"Sexually speaking, Indian women and men are simultaneously promiscuous and modest. That's a contradiction, but it also happens to be the truth."
That true contradiction is a tidy way to sum up the style of this collection. Promiscuous and modest, tough and vulnerable, stoic and maudlin, elegant and clumsy, smart and naive. And by contradiction I'm talking extremes, no pansying moderation but full-on over-the-top ballsy commitment to both poles.
Maybe it's that contradiction which ties the whole collection together. Each story has its own separate tone, rhythm, and vocabulary, which delightfully seems to flow straight out of the respective main character. Still, reading through the stories, you have no doubt that they belong together. Of course, they're all about Indians in the Northwest, but there's a stylistic unity as well.
So much for style. As for content, I was just as hooked. The characters evoke my dream of homesick nostalgia for the West - rugged, isolated dreamers every one.
And funny! Really funny. Sad, not so much, for me at least. Touching, sure, but the sad parts were too exaggerated or maybe it's just that I can't get invested enough within one short story to empathize with the characters and weep a little. But I can definitely laugh.
Also, language. Even in my least favorite story The Sin Eaters (too much of that coldly sad stuff for me) certain phrases leapt out and shook me for no tangible reason. "Memory is a church on fire."
But mostly, looking back, funny. Even too funny, aggressively so, trying a little too hard maybe. Sometimes with writing like this I can just see the author at the circular table of his college writing class, his prof standing above him wagging his finger saying "active verbs!" But wit is wit, and Alexie has it.
"Listen, Mary Lynn had once said to Jeremiah, asking somebody why they fall in love is like asking somebody why they believe in God.
You start asking questions like that, she had added, and you're either going to start a war or you're going to hear folk music."
That true contradiction is a tidy way to sum up the style of this collection. Promiscuous and modest, tough and vulnerable, stoic and maudlin, elegant and clumsy, smart and naive. And by contradiction I'm talking extremes, no pansying moderation but full-on over-the-top ballsy commitment to both poles.
Maybe it's that contradiction which ties the whole collection together. Each story has its own separate tone, rhythm, and vocabulary, which delightfully seems to flow straight out of the respective main character. Still, reading through the stories, you have no doubt that they belong together. Of course, they're all about Indians in the Northwest, but there's a stylistic unity as well.
So much for style. As for content, I was just as hooked. The characters evoke my dream of homesick nostalgia for the West - rugged, isolated dreamers every one.
And funny! Really funny. Sad, not so much, for me at least. Touching, sure, but the sad parts were too exaggerated or maybe it's just that I can't get invested enough within one short story to empathize with the characters and weep a little. But I can definitely laugh.
Also, language. Even in my least favorite story The Sin Eaters (too much of that coldly sad stuff for me) certain phrases leapt out and shook me for no tangible reason. "Memory is a church on fire."
But mostly, looking back, funny. Even too funny, aggressively so, trying a little too hard maybe. Sometimes with writing like this I can just see the author at the circular table of his college writing class, his prof standing above him wagging his finger saying "active verbs!" But wit is wit, and Alexie has it.
"Listen, Mary Lynn had once said to Jeremiah, asking somebody why they fall in love is like asking somebody why they believe in God.
You start asking questions like that, she had added, and you're either going to start a war or you're going to hear folk music."
July 28, 2010
I've been meaning to read one of Alexie's books for a while, especially since I taught the short story "Dear John Wayne" in the class I TA-ed last fall. Unfortunately, I found the short story collection The Toughest Indian in the World to be disappointingly uneven. Part of this may be the result of Alexie's unifying theme here--he says in the introduction to this edition that he set out to write "love stories... of white-collar Indians," which in practice seems to mean relying on heavy-handed use of sex as a symbol for (not) belonging.
The sci-fi alternative future story "The Sin Eaters" was the standout, although I also enjoyed "Saint Junior," "One Good Man," and, of course, "Dear John Wayne." But overall, for me more stories didn't work in this collection than worked. I still have plans to read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, one of Alexie's earlier books of short stories that seems frequently claimed as his masterpiece, which I'm hoping impresses me more.
The sci-fi alternative future story "The Sin Eaters" was the standout, although I also enjoyed "Saint Junior," "One Good Man," and, of course, "Dear John Wayne." But overall, for me more stories didn't work in this collection than worked. I still have plans to read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, one of Alexie's earlier books of short stories that seems frequently claimed as his masterpiece, which I'm hoping impresses me more.
