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War Dances Audiobook
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(3.02) - 2,851 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
National Book Award winner and New York Times best-selling author Sherman Alexie infuses his writing with biting wit and poignant insight. As a 41-year-old man confronts his own mortality in this collection's title story, he recalls his Spokane Indian father's chilling death from alcoholism and diabetes. Another tale features an eccentric salesman pursuing a married woman from airport to airport. And then there's the film editor who sees nothing wrong with altering footage to fit preconceived views-until he becomes the target of media distortion.
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"I first had the pleasure of hearing Alexie's work on NPR's excellent podcast "Selected Shorts". The wife bought this for me for an Epiphany present, and I read it front to back on an airplane carrying us to a family funeral. "War Dances" is a casserole of short fiction, apocriphal autobiography, poetry, and wry asides that manages to be tender, acerbic, literate, and lighthearted all more or less at the same time. A nice palate cleanser after having my mind blown (again) by Flannery O'Connor's "Wise Blood"."
— Bennett (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Sherman Alexie is not a finicky writer. He is often messy and in-your-face in a way that can make you laugh (or shudder) when you least expect to…War Dances is Alexie’s fiercely freewheeling collection of stories and poems about the tragicomedies of ordinary lives.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Alexie mixes up comedy and tragedy, shoots it through with tenderness, then delivers with a provocateur’s don’t-give-a-damn flourish.”
— Seattle Times -
“A paradox in [Alexie’s] writing is that you can be in the middle of delighted laughter when he will hit you with a sentence so true to the core of a character’s pain that you suck in your breath or are startled to realize you are crying.”
— Globe and Mail (Toronto) -
“War Dances taps every vein and nerve, every tissue, every issue that quickens the current blood-pulse: parenthood, divorce, broken links, sex, gender and racial conflict, substance abuse, medical neglect, 9/11, Official Narrative vs. What Really Happened, settler religion vs. native spirituality, marketing, shopping, and war, war, war. All the heartbreaking ways we don’t live now—this is the caring, eye-opening beauty of this rollicking, bittersweet gem of a book.”
— Al Young, PEN/Faulkner Award judge
Awards
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Winner of the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award
War Dances Listener Reviews
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" Loved this book. The audio version is read by Alexie which I think was great. "
— Jeremy, 2/18/2014 -
" Sherman Alexie can articulate the inner state of mind of a uniquely neurotic male so you feel genuine affection for all of the narrator's supporting characters and this collection of stories and poetry added numerous sad and fascinating people to my circle of friends. "
— Patrick, 2/12/2014 -
" When this is good, it's very good. When this is OK, it's very OK. "
— Russ, 2/12/2014 -
" I was really engaged with these stories, poems, and anecdotes. "
— Cerenity, 2/11/2014 -
" The 2011 "One Book, One Philadelphia" book. Smashing. A very satisfactory read. I even liked the poems. Reminiscent of Junot Diaz. "
— Brendan, 2/9/2014 -
" A fine collection of short stories by my favorite author. Many of these stories call up demons and, then, help to tame them. Alexie's honesty hits like a gut punch, yet his humor and storying telling skills help ease the fear and pain of going into these dark places. "
— Clint, 2/2/2014 -
" I have been in love with books before, so I need to read it again right away. "
— Jenn, 1/29/2014 -
" Simply the most efficient writer out there! He doesn't need 500+ pages to tell an interesting tale. Sometimes he just needs a few lines. Absolute gems! "
— Regan, 1/28/2014 -
" A collection of unexpected, sharp, witty, lyrical and dramatic stories from Sherman Alexie that was a pleasure to read. "
— Matteo, 1/19/2014 -
" Another Alexie triumph. I found myself intentionally taking extra time to read this collection of poems and short stories so that I didn't finish within the first few sittings. As usual, some of Alexie's stories and imagery stick with you long after you've finished reading. "
— Emily, 1/18/2014 -
" I loved the poems interspersed between stories. "
— Anne, 1/13/2014 -
" I hear he has a new book out! can't wait. Sounds like this one, a collection of short stories. Alexie is a great writer. Not to be missed. "
— Craig, 1/5/2014 -
" "Ode to the Mix Tape" is amazing! As well as the other short stories and poems. "
— Zak, 12/23/2013 -
" A lovely collection of short stories that was a quick read. Alexie is always a good bet for me. "
— Hadassah, 12/22/2013 -
" Alexie always entertaining and provocative. "
— Charlie, 12/15/2013 -
" High 3. Funny how Alexie's prose is so lovely--almost poetic at times--and his poems are so godawful prosey. My favorite pieces in this collection were the interview-type pieces, which read more like poetry than any of his poems. "
— Sarah, 10/27/2013 -
" Terrific writing, as always. "
— Don, 3/21/2013 -
" Haunting. Heart-breaking. Hilarious. Sherman Alexie hits another home-run with this collection of stories. "
— Erin, 12/16/2012 -
" I really enjoyed the essays and poems. For me, they were thought provoking. On several occasions I found myself pondering various aspects of the text although I was not reading at the time. "
— Andrea, 8/30/2012 -
" Just picked it up a couple of hours ago - halfway through. I love Alexie's voice and how he tells stories like a sad, funny, beautiful song. "
— Shelly, 8/4/2012 -
" Actually 4.5/5. Not perfect, but damn close. Love Sherman Alexie. "
— Chelsea, 4/12/2012 -
" I got to see Mr. Alexie speak and he read fom this book...he also made fun of Tom's of Main Deodorant, which was classic. Loved this read! "
— Jessicat, 10/30/2011 -
" Great read! I really enjoyed his writing style and humor. Thanks to Greg for the suggestion! "
— Christine, 9/21/2011 -
" great book. good stories and poems. favorite story was the senator's son...or the ballad of paul nonetheless, loved the poem ode to mix tapes...try him. he just seems to get better and better... "
— Vern, 9/7/2011 -
" Great collection of short stories and poems. The central story "War Dances" is awesome. But there are other really good ones as well. "
— Stuart, 6/23/2011 -
" Alexie's first-person narratives feel real, sometimes creepily so. Listened to this in the car over a week or so of commuting; now I want to really read it... someday. It's a shame Goodreads doesn't allow books to be on two shelves at once (or can I add a second occurance...hmm) "
— Ted, 5/24/2011 -
" I was really engaged with these stories, poems, and anecdotes. "
— Cerenity, 5/11/2011 -
" What a great collection, wide ranging stories and characters, I recommend adding this one to your Sherman Alexie collection. "
— Janet, 4/14/2011 -
" Not the best Alexie out there; the poems feel like first drafts. But he has an infectiousness to his stories that you forgive their occasional clumsiness. "
— Josh, 4/12/2011 -
" This was my first taste of Alexie, and I liked it. His prose reminds me of Tim O'Brien. I think this book would be excellent for teaching, and I plan to add it to my list. "
— Jana, 3/14/2011 -
" Loved it! He can't go wrong for me. Only problem was it was too quick a read. "
— Emma, 3/4/2011 -
" Caleb introduced me to this author, and I've been a fan ever since. His stories pack a punch. "
— Christina, 2/23/2011 -
" Another wonderful book of short stories and poems from one of America's best authors. Alexie really shines in his short stories. "
— Cayr, 2/22/2011
About Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie is a poet, short-story writer, novelist, and performer. He is a winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction, a PEN/Hemingway Citation for Best First Fiction, and the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. A Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, he grew up in Wellpinit, Washington, on the Spokane Indian Reservation, and has been an urban Indian since 1994.