Truth and Bright Water

Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet symphony of words
Review: Pulling the old book off the shelf, I remember the faint memory of when this bookI was read to me. Reading it again refreshes my memory of the times I sat on the bed, listening to words strung together like beads on a string. They make up a story of a boy not so long ago and far away.

The intriguing book had me crouched together, rocking back and forth, hungry for every word which told lies, theories and memories. What does she mean? Why did he say that? Why does he act that way? Thoughts racing through my mind as I was read Truth and Bright Water.

I read it again to write this review. I've decided to mention a few interesting aspects of the novel that made it worthwhile in my opinion.

It happens every so often that the boy telling the story will have a flashback which may not always be important to the book but helps reveal things about the people around Tecumseh, the main character who is telling the story. Some of his memories include his mother's reactions of when his father moved to Truth, the stories his grandmother told of his mother and Auntie Cassie, and the day the old church got sold to Monroe Swimmer. Reading Tecumseh's memories was like thinking you took a wrong turn only to realize you were heading in the right direction the whole time. It wasn't a lost feeling or a feeling of isolation but rather Tecumseh's childhood told from an innocent point of view. It gave the book a human touch.

In reading this novel, you would discover soon that whenever two people are having a conversation, they are really having two or three conversations at the same time. For example:
"Now that school's out," my mother says, "I guess you'll be looking for something to do."
"What's for breakfast?"
"The railroad might be hiring this summer," says my mother.
"Sausage?"
"You should check with Wally Preston over at the job gate."
"Eggs would be okay."
"Cereal's in the cupboard," she says.
"French toast?"
"Spoon's in the drawer."
-pg.17

One could argue that there are psychological reasons for this, but I'm not going to go down that road.

In numerous chapters, two things are happening at the same time. One example of this situation is when you read Tecumseh's thoughts about a private matter, and then there are the conversations that he has with the person beside him. He'll jump back to his thoughts without warning but never fails to get interrupted. It's really not unusual because I'm sure it happens to the average person once a day. It's only unusual to have it written on paper.

This book is unique because it doesn't stay on track. The adventures are definitely something that you would not experience out here in the urban centers. At the same time, Truth and Bright Water is different from something that would take place in the Hundred Acre Wood or Sherwood Forest. The experiences of Tecumseh are modern with difficult solutions and the journey who's path is grey instead of black and white. This novel leaves a different sort of flavour in your mouth. I would definitely not recommend this novel to the happy-go-lucky person who can't handle all the difficulties in the world. There is just too much bitterness. So why would you read this book? It's bittersweet. Prickly on the outside and soft on the inside. I found it really fascinating this boy who wants to care so much for the people around him but everyone thinks he doesn't understand their situation. Tecumseh's narration proves that he understands more than anyone really thinks. So if you are the rebel (or remember your rebel days), I would think that you would find this novel quite the eye-opener. If you are one of those who like to read till your brain has gone to mush, this is one book you would enjoy as well. If you are one of those who think you have too many problems and don't need to think about more, this book is not for you. It's bittersweet and no symphony of grace.

Rating:
Summary: a pleasant but unsatisfying read
Review: Similar to what 2 other reviewers mentioned, I found this book to be nice on landscape description but was puzzled that almost none of the key threads running through this story (e.g., abusive parent, emotional wounds from the past, unwanted pregnancy) were ever fleshed out or came to any conclusion. I don't require that a book ends with a nice tidy ending but these themes were so central to the characters and place that it would have been nice to see them through. But overall I did enjoy the book, just might not recommend it strongly.

Rating:
Summary: Mystical or Merely Muddy?
Review: This novel didn't work well for me. I agree with the other reviewer's praise for Thomas King's great way with language and description. We do indeed get the picture painted of the towns of Truth and Bright Water. The incidents in the story such as the buffalo run where tourists shoot buffalo with paint pellet guns on motorcycles are interesting. I failed to connect with this book because of the lack of resolution in the plot. Tecumseh's mother keeps disappearing for days on end, mysteriously and without explanation. At the end of the book, the only explanation I could come up with was that she was in play rehearsals for Snow White. The irony of Snow White as play produced by Indians is wonderful, but what play rehearsal lasts days; and what mother wouldn't tell her son where she's going? Throughout the novel, we wonder whether Tecumseh's mother and father will reunite. At the conclusion of the novel, this relationship is as fuzzy as it was during the novel; so why did King repeatedly bring it up? We also wonder at the mystery of Aunt Cassie and the suitcase with baby clothes. Is she pregnant? At the end, she burns the clothes and that's all we know about that. Cousin Lum is kicked out of his house by his abusive father Franklin. Neither his aunt nor uncle go and help the boy. They leave him to live under a bridge with wild dogs. Like King, I'm also a Native American hybrid; and I seek out good Native American literature like Eden Robinson's first novel Monkey Beach. This book has great characters, the incidents are interesting, but the plot is like a train that goes nowhere. Was that the point?