July 24, 2013
I've read, and enjoyed, most of Alexie's fiction. This collection, however, is probably my least favorite of his books. I was kind of surprised by the amount of graphic sex in the first four stories here. It didn't really fit the Alexie style. When I got to the fifth story, the middle of the book, "The Sin Eaters," I was shocked. Not by sex, this time, but because this story is science fiction. Perhaps an allegory, a metaphor, but it very much left the realm of realism far behind. The last half of the book redeemed it somewhat, though it was still pretty explicit. The final story here, "One Good Man," seemed so familiar to me, I'm pretty sure I read it before somewhere. I hope so, 'cause the alternative explanation would be that Alexie's themes and motifs are so familiar by being repetitive. It's not a bad collection -- far from it -- but it's different enough from what I was expecting that I couldn't quite overcome that expectation. If you haven't read Alexie, start with The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven, and then move on to Reservation Blues. Save this one for later.
June 18, 2017
“Like a good Indian, he knew when to talk and when to remain silent. Like a good Indian, he knew there was never a good time to talk.”
“I'm not exactly racist. I like white people as a theory; I'm just not crazy about them in practice.”
“Son, if your going to marry a white woman, then marry a rich one, because those white-trash women are just indians with bad haircuts.”
I am going to let these quotes serve as a review, because I think they capture Alexie's voice better than my inarticulate ramblings. This is another strong story collection, from one of America's singular voices. Tales about working class indians and the down-trodden and disillusioned. Funny, thoughtful and heart-breaking. You want a snap-shot of the modern American Indian? Seek this one out, along with The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and you will be enlightened.
“I'm not exactly racist. I like white people as a theory; I'm just not crazy about them in practice.”
“Son, if your going to marry a white woman, then marry a rich one, because those white-trash women are just indians with bad haircuts.”
I am going to let these quotes serve as a review, because I think they capture Alexie's voice better than my inarticulate ramblings. This is another strong story collection, from one of America's singular voices. Tales about working class indians and the down-trodden and disillusioned. Funny, thoughtful and heart-breaking. You want a snap-shot of the modern American Indian? Seek this one out, along with The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and you will be enlightened.
September 6, 2010
One notable line: A character says he is Indian, and someone responds, "Dot-on-the-head Indian or arrow-in-the-heart Indian?" I appreciate the window this book gave me into Indian culture as Alexie knows it. However, it seemed that almost every story had some mention of sex or sexual disfunction, and after awhile I started wondering if it was necessary. At one point a character says, "I just want to tell the whole story," and I do think this is part of Alexie's writing, to write everything in the American Indian experience, including the ugly parts. I will read more of his books in the future because I respect him as a rare modern voice of an extremely ignored and misunderstood minority.
October 31, 2015
I have to say that I have yet to find a book by Alexie that I didn't like. I will admit that the first 3 stories in this short story collection didn't make much sense but had some sense of truths in them. But really the last half of this book contained some thought provoking and touching stories about "what is an Indian?" If you are looking for a diverse read that has meaning then read this.
April 10, 2019
If you are considering not reading or not finishing this book of short stories based on the first several stories, at least read Dear John Wayne and One Good Man. I hate to think how many readers missed them because they gave up before reading the last two stories!
October 23, 2022
The writing is good.
The culture remains a mystery to me.
The sin eater story was crushing in emotional intensity.
I liked the story about the man and his wife probably the best of the stories.
Overall I felt very sad about how things have gone for Native Americans. But I also felt very left out, that their culture is a secret that they keep precious to themselves despite integration and marriages to whites. There is a secret core to the Indians, as it seems right that there should be.
The culture remains a mystery to me.
The sin eater story was crushing in emotional intensity.
I liked the story about the man and his wife probably the best of the stories.
Overall I felt very sad about how things have gone for Native Americans. But I also felt very left out, that their culture is a secret that they keep precious to themselves despite integration and marriages to whites. There is a secret core to the Indians, as it seems right that there should be.
July 31, 2011
Sherman Alexie has been attracting attention for his poetry and fiction since the early 1990s, when he was in his late twenties. This collection of short stories took its title from one of the stories therein, which was originally published by The New Yorker. The most obvious thread in common to all these stories is the presence of Native American characters living in a white-dominant society. The central characters, however, vary in the degree of assimulation, and the objects of their efforts are not unique to their ethnicity — their expectations, approaches, and reactions often are.
The events related in these stories seem to be directly or tangentially related to the author's personal experiences: Coming from the Spokane Indian Reservation and making a life for himself in the greater world, which for him thus far is the Northwest, and specifically Seattle; Leaving the rez in search of the success not possible there, while experiencing a perpetual sense of loss as the physical and temporal distance from one's roots grows; Attempting to live with people about whom one's knowledge is based predominantly on movies and television, and dealing with a dominant culture whose expections of you have the same basis.
In each of these stories, however, Alexie presents a close-up of both societies that jars the reader's concept of American society. Perhaps there is a unique Native American way of seeing things, or a specific ethnic sense of humor. Or perhaps it's simply how a conquered people perceives the dominant group as portrayed through its commercial media. The dialogues in these stories — both internal and interpersonal — are well worth reading carefully.
