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In Momaday's first novel, Abel is a Jemez Indian returning to his tribe after World War II. An outsider among his own people because of his war experiences and because of the ...Read more
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Waiting to be Carried Away
by:bobmust58
It's hard to critique a Pulitzer winner - you sound like you've been eating sour grapes if you're a writer, which I am. But any criticism I may have offer here barely register...Read more
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House Made of Dawn was originally written in 1966 and published two years later. The social commentary that Momaday makes then still holds true 40 years later. Momaday is a ...Read more
House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday (1999, Paperback)
Author: N. Scott MomadayPublisher: HarperCollinsLanguage: English
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Synopsis
In Momaday's first novel, Abel is a Jemez Indian returning to his tribe after World War II. An outsider among his own people because of his war experiences and because of the fact that he is the illegitimate offspring of a Navajo, Abel is humiliated at a ceremony, then he murders the man who offended him. After serving an eight-year sentence, Abel moves to Los Angeles, where he is confronted by the Reverend Tosamah, a Kiowa Indian based on a parodic view of Momaday himself. Tosamah proceeds to victimize Abel because he is a "longhair"--an unassimilated Indian. Abel is victimized in other ways in Los Angeles, and eventually returns to the Jemez reservation to bury his grandfather. Through the use of traditions from both Navajo and Jemez cultures, Abel is finally able to bring together the shards of his identity into a coherent whole.
Publisher's Note
A young American Indian returning from World War II searches for his place on his old reservation and in urban society
This 1969 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of a young American Indian struggling to reconcile the traditional ways of his people with the demands of the 20th century.
Industry Reviews
"Momaday writes with virility and vigor, yet each word seems skillfully chosen. His passages are molded with loving care and expert professional style. The reader can easily identify with the characters and understand their emotional depths. This is certainly an exceptional talent and one I hope will be used often."
Best Sellers - Charles Dollen (06/15/1968)
"N. Scott Momaday's book is superb in its own right....There is plenty of haze in the telling of this tale--but that is one reason why it rings so true."
New York Times Book Review - Marshall Sprague (06/09/1968)
"[Momaday] has considerable descriptive power....Yet the rhetoric is a bit too facile, smacks somewhat of campus creative-writing, and on occasion creates a nebulosity opaque enough to count as self-parody. One can understand the Pulitzer prize jury's being bowled over by it now and then; one is none the less surprised to note that it stayed mesmerized long enough by Mr. Momaday's bittern-boomings to award his book the prize."
Times Literary Supplement (05/22/1996)
In Momaday's first novel, Abel is a Jemez Indian returning to his tribe after World War II. An outsider among his own people because of his war experiences and because of the fact that he is the illegitimate offspring of a Navajo, Abel is humiliated at a ceremony, then he murders the man who offended him. After serving an eight-year sentence, Abel moves to Los Angeles, where he is confronted by the Reverend Tosamah, a Kiowa Indian based on a parodic view of Momaday himself. Tosamah proceeds to victimize Abel because he is a "longhair"--an unassimilated Indian. Abel is victimized in other ways in Los Angeles, and eventually returns to the Jemez reservation to bury his grandfather. Through the use of traditions from both Navajo and Jemez cultures, Abel is finally able to bring together the shards of his identity into a coherent whole.
| Key Details | |
| Author: | N. Scott Momaday |
| Language: | English |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Format: | Paperback |
| ISBN-10: | 0060931949 |
| ISBN-13: | 9780060931940 |
| Size | |
| Length: | 198 pages |
| Thickness: | 0.5 in |
| Weight: | 6.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
House Made of Dawn, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969, tells the story of a young American Indian named Abel, home from a foreign war and caught between two worlds: one his father's, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons and the harsh beauty of the land; the other of industrial America, a goading him into a compulsive cycle of dissipation and disgust.
A young American Indian returning from World War II searches for his place on his old reservation and in urban society
This 1969 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of a young American Indian struggling to reconcile the traditional ways of his people with the demands of the 20th century.
Industry Reviews
Best Sellers - Charles Dollen (06/15/1968)
New York Times Book Review - Marshall Sprague (06/09/1968)
Times Literary Supplement (05/22/1996)
eBay Product ID: EPID22078
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Waiting to be Carried Away
Created: 14/06/06
) It's hard to critique a Pulitzer winner - you sound like you've been eating sour grapes if you're a writer, which I am. But any criticism I may have offer here barely register in comparison to what Momaday has accomplished.
The descriptive narrative is some of the best I've read, and the way Momaday introduces and sustains his characters - although somewhat obliquely - reminds me of Nadine Gordimer's work. I've spent time in the Southwest, and am familiar with that Native American culture - as familiar as a southeastern anglo can be. The story alludes to the difficulty of a Native American man caught between two cultures, the way the natural world sustains him, the way relocation to California unbalances him. Similarly to Gordimer, Momaday romanticizes his characters while keeping them real, even to the point of cynicism.
Momaday is obviously a writer with great literary skill at his disposal. The problem with the book is the obliqueness mentioned. His leaping back and forth in time are manageable for most readers, but some of his literary riffs - such as slipping into second person point of view - will surely overwhelm the most agile readers.
One of the toughest lessons for a writer is displaying skill while remaining accessible. Momaday is skillful certainly, creating pathos and joy in his main character and that world. But I would have wished to be carried away by his writing, transported to his world through language. Instead he's used language as an obstacle, and that's a shame.
Bob Mustin
This review is also found at http://southpawwrite.blogspot.com
The descriptive narrative is some of the best I've read, and the way Momaday introduces and sustains his characters - although somewhat obliquely - reminds me of Nadine Gordimer's work. I've spent time in the Southwest, and am familiar with that Native American culture - as familiar as a southeastern anglo can be. The story alludes to the difficulty of a Native American man caught between two cultures, the way the natural world sustains him, the way relocation to California unbalances him. Similarly to Gordimer, Momaday romanticizes his characters while keeping them real, even to the point of cynicism.
Momaday is obviously a writer with great literary skill at his disposal. The problem with the book is the obliqueness mentioned. His leaping back and forth in time are manageable for most readers, but some of his literary riffs - such as slipping into second person point of view - will surely overwhelm the most agile readers.
One of the toughest lessons for a writer is displaying skill while remaining accessible. Momaday is skillful certainly, creating pathos and joy in his main character and that world. But I would have wished to be carried away by his writing, transported to his world through language. Instead he's used language as an obstacle, and that's a shame.
Bob Mustin
This review is also found at http://southpawwrite.blogspot.com
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our Still Relevant
Created: 08/03/08
) House Made of Dawn was originally written in 1966 and published two years later. The social commentary that Momaday makes then still holds true 40 years later. Momaday is a wonderful weaver of words; each word is placed carefully on the page.House Made of Dawn is sometimes a staple in college American Lit classes, but I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with more depth and less superficial writing.
house made of dawn book. thanks! fast shipping =]
Created: 10/12/07
) i bought this because it was required for my AP class. i didnt even read it. and i have a project due for it this week. i know this was a crappy review. sorry.
one good thing tho...the book has many symbols in it to do projects on =]
one good thing tho...the book has many symbols in it to do projects on =]
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