When The Legends Die

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking but boring and too repeatative (Kendahl)
Review: The novel When the Legends Die was somewhat thought provoking. In the novel the character Tom (Bear's Brother) was ripped from his true home and forced into a life that he was not accustomed. As Tom grew he was filled with anger and hatered. This anger was transfered into his work as a bronc rider. Bronc riding was his release.This novel brought up excellent thought provoking ideas about life and it's purpose. This novel was interesting but hard to read because of it's length. The novel seemed to drag on, and seemed to repeat many of the same themes, stories and ideas. I found myself falling asleep through the long stories about bronc riding because they were not interesting and I could not relate with them. This novel is a "Take it or leave it."

Rating:
Summary: Kadin says, "A good idea poorly written."
Review: This is a story of a Native American boy who grows up knowing only the "old ways." He resists the influence of the changing world around him because he knows nothing else. He is forced into learning English and continues to grow up, becomming bronco rider. I found this story to be a decent read. I like the ideas Hal Borland has to present and the concepts he provides. But I found his writing to be somewhat annoying and childish. The entire book is written in baby sentences. As Tom grows up in this book so should have the authors style of writing. Overall, not too bad Hal.

Rating:
Summary: Shantra says,"Who, Puppy! Don't try this one.
Review: When The legends Die is a book about forgetting the past and adapting to new traditions. Thomas Black Bull, the main character is a Native American boy who loses his family in early childhood. He is forced to share his ideas, ambitions, and love with his only friend, the bear. He lives his life in the woods only corresponding with nature and animals. Toms whole life is changed when Blue Elk,the "Town Jerk Ball" takes Tom away from his home and enroles him in school. Tom is unfamiliar to these new ways and does not adapt well. He ends up becoming a sheep herder, and eventualy meets a man who teaches him to ride broncs. During this whole time Tom looses a sense of who he really is. He looses his faith in his "old ways." He no longer sings or performs his habitual dances. He continues through life following everyone's orders. At the end of the book Tom realizes he has lost track of who he wants to be and how he wants to continue his life. He also realizes that he can't get caught up in what other people want him to do or he will "die." The book teaches us to stand up for what we believe is true for us. Tom is told to lose rodeos against his will, but he knows in his heart this is wrong. Everyone needs to be their own individual. Would I recommend When the Legends Die? Only if you have time to spare. Although it is easy reading, the plot is drawn out too long. The author could have focused more on life's lessons. It could have explained more about the symbolizing of "Circles." Mr. Borland could have explained how our lifetimes cycle in a circle. I liked how the title ties into the whole meaning of the book; When The Legends Die. Every culture has memmmories that continue on throughout life. But as we get older and more advanced, people's old beliefs are replaced by new ones.

Rating:
Summary: Joe - Legends of a culturally corrupt nation
Review: This Story about a native american youth(Tom) contains the loss of both his parents in a worn "white" culture of racial injustice, conformity, and a greedy urge to fulfill a fame and fortune style American Dream. Tom has seen the white mans culture, grown up in it, and fails to fit the puzzle peice he needs to form into in order to become assimilated to the group on the lowest level of the nations heirarchy. Tom then forms an inversion of the Manifest Destiny plagueing America at the time slinking back into uncivility and travelling back through evolution to primitive simplicity. This story has many more themes related to itself. I only showed the story as how it relates to the time and place in history. It really isnt worth reading though. I suggest Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter Thompson.

Rating:
Summary: RYAN THINKS:Nothing Gained, Nothing Lost. Mediocre
Review: The basic plot of this story bounced around a lot. It started with a Native American family going to a town and being forced to become civilized. The fathers' paycheck was being shorted so the family decided to move out of the city and go back to the old ways. That does not happen until the father decides to kill a coworker for stealing from him. They go to the forest and live in the old ways. The story moves on, the boys father dies and then his mother. Thomas Black Bull lives alone for a couple years and then is forced to come to the city and be civilized himself. He stays a little while then leaves to go work for a sheep herder. He works for various people, learning many trades and also learning how to ride bucking broncos. The story takes you so many places it is hard to keep up. Anyway he comes across a man who encourages him to ride broncs to make money. If you are falling asleep now just wait, it doesn't induce (get) much more excitement. He rides for a long time time until he can barely walk straight. Thomas decides finally to return to his homeland and recover. He herds sheep once again and ends up hunting the bear that he befriended in the forest in years past. Now see, there was an OK plot but it just didn't have as much excitement as I needed. If I was not forced to read this book, I don't know if I would have finished it. Like I said, nothing gained from reading this book, but also nothing lost.

Rating:
Summary: Hard-to-follow yet has a decent plot
Review: This book starts out slow and stays that way. It picks up a bit later, but it is not much. The plot is a good idea, but the book is written in a slow and boring style that I never enjoyed. If it had described everything in more detail with more excitement included this book would be more interesting. It is good for high school age students wanting to find out about the old Indian ways of life. This book has its good and not-so-good qualities.

Rating:
Summary: Shara thinks this book TRIED too hard to be deep
Review: Hal Borland uses references to the "roundness of life" and "the old ways" in an attempt to bring depth to Tom Black Bull's character. The disagreeable style overshadows any hope of getting any deep meaning from the story. Tom starts out in the wilderness living in the old Ute way with a bear for a best friend. He spends the middle of his life killing broncs that represent the evils of his past, and ends up returning to the mountains to live in the old way again. This is the essence of the story. Tom's life is anything but exciting or deep. Unless you want to read a book filled with Disney-style-Indian sentence sructure that leaves you wondering why you wasted your time waiting for something worth while to happen, I would not recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: I, Larissa, feel that this book was a disappointment.
Review: This book, When The Legends Die by Hal Borland, is about a Native American boy who has to survive in a white society. He has many hardships to overcome, including both of his parents' dealths. He has to deal with other peoples' opinions while he is in a white school. Having to learn English, alone, is a big step in the life of a child. I actually felt that this book was a little boring. It was hard for me to read because i could not get into it. It is an easy book to read, but because the plot is so drawn out, it makes the book a little dull. The style of the book is good, though. I would recommend this book to a person that enjoys "Cowboys and Indians" types of books.

Rating:
Summary: When the Legends Die
Review: The book When the Legends Die was an ok book. The message the author tried to convey was good, but overall, the book was slow and dull. The story feels like it keeps going and going, and when it seems like it is going to end, something happens and the story continues. The themes discussed in this book were good, such as roundness, living in harmony with nature, and remembering your heritage. The story is about a young Ute Indian boy who has to go live in the woods with his mother and father because his father is wanted for murdering someone who stole his money. Both his parents are killed and he is left alone in the wilderness. He is tricked by an old Ute man and is forced to live on a reservation and go to school to learn the ways of the white people. After he goes to the reservation, he forgets about his heriatige and remembers after many years.

Rating:
Summary: An Adult Theme Written for Children
Review: The theme of this novel, "When the Legends Die", was a great theme and had the power to move one who has come to an awkward time in his or her life. The theme however, seemed to be more directed to adult life and not to a young adults, for whom the writing style showed it was written for. If the symbolism and metaphors weren't so drawn out and in your face, I feel adults would have enjoyed it more and they wouldn't have become bored so quickly. A book that reveals the thoughts of a man during his mid-life crises should not be given to young adults just because its on par with their reading level. If the writing style was more intellectual it would have turned a interesting adult story into a great novel.