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Summary: Lyrical novel of American Indian life
Review: "Love Medicine" is a lyrical, unique novel of American Indians living, for the most part, on a reservation. Community life is not important to the novel, whereas individuals and family and the experience of nature and spirit are. While not long, "Love Medicine" follows many characters over many years, doing so by moving between time and character in each chapter, in a non-linear fashion. I understand the new edition of "Love Medicine" has 5 additional chapters, and a genealogy in the beginning. If you have the old version, make sure you construct your own genealogy as you work through the novel, in order to keep everyone straight. Love Medicine is definitely not a "feel good" novel, but I really wish Erdrich had not introduced King in the second chapter. He made that chapter on the family reunion more disheartening than it should have been, given the future development of the novel, as well as the reader's enjoyment.
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Summary: A Powerful portrayal of a Native American Experience
Review: "Love Medicine" is the lyrical tale of the Nanapush, Kashpaw and Lamartine families of Native Americans living on a reservation in the Dakotas. Each chapter peels at the layered relationships among the families and reveals how their lives intersect and extend to encompass all that is traditional and new in the Native Americans experience. Told from multiple points of view, the narrative is capable of transporting one to a place where truth, like fruit from the tree of life, hangs low for the picking. I saw myself and my culture represented in the stories of the Chippewa. "Love Medicine" is tragic and triumphant, magical and inspiring. The novel's exquisite symbolism is drawn in succinct prose that pulsates with the vibrancy of the characters and culture. This was a great read recommended by a cousin in high school who didn't quite like the story. After reading the novel I can understand my cousin's lukewarm response to the text, for our family's - the African American family's - experience seems inextricably tied to that of the Native Americans depicted in the novel. I found it particularly interesting how the effects of oppression are the same regardless of the group of people being oppressed. Having that experience rendered with such clarity and unflinching honesty can be a lot to take in when you're at the height of discovering who you are, why you are and where you belong. I'm looking forward to a lengthy discussion with my little cousin and recommend that all high schools add this to their required reading list.
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Summary: Note to Instructors
Review: "Love Medicine" was my "first" Erdrich book; I hold it in my heart the way one might hold a first crush. Her language is amazing; few other authors hve such a natural and innate ability to commmune with the soul- my soul, anyway.I was shocked by the reviews written here; this is what prompted me to write this review. Why are instructors teaching this book in intro classes? That's like teaching Faulkner in high schools; the point and beauty of the book is guaranteed to be missed. If you're looking for food for your spirit, look to Erdrich. If you're looking for a way to introduce Native American ethnicity into a survey class, please chose another book!!
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Summary: Splendid
Review: A fantastic piece of art which should be given more credit than it does. The story The Red Convertible in this collection is quite possibly the best piece of literature I have read in a while. A must read!
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Summary: love medicine
Review: After reading Love Medicine the first thing that comes to my mind is totally confused. I honestly lost track of all the children and their parents. The reason I give this book a three however, is because I thought it gave good examples of the realistic hardships encountered by the Native Americans. Espcially the fact that most books tend to give us plots based on just the general societal condition. This story gave us an inside look into the effect of the reservation life on the families. I think I may want to try to read this again just to try and figure out the family tree.
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Summary: Excellent! Well worth the read
Review: As the Kirkus review suggests, Love Medicine is best taken as a series of stories--it is not exactly in chronological order, and the stories are related only in that they all deal with characters from two sides of a large and complex family. In fact, the family relations are so complex that at times they're downright confusing, and you might want to make a family tree--in pencil. Nonetheless, it is a powerful and compelling book with a sly wit about it; and sometimes it's so beautiful it's painful, as in "Scales," "The Red Convertible," and "Wild Geese." In all honesty the book is probably a masterpiece, as--in the best of van Gogh--it leaves you pondering nuances of what you've witnessed for days afterwards
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Summary: Beloved
Review: Beloved is quite a story. First of all the whole issue with the ghostly daughter was really different and something one needs to adjust to. I think this book was a good read and I would recommend it. But there were some points in the book that confused me a little bit. I really think that the way this family was is displayed well. I don't think this was my favorite book though. I actually thought this was going to be the best book to read this quarter, but after reading it I would say that Joy Luck Club was my most favorite out of the three assigned novels of this quarter.
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Summary: Come to the "res" and get to know some very special people..
