Rating: 
Summary: A very well done book about plains indians
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it was a lot of fun and full of heartfelt emotion. Shame on those who criticize the authors writing style as being too simplistic-it's his first book for crying out loud! His sentences were to the point and made for quick reading. Worth the read to anyone who enjoyed to film or has an interest in the plains indians.
Rating: 
Summary: Good plot, amateur writing, overy simple emotional tugs
Review: I saw the movie years ago and loved it, I only recently read the book - I think it is the first book I have read that was clearly written to be a movie. It is very difficult for a film to effectively capture the subltlies that can be easily developed in text - in my opinion Mr Blake didn't even try. As a 1st book it is obviously a good start, but still glaringly amateurish. And I don't mean the simple sentences and short words - Hemingway elevated extremely simple prose to a high art, as did Twain. This book suffers from being too simple in its plot and development - there are no subtleties to what is happening inside Dunbar, or Stands-with-a-Fist, the Indian vs white man issue is too much in your face and cliched. Probably the worst part of the book though, is the end. After developing a good plot, Mr Blake wraps it up in just a few snetences. It leave one with the impression that you lead up a hill to view...nothing. Mercifully, we were spared additional cliches of red vs white, but we were also spared *any* meaning. It just stopped!
Rating: 
Summary: A quality book for teenagers to elderly men and women.
Review: I thought this book tied in excellantly with the movie, it gave you more information and told the story to a higher degree.
Rating: 
Summary: The Movie's Actually Better
Review: I'll say one thing for this book (besides that it's easy to read): it may be simplistic and perpetuate stereotypes of the "noble savage" and "hostile savage", but it does give us something new. The book is about a white male in the Union army, although it doesn't really mention the Civil War very much; in fact, the protagonist, Lt. Dunbar, doesn't even know what's going on with the war he fought in.
Dunbar is posted at a lonely fort on the frontier, where he works and communes with nature and animals. The ecological aspect is a new slant in the western, but much of the book is still predictable and does not try very hard to go in depth or portray reality.
Dunbar joins the Comanche Indian tribe, falls in love with the one white woman (surprise surprise) and gets renamed Dances with Wolves. What you expect to happen does. He saves the Indians (how could he not-he's white!), is accused of being a traitor by his own people, blah blah. A good book for the general public, but I prefer actual 'literature'.
Rating:
Summary: lets you know how the Indians felt
Review: If you like a book with lots of action,then read this book. I loved the part where he first meets the Indians. It made me feel really bad about how we treated them and the buffalo. The freedom to roam on the wide open spaces seemed exciting, and I admire him for living with the Indians.
Rating:
Summary: Makes you think...
Review: It is a tale of an American soldier, Lt. John Dunbar, a hero of the war who gains the admiration of a General and given any post in the West. What does he choose? The most barren, "savage" part of the West, it is land dominated by a people unlike, yet similar to our own, the Native Americans. Dunbar finds himself alone when he arrives at the fort-abandoned because of the Indians. Making the best of it, he sets up camp, preparing for the arrival of other soldiers. Soon, he befriends the neighboring Comanche tribe. A little bit at a time, Dunbar meets interesting and honorable members of that tribe, especially a woman named Stands With a Fist, an adopted white member of the tribe who has just lost her husband. By the command of the tribe leader, they ask Stands with a Fist to help communicate with Dunbar. From that point, Dunbar the people of the Comanche tribe learns about each other's cultures. A bridge is gaped where none existed. Both people had ideas about each otherm, misconceptions soon put aside for admiration and respect. It has a simple writing style which I think works for this book. It's philological and addresses discrimination and stereotypes about Native Americans and the unjustness toward them. Dunbar realizes that the Native Americans were human beings and deserved to be treated equally, even though their customs were alien to them. He was open-minded, something we all wish we could be. In Dunbar you will find a hero and a champion. I liked how the author used the concept of prejudices and the realizing the wrongs of nation to a group of peaceful people. But he needed more pages to really get in-depth and could have made an even bigger impact. It made me think, though, could I have done what he had done?
Rating:
Summary: A Book For School...
Review: It started off all the 10th graders would read "Dances With Wolves." Our class was the last class to start reading, most of all my friends said the book was "boring" etc...I slacked it off for the first couple of chapters. But something caught my eye with Dunbar and Two-Socks, it touched me. I got into the book and just 10 minutes ago I finished it. Let me tell you we still have 2 weeks before we are supposed to be done. We just got the book about 4 days ago. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, I smiled, laughed, wanted to cry...I really want people to read this book. Its great for any age after 13. I told my mom to read it and for Christmas I think I'm getting her this book.
Rating: 
Summary: would make a good primer
Review: It's hard to believe someone actually read this book and said, "Hey! I smell a blockbuster!" The story, which as I understand follows the movie somewhat closely, is average, but the writing is amateur at best.I'm tempted to make a comment about the proverbial casting couch (in this case the publishing and movie-rights couch) but don't want to end up in court over an amateur book review. Mr. Blake seems to have coined a new phrase...guessed correctly. Every other page someone is guessing something correctly (e.g. Dances With Wolves guessed correcly that the sun had risen.") By the end of the book you wish you had guessed correctly that this book was going to be an enormous waste of time. I ordered this book from a book club to fulfill my membership agreement, and also because I never got the chance to see the movie everyone was talking about. After reading it, I had no desire to see the movie. However the movie inevitably crossed my path on t.v. a few times, but i just couldn't stick with it...i kept expecting Kevin Costner to correctly guess something. Mr. Blake, learn a new phrase!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The interesting story
Review: Leonid Fingerut
Monroe Community College
Rochester, NY. The book, "Dances With Wolves," written by Michael Blake is a beautifully written book which captures the tradition of the American Indians.
In his novel, "Dances With Wolves" Michael, Blake uses several techniques throughout the story to enhance and diversity the tone. Blake transgresses tones from sad of war to happy tones of victory. "Dances With Wolves" is a book that combines the best aspects of drama, romance, humor and adventure. Dunbar encounters the Indians who inhabit the plains near the military camp, where he is posted. Overcoming the language barrier and their mutual fear and distrust, Dunbar and the proud Indians gradually become friends. The reader can see how important it is to adapt to a new situation, and a new community in order to survive.
In my opinion the novel, "Dances With Wolves," is written in an exquisite writing style that is precise, sweet and descriptive. The events, atmosphere and culture of the story come to life.
I enjoyed reading this book and I recommended it to everyone. It is a good reading experience for teenagers and it is interesting for adults who like stories about the West.
Rating:
Summary: The interesting story
Review: Leonid Fingerut
Monroe Community College
Rochester, NY. The book, "Dances With Wolves," written by Michael Blake is a beautifully written book which captures the tradition of the American Indians.
In his novel, "Dances With Wolves" Michael, Blake uses several techniques throughout the story to enhance and diversity the tone. Blake transgresses tones from sad of war to happy tones of victory. "Dances With Wolves" is a book that combines the best aspects of drama, romance, humor and adventure. Dunbar encounters the Indians who inhabit the plains near the military camp, where he is posted. Overcoming the language barrier and their mutual fear and distrust, Dunbar and the proud Indians gradually become friends. The reader can see how important it is to adapt to a new situation, and a new community in order to survive.
In my opinion the novel, "Dances With Wolves," is written in an exquisite writing style that is precise, sweet and descriptive. The events, atmosphere and culture of the story come to life.
I enjoyed reading this book and I recommended it to everyone. It is a good reading experience for teenagers and it is interesting for adults who like stories about the West.
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