The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” is the main reason why I consider Sherman Alexie to be one of my personal influences. I’d like to read more work from this wonderful author, but I don’t know where to continue. But for now, consider this book to be one of the fastest and most enjoyable ones you’ll ever read. In this piece of autobiographical fiction, an Indian teenager named Arnold Spirit describes his dismal life of being bullied around on the Indian reservation in Spokane, Washington and how he went to an all-white school to get away from that. Just from this synopsis alone, you’d probably guess that there’s a lot of heartache for the reader to empathize with. But with every piece of heartache, there’re also some giggly moments. In fact, when a reviewer once said that he was “laughing while his heart was breaking”, I thought to myself that I couldn’t have said it better. One of my favorite lines in the whole book is when Arnold says, “It’s like stomping on the backs of baby seals on the way to the beach to protest seal clubbing.” I can’t remember what exactly it was he was describing, but it’s one of the giggly moments that you can enjoy while maintaining a quick flow. It made me wonder if having comedy increases the pace of the writing. It was certainly true for Carl Hiaasen’s work and “Napalm and Silly Putty” by George Carlin, so maybe that’s one of the reasons for Sherman Alexie’s breakneck pace. I’ll even go so far as to say that it doesn’t matter if you’re laughing like a hyena or smiling a Mona Lisa smile, because you won’t want to put the book down if you’re having a good time. It might also help if you the reader can relate to some of the themes of this book such as bullying, being in love, poverty, death, and friendship. While nobody could be compared to Arnold Spirit, you’ll still have plenty of reason to cheer him on as the story progresses. If you’re a writer and you need inspiration for whatever market you’re catering to, buy a copy of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”. Or if you just want to cry and laugh at the same time, that’s perfectly alright as well.

　

***WRESTLING JOKE OF THE DAY***

Mr. Anderson is a real TNA-hole.