Review: Colorful characters, vivid detail, and a whole range of emotion await the reader that embarks on a journey through Louise Erdrichs' 1985 book Love Medicine. Those who have no prior knowledge of life on an Indian Reservation will come away with a better understanding of Native American life in the twentieth century, while those who are familiar with life on "the res" will certainly find many things to relate to. Erdrich has managed to weave what may at first seem to be unrelated chapters into a colorful history of the lives of the Kashpaw and Nanapush families spanning five decades. Intertwined in the story are many other reservation residents all of whom add their unique contribution to this literary tapestry. Each chapter is written in the style of its' primary character and reflects the individuals' point of view. Family alliances and feuds are played out, relationships become evident, and secrets are uncovered with each turn of a page. Events are often retold elsewhere in the book from another persons' perspective and the plots continue to thicken. Hopes and dreams often give way to stark reality. Some characters remain on the reservation accepting their lots in life and triumph despite personal tragedies, dysfunctional families, and adversity. Other characters don't cope as well and attempt to escape to the city only to find out that no matter where they go they cannot escape themselves or their destinies. Then, there are those that are so tortured by their life experiences that they see no other way out but the ultimate escape from life itself. Yet, despite tragedy and hardship, life endures. Each character has unique coping mechanisms and skills, and philosophy about life. As the book progresses the reader gets to know all the key characters very well. Remarkable throughout the book is the connection and sense of extended family that exists in this community. Especially poignant is the way the matriarchs hold all aspects of reservation life together through good times and bad. Children are fostered as needed without question and raised alongside natural children, frailties accepted, those in need are cared for, eccentricities are tolerated, and indiscretions either forgiven or ignored. Doors are always open to friends and relatives, commodities shared, and family loyalty is a way of life. The community is interdependent on all its' members, as is clearly demonstrated when all the families in the community are included as employees of the short-lived Tomahawk Factory, and reap from both the success and failure of this trailblazing endeavor. The ways and superstitions of the Old World weave their way throughout the book adding interest, and sometimes mystery. Using the personal experiences as a German-Native American and her keen insight into all aspects of life Erdrich brings to light the challenges of everyday life for this marginal population; those that live both in the old world and the new, and sometimes don't fit into either. With her skill at presenting a total picture of modern Native American lifestyle on the reservation the author brings to the readers' consciousness various socio-political messages. The presence of alcohol abuse and its' consequences resurfaces throughout the book both from the abusers' point of view and that of the victims. After an intimate look inside the lives of these fictional characters the root causes of what are often looked upon as hereditary traits become apparent. People need to feel valued, productive, and that there is hope for something better in their lives. Historically, reservation life has encouraged dependency on the government rather than self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship. The effects of parental alcoholism on children in the form of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome also cannot be ignored as a cause of this unfortunate cycle that clearly needs to be broken. Come, spend some time at the "res", and if you aren't ready to leave when you turn the last page don't despair - this need not be the end. Step into the books' sequel The Bingo Palace. One can only wonder and imagine what further adventures and mysteries await within the walls what used to be the infamous Tomahawk Factory!
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Summary: Very confusing, too many flashbacks, etc.
Review: I absolutely hated this book. There were too many flashbacks. I had to read it for school, and I hated it.
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Summary: For a 14 year old mixed-blood Chippewa, I loved this story!
Review: I am but only a 14 year old girl and currently read the whole "Tracks" series. I read before this a review that criticized the whole series; it was written by a 16 year old girl who was forced to read it. In my class, we were asked to find a book that has a Native American theme to it, and after carefull consideration, I chose to read this peice after hearing great praise of the author, Louise Erdrich, from my literature teacher. It is indeed a challenging peice of literature, but I found it unique. Its constant changing of narrators leaves you wanting to read and find out what happens to all of the charaters in the end. I first read "Tracks," and I was fascinated with the character Fleur Pillager, she is the type of person that I see in myself, the kind that I would like to play in a movie. She is seen in two narrative forms throughout the book. The first, Nanapush, is a spirtual man whom has a wild heart, and a love for woman. The second is the ignored Pauline, whom is jealous and sick. Fluer is described by Nanapush as a wild-hearted woman who does what she can to survive. Pauline sees her with eyes of jealousy, and sees her as compition for men, and attention period. This novel is the tragic tale of these characters and there life on the Chippewa reservation. Having Chippewa blood myself, I believe that this novel is an accurate account of what happened long ago to the Native Americans, and if all eles, it is a good read. But I must warn you, you must have some intelegence to read this book, for to say the truth, it is one of the harder peices of literature that I read.
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