Rating: 
Summary: Excellent and Often Powerful Historical Novel
Review: James Welch is a talented writer of Amerindian ancestry who has written several good novels about the place of Amerindians in our society. This book is a historical novel dealing with the destruction of Plains Indian culture in the 19th century; the beginning of the process whose consequences Welch has described in his other books. Written from the point of view of a young Blackfoot man, it contains an unsentimental description of Plains Indian life on the eve of destruction of these cultures. Intermingled is a powerful account of the process of destruction of the Blackfoot. Welch does a particularly good job of depicting the animistic religion (if that is the correct term) of these peoples by showing how these spiritual elements were part of ordinary life. Excellent writing that is also educational.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Often Powerful Historical Novel
Review: James Welch is a talented writer of Amerindian ancestry who has written several good novels about the place of Amerindians in our society. This book is a historical novel dealing with the destruction of Plains Indian culture in the 19th century; the beginning of the process whose consequences Welch has described in his other books. Written from the point of view of a young Blackfoot man, it contains an unsentimental description of Plains Indian life on the eve of destruction of these cultures. Intermingled is a powerful account of the process of destruction of the Blackfoot. Welch does a particularly good job of depicting the animistic religion (if that is the correct term) of these peoples by showing how these spiritual elements were part of ordinary life. Excellent writing that is also educational.
Rating: 
Summary: A story-telling: westward expansion
Review: James Welch succeeds in telling a story about the westward expansion of whites in the perspective of Native Americans. He also succeeds in describing parts of Native American culture. Welch faced many barriers in attempting his goals. For one, the language and culture can be daunting to understand for some readers who know very little about Native American culture. Sweat lodge, Praying for a vision and Sundance Festival are important rituals mentioned in the book at a surprising detail. In most cases, the reader is able to learn about these aspects of the culture as the protagonist participates in them. The names of objects and characters may be difficult to get to use in the beginning. For example, Heavy Shield Woman, White Man's Dog, and Three Bears. However, the style of writing is very important in narrating a story in a Native American perspective. It makes the story more believable and involves the reader into the life of the Blackfeet Indians after the arrival of whites in North America. A captivating book that will make you feel as though part of the band Lone Eaters experiencing their joys and suffering as their lives were changed forever.
Rating:
Summary: A story-telling: westward expansion
Review: James Welch succeeds in telling a story about the westward expansion of whites in the perspective of Native Americans. He also succeeds in describing parts of Native American culture. Welch faced many barriers in attempting his goals. For one, the language and culture can be daunting to understand for some readers who know very little about Native American culture. Sweat lodge, Praying for a vision and Sundance Festival are important rituals mentioned in the book at a surprising detail. In most cases, the reader is able to learn about these aspects of the culture as the protagonist participates in them. The names of objects and characters may be difficult to get to use in the beginning. For example, Heavy Shield Woman, White Man's Dog, and Three Bears. However, the style of writing is very important in narrating a story in a Native American perspective. It makes the story more believable and involves the reader into the life of the Blackfeet Indians after the arrival of whites in North America. A captivating book that will make you feel as though part of the band Lone Eaters experiencing their joys and suffering as their lives were changed forever.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely worth a read
Review: James Welch's Fools Crow does an excellent job of bringing the reader into a Native American way of life. From the very start, this novel takes things that we see every day (like animals, people, dreams, and places) and looks at them from a new point of view. A major part of this new point of view is the vocabulary which Welch utilizes in describing everything in the Native American world. He does not refer to people, animals, and other things in the traditional, white American way, but instead, uses a Native American dialect and vocabulary. Fools Crow is not only a five star book because of its language, but also because it is an outstanding bildungsroman. It does a fascinating job of telling the story of a young man growing up in an ever-changing (and ever-diminishing) society where the decisions of himself and his peers will determine the future of his people. Another strong aspect of this novel is its use of dreams and visions to aid in foreshadowing and understanding of the Native American way of life. The novel helps to bring the reader into a world where the events which occur in someone's dreams contain deep meaning and play an important role in that persons life. Overall, Fools Crow is a great book to read for pleasure, for fun, and especially for a greater understanding and respect of Native American life. This is a book from which the reader walks away having learned and felt something that he or she has never experienced before.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant !!!!
Review: The first book I've picked up by Mr. Welch. It is enthralling, so vividly described that he whisked me back in time to the places, events and the ways of back then. The style of writing is very non-western. The descriptions/dialogue are very familiar to those of us who speak a language other than English. I absolutely loved this book, I'm mentioning it to everyone I know. Mr.Welch has gained an eager reader.
Rating:
Summary: Immersed
Review: This book became my world. It was all I could think about. When I wasn't reading it, I would catch myself refering to things like they did in the book. About the "Sun Chief" and thinking of white people as "Napikwans". Author did a great job layering the story. You might be expecting to hear about the birth of a child, and not get any story on it, only a reference to it. You might be thinking when one situation was played out you were getting the whole picture, only to have the author relay the parts you didn't know were left out until later in the story when they were relevant. It kept the story fresh. Also, in it's almost 300 pages I learned more about the truth of the Native Americans then I did in my whole history of schooling. I thought until this point the Indian life was similar to that of "Dances With Wolves". This is a book they should have had us read in high school. A must-read for anyone interested in Native American life-syle and history.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad
Review: This book is incredibly boring and tedious to read. It has no plot; I fell asleep every time I tried to read it. It isn't realistic, as some attest, becuase the Indians have the ability to talk to animals. Remarkably, their dreams are always perfectly accurate prophecies; James Welch takes foreshadowing a little too far. A final warning: this book is not appropriate for younger readers due to excessive descriptions of sexual desires and acts, including adultery and incest.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Introduction into the Native American World
Review: This fictional book introduces many customs, traditions, and beliefs of Native Americans while providing a story line that keeps the reader interested. Fools Crow explores the life of an awkward teenager of the Lone Eaters tribe as he grows into a brave warrior, earns the respect of his tribe, is named Fools Crow, and is eventually entrusted with the fate of his people. Welch explores the Native American lifestyle during early American expansion into the west through the themes of revenge, faithfulness, and racial controversies, through the trials that Fools Crow undergoes, and many other characters that he interacts with. The non-distinct line between the real world and the dream world illustrates the depth and beliefs of the Native American culture; however, while this style is intriguing, it can lead to confusion at times in the novel. For example, at several points in the story, Fools Crow speaks with animals and it was hard for me to determine whether I was supposed to believe that he was literally speaking with an animal, or whether he was dreaming. Although it was confusing, it did serve a purpose of making the story stronger by providing a possible reason for Fools Crow and other characters take their dreams and mystical experiences so seriously. Perhaps the character is similarly unsure of whether the experience was fantasy or reality, and therefore treats it as being real. While this story is mainly portrayed through the point of view of Fools Crow, it also briefly explores the lives of white settlers and soldiers. The similarities shown in these different characters expresses a great truth in that neither of these races are truly savage, and neither are completely good.
Rating:
Summary: Review from Great Falls High School
Review: This novel portrays brilliantly the depletion of the Indian way of life. It has a beautiful, detailed description of life for the Native Americans and also the destruction of their people, through the eyes of those people. This novel has helped me understand what no other book on this topic has: the sufferings of the Indians and their struggle to keep their land and their beliefs. The Honors English teacher at GFHS made an excellent choice in deciding to add this to our curriculum this year. I commend her. She has opened up my eyes and my mind to different societies and their people. Thank you. And for all of those people who are interested in this book: Read It! You won't regret it.
|