I found something meaningful in each of these stories, but my favorite was "South by Southwest". Especially thought-provoking in this one was the way in which Alexie tries to tease apart the emotional needs of closeness to another human being, and the sexual aspects of that closeness. This was a perfect example of how Alexie can take specific individuals and produce a cross-section of the human experience which spans cultures and time.
I have some Native American history in my own family and have met many people of Native American identity over the years. Reading this book, I kept looking at the author's photograph on the back cover and wondering if I hadn't met this man before. Deciding I probably hadn't, I wish that I had or possibly might. Alexie's fiction seems to contain a great deal of autobiographical material, and I like to believe more of it is based on his experiences than is probably so. I look forward to reading more of his fiction.
The events related in these stories seem to be directly or tangentially related to the author's personal experiences: Coming from the Spokane Indian Reservation and making a life for himself in the greater world, which for him thus far is the Northwest, and specifically Seattle; Leaving the rez in search of the success not possible there, while experiencing a perpetual sense of loss as the physical and temporal distance from one's roots grows; Attempting to live with people about whom one's knowledge is based predominantly on movies and television, and dealing with a dominant culture whose expections of you have the same basis.
In each of these stories, however, Alexie presents a close-up of both societies that jars the reader's concept of American society. Perhaps there is a unique Native American way of seeing things, or a specific ethnic sense of humor. Or perhaps it's simply how a conquered people perceives the dominant group as portrayed through its commercial media. The dialogues in these stories — both internal and interpersonal — are well worth reading carefully.
I found something meaningful in each of these stories, but my favorite was "South by Southwest". Especially thought-provoking in this one was the way in which Alexie tries to tease apart the emotional needs of closeness to another human being, and the sexual aspects of that closeness. This was a perfect example of how Alexie can take specific individuals and produce a cross-section of the human experience which spans cultures and time.
I have some Native American history in my own family and have met many people of Native American identity over the years. Reading this book, I kept looking at the author's photograph on the back cover and wondering if I hadn't met this man before. Deciding I probably hadn't, I wish that I had or possibly might. Alexie's fiction seems to contain a great deal of autobiographical material, and I like to believe more of it is based on his experiences than is probably so. I look forward to reading more of his fiction.
January 1, 2011
I was moved to tears by several of the stories. I was totally surprised as I bought this secondhand book after reading his youth novel, The Absolutely True...which my 12 year old LOVED and which I also though was amazing (buy this book for any tween or teen male). I was not prepared for the sexual turns, the adultness of the material. Which was wonderfully done. I loved his humor and turns of phrase, his gender notes and homoeroticism. Also, noticed my feelings of pain as the outsider... the white and that is an essay in itself as I often read the ugly references to blacks, native peoples, women, asians, or how about other than white, in the general fiction out there and wonder at the suffering of readers who hold aspects of the pilloried identities.
I Love the magic/fantasy that shows up in so many of his stories. I really loved South by Southwest.. the gentleman bandit story that is so fantastical. John Wayne, The Sin Eaters... I think he is a masterful storyteller and the nuggets of wisdom, truth, uncovering, suffering, self reflection, calling out and tenderness work for me. I'm a fan.
I Love the magic/fantasy that shows up in so many of his stories. I really loved South by Southwest.. the gentleman bandit story that is so fantastical. John Wayne, The Sin Eaters... I think he is a masterful storyteller and the nuggets of wisdom, truth, uncovering, suffering, self reflection, calling out and tenderness work for me. I'm a fan.
February 17, 2014
I read Sherman Alexie’s book of short stories The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven some years ago and was expecting The Toughest Indian In the World to be comparable. The Lone Ranger had a simplicity about it that I found intriguing, and I felt like it captured some of the struggles of the modern American Indian. I felt the hopelessness and anger of the characters, and saw the stereotypes that they lived with day in and day out. Toughest Indian operated along much of the same lines, as a collection of short stories, each exemplifying something about the modern American Indian experience, but I was turned off by this book somewhat because of some of the more in-your-face graphicness (is that a word?) in this book. The stories came off as being more gritty and less dreamy than those in The Lone Ranger. It was kind of a tough read for me, but I felt like it was important for me to read this as Toughest Indian is known as being one of Alexie’s seminal volumes.
