Rating: 
Summary: A Different Kind of Western
Review: "When the tyobs got rid of Berdache, they got rid of about half of what it was to be Indian". Wow. For me, "Moon" cast a new light on the culture clash between the Europeans and the native Americans. Many portraits of native American cultures make them out to be macho and mysogynist; berdache is ignored in most history books. If one considers that the way a society treats it's homosexual men is a reflection of it's opinion of the feminine, it should only make you wonder... This is a gritty, powerful read. Had me turned on in some places, crying through the last three chapters. My definition of a good book is one that changes me in some way. This is a good book.
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Summary: I am the man on earth who fell in love with this book!!
Review: After reading this book for the fourth time, I have to say, I am ready to read it again. I still cried and laughed through each scene, more so each time I read it. I still have not figured out why the book has taken up a space right next to my heart. I guess I would rather be there than here.
Rating: 
Summary: Just trying to keep my head above water
Review: At the moment I'm beginning book four of Moon and I have the distinct feeling of just trying to hold on for the ride. Never before have I read anyting quite like this. The book seems to be heading in a definite direction but pushing through it has become a leap of faith, in that I keep hoping for a more in-depth understanding of what I've read so far. I'm afraid the novel is failing to move me the way I hoped it would...taking into consideration the time setting and Shed's situation only serves to explain to a point the events that take place along the way. Despite the fact that Hollywood has had an effect on our view of the Old West, I've found myself wondering how accurate this book really is, if that was the author's intent. I won't give up before I finish, but the more I read,the less I feel like I'm gaining from this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh, crazy, yet spiritual
Review: Beware: this book will sneak up on you. Crazy whirlwind of a story pulls you into its vortex and spits you out in another century and another geography -- and soon you won't want to leave. I could easily read 10 more volumes about these characters. When you're done reading Spanbauer's novels, read the ones by his students: Chuck Palahniuk, Jackie Fischer, Rodger Larson, Jennifer Lauck, Kathleen Tyau, Joanna Rose.
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Summary: Announcement of PhD work on Tom Spanbauer
Review: I am an Irish student and I begin a PhD in Comparative Literature in Princeton University NJ this year. The beauty and breadth of The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon have left me reeling ever since I read it, and, since I will be writing on it over the course of my PhD. I need to find other texts which readers feel are similar or interesting to compare
Rating:
Summary: deeply beautiful, deeply taboo
Review: I cried for hours as I read this book. It's one of my personal favorites and I love it. The character's are deep, real, and easy to love. But the story is hard to read. Shed breaks every taboo possible, and it's hard to accept this, I flinched constantly. It speaks about deep philisophy and sex, the way people interact with the world around them, homophobia and racism, fear of things different. It shows that good and evil exist in all places despite apperances. Love and goodness are found in a brothel, while insanity and evil are found among mormans. It speaks of mysteries, of beauty, of life, and control vs. non-control, and the theft of Native American Culture. It deels with people's insecurities and how people deel with them. It is rich with symbolism, and a fine book to ponder. I recomend this book to anyone who has a really open mind, and doesn't have small children the same age as shed was when he raped.
-Sarah
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Summary: Fun to read
Review: I didn't get this book when it was published because -- geez, a WESTERN about a bi Native boy? Then I was completely out of reading material so I reluctantly picked it up. Now I'm sorry I didn't get it before. Talk about your killdeer. Mr.Spanbauer is an excellent writer. He rendered some remarkable dialect flowing from Shed's mind. One of the most fun things about the book was the oddness of Shed's grammar that paralleled the oddness of his world perceptions. With a minimum of punctuation to help, it was sometimes like piecing together a puzzle to figure out what he was saying. And that was always rewarding. I also loved the lambent but respectful way Mr. Spanbauer dealt with Native pantheism. This is a fun and sometimes inspiring book.
Rating: 
Summary: Damning with faint praise?
Review: I have mixed emotions about this novel -- of that I am certain. Here is a smattering of comments wide in range:The love scene in Dellwood Barker's hideaway between Dellwood and Shed is unforgettable. Quite possibly the most effective graphic sex scene I have ever read. Some of the characters are also unforgettable -- Alma, Dellwood, Damn Dave and Damn Dog. The villains are pretty weak, however. It's big-bad-government, big-bad-Mormons and big-bad-sheriff with nary an original portrait among the whole bunch. Oddly enough, the book that came to mind while reading this was "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". Both books are full of unconventional characters that exhibit damn-the-status-quo behavior. Of course the similarity ends there. At times Mr. Spanbauer's convention of skipping pronouns at the start of sentences becomes quite irritating. Okay, so using "She..." or "He..." to start a sentence is old-hat-boring-traditional, but at least I don't have to read the sentence twice to figure out who is doing what. The ending left me feeling rather cold because I thought the ambiguity (illusion? dream? real?) of the last few pages did not work well. I have no problem with ambiguity when it is artfully done, but Mr. Spanbauer's ending was less than satisfactory. Worthy of a read? Definitely. Brilliant? Yes, with reservations.
Rating: 
Summary: Dreadful (sorry!)
Review: I learned of this book from another book review, and I bought it after reading all the glowing praise below. I kept wondering if maybe I picked up a different book than everyone else! I found the characters flat and lifeless, and the dialogue and narrative unintelligible and meaningless. Gave up (which I RARELY do) after 50 pages or so. Maybe I gave up too soon. I certainly wish that I could have found what so many others found in this book. Thanks for the recommendation anyway, folks. I would like to pass on my own recommendations for books that moved and changed me - The Art of Happiness, by the Dalia Lama, The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino, and Like People In History, by Felice Picano.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh, crazy, yet spiritual
Review: I love Tom Spanbauers narrative voice. I read Man Who Fell in Love With the Moon, and was frustrated as heck trying to get through the first half. After a while, he grew on me. Before I knew it I was in love with his style. I wont comment much on the story line, but reading of this author is a great great experience. Give it time, be patient, read it to the end, and fall in love with his language.
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