November 5, 2007
It isn’t easy to describe one of Sherman Alexie’s provocative collections of short stories. Reviews often seem limited to a string of adjectives—touching, funny, angry, passionate, bittersweet, tender, mysterious, magical, vivid and haunting. Real. Suffice to say that he is incredibly skilled at directing human emotions into words, which is no small feat considering most of us can’t even put our own thoughts into words, let alone good words. Really good words, as the case may be. Alexie is the master of the small moment: a wife watching her husband play basketball in the snow, a son meticulously purging his diabetic father’s house of hidden candy, a man standing in a phone booth with no one to call. He has an amazing ability to portray the rawness of people—their best and worst qualities all at once: the loving and the fighting, the cheating and the loyalty, the despair and the resilience of hope.
December 1, 2009
Native Americans are the greatest story tellers. Sherman Alexie is the best of the best. This is the best book of short stories that I have ever read.
One of the things I liked the most about it was that while each story carries some of the same themes of how being a Native American is ironically kind of like being a stranger in a strange land, the characters in each story are all unique and three dimensional. I liked that I was able to hear the voice of a reservation Indian telling these stories...complete with the inflections and accent inherent in their speech. I liked the marriage of the dream world, and spirit world with the physical world throughout the book. I liked the way Alexie describes each character's motivations and inner struggles.
If you have ever met an Indian from any reservation anywhere in the United States, you will SO get this book.
One of the things I liked the most about it was that while each story carries some of the same themes of how being a Native American is ironically kind of like being a stranger in a strange land, the characters in each story are all unique and three dimensional. I liked that I was able to hear the voice of a reservation Indian telling these stories...complete with the inflections and accent inherent in their speech. I liked the marriage of the dream world, and spirit world with the physical world throughout the book. I liked the way Alexie describes each character's motivations and inner struggles.
If you have ever met an Indian from any reservation anywhere in the United States, you will SO get this book.
July 19, 2010
More Sherman short stories, I think this is my favorite form of his work. I like how he creates characters that sometimes overlap into his other stories, they are like old friends, even like family. There was one particular story in this book that affected me because I felt my life was in these pages and it scared me a little. Sherman said in a speech in March that people often tell him how his books have affected them and I have to say some details in this story seemed eerily personal and I wanted to know how he knew so much. I still do.
April 15, 2009
An excellent, cohesive collection of short stories. Alexie has mastered developing rich, complex characters in such short narratives.
At the end of each short story, I longed to know more about the lives of the protagonists, other than the few glimpses I had been allowed. Very few authors could get an audience so emotionally invested over the span of several pages.
At the end of each short story, I longed to know more about the lives of the protagonists, other than the few glimpses I had been allowed. Very few authors could get an audience so emotionally invested over the span of several pages.
March 17, 2016
The first couple of (shorter) stories in this collection are absolutely amazing. I'll be revisiting these to help improve my grasp of short-story writing!
Alexie manages to build characters with an inner calm that verges on an intense fury, which sounds oxymoronic, but isn't.
Alexie's oeuvre is definitely moving up my to-read list.
Alexie manages to build characters with an inner calm that verges on an intense fury, which sounds oxymoronic, but isn't.
Alexie's oeuvre is definitely moving up my to-read list.
February 28, 2010
I really enjoyed Alexie's earlier work, especially Tonto & the Lone Ranger, but this particular collection was disappointing. The wry humor from other books was overwhelmed by bitter overtones and there was way too much indulgence in tired cliches and stereotypes. It made me dyspeptic.
August 16, 2010
Just because the guy is Native American and writes shocking things about sex and sexuality does not make him a good writer.
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May 11, 2024Read only “Class” for uni
January 17, 2009
I found this collection of short stories about various Native American related themes overall interesting, if only in the idea of juxtaposing related themes on a central topic. Some were definitely better than others. Alexie seems to have a fetish for disenfranchisement by white people and for sexuality, and he seems to have explored every possible outlet of sexuality. Some of the language is terse, and some of the images he draws are downright crude. As a work of entertainment, this book I do not recommend. As a work of art, this story raises certain questions. I find the idea of collecting short stories that treat various themes related to any culture a fascinating idea. Yet the obsession with sexuality cannot be beneficial by any stretch of the imagination. What is to be gained from such a study? And is that really worth the time expended to obtain it? I really have to wonder about that. I was also displeased to see his portrayl of an LDS father as a closed-minded bigot; Alexie may have based that story on a real experience, and indeed I have known many Latter-Day Saints who are rather close-minded, but such a portrayl without any insight into the diversity to be found in the LDS community is a disservice to every community. And how is the Native American community improved by the constant association of their culture with sexuality? No truly faithful portrayal -- a view of things as they are -- will ever improve anyone. That only solidifies the status quo or, worse, drives it into degradation. Rather it is a glimpse of what we can become and fixing our attention thereon which will inspire us to reach new heights and achieve great things. What is the value of art if it does not inspire us or ennoble us? Alexie certainly did not inspire me or ennoble me with this particular work, and so I cannot recommend it as a good read.
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