Indian Killer

Before people start squawking, relax- I'm white. A joke. Anyway, Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer follows a troubled Indian named John Smith, who was adopted by white parents as a baby. While John struggles with his mental diseases and being self-sufficient, the Indian Killer decides to take Seattle hostage. Part mystery, part sociological exploration, the Indian Killer is an interesting, quick read.Pros- Quick moving, as a result of being action-packed and full of dialogue.- Several interesting characters (also a con, though, see below) who were at times unpredictable.- An important look at a different side of the American Indian perception; there is still a lot of deep-rooted anger that stems from the pain inflicted on ancestors that tends to get swept under the rug.- I also really appreciated the way the homeless were portrayed in the novel; Alexie gave them a voice.Cons- Many of the characters lacked the depth they would have received, I'm sure, if there were fewer of them.- The writing was definitely not as good as the story; I think Alexie was definitely writing for the general population. This is fine, it just doesn't get high marks from me as far as the complexity or depth of prose.All in all a great read that I actually would love to teach to my high school students some day.

A good read and worth reading...can be read quickly, as a fast paced thriller, or savored more slowly, but maybe I should say 'labored' over. Why? There is haunting brutality in this book with a serial killer on the loose and racism is at its core, infecting every chapter and character. Worse yet is its wholly deterministic approach to Indian-white society interaction - there is no redemption for either side from Mr. Alexie's point of view. The characters, even the few with good intentions such as John Smith's parents, will never be able to overcome the barriers or racism. Whites will never gain the capacity to understand Indians and their past nor do Indians, at this point in history, want them even to try. Maybe it would not have been such a compelling, frightening tale if empathy and compromise were possible...only Mr. Alexie knows. I for one, if I have any bone to pick with this book, it is that some characters and relationships are left just too underdeveloped (John's life with his parents, for example) to make the novel more credible.

I really, really liked this one. I don't even know how to describe it. It's a mystery, allegory, social commentary...so many things in one.It's the story of John Smith, a Native American (Indian in this novel) taken from his young mother at birth and given to a white couple to raise, and the psychic and emotional harm that caused him. And it's the story of a killer (suspected Indian) who is killing white men in Seattle and the racial hatred and violence that incites against the local Indians and their mutual contempt. And it's the story of white men who create monsters and encourage racism and sexism with the ignorance and B.S. they spread with loud voices. But it's much more than that too, with many different characters, complex, simple, menacing, kind, heartbreaking, troubled, proud, angry, multi-faceted, and human.There's a lot to learn and ponder over and I think this is one that'll stick with me and that I'll be thinking over for a long time. It's very well written and although it seemed a bit slow going at first, after the first 70 pages or so it really kicked in and I was fully engaged. Well worth the time spent reading it.

This book was amazing and I don't understand why it isn't a motion picture already.? As a Black Belizean American, I saw a lot of parallels to how are are seen as Native people are seen in this book with my people or any minority for that matter.This book deals with a lot of things: from mental illness to race, culture, gender and more. I think it should be a must read in our schools, because of the language sometimes used, perhaps college; but this is how people do express themselves. I will be reading more by Alexie and will reread Indian Killer in the future.It's well written and characters well developed.It's set in Seattle and mainly about a Native American baby boy being adopted by a white family by the last name of Smith and have the audacity or short-sightedness to name their adopted son John. Some years later there is a killer on the loose seeming to only be killing white males and leaving a signature that seems to point to a Native American suspect. Its a mystery but not in the traditional sense of trying to figure out whodonit, but whyhedonit. It was a thrilling experience.

Would that Indian Killer lived up to the social realist experiment that it seems to be! Alexie weaves together numerous storylines in this dark episodic mystery, which recounts the progress of a serial murderer in Seattle who may or may not be Indian, but is most definitely killing and mutilating white men. Alexie's portraits of the Native American experience remain incisive and original; his characterization of the hardships faced in the city, and of the communal bonds that enable survival, are especially powerful. But Alexie's white characters are at times superficial and cartoonish, and while that might be a necessary counter move to similar portrayals of Native American characters elsewhere, his portrayal of these figures (at least of the antagonists) distanced me from the very real struggles of his protagonists. I had hoped this novel would pack the same wallop as Richard Wright's Native Son; the experiences of Alexie's John Smith are a sharp jab to the nose, but they're nothing like the haymaker that is Bigger Thomas.

I'm a fan of Sherman Alexie, and this is set in modern Seattle. What really disturbed me is the amount of hatred he paints between the Indians and other Americans living in the city.. Is this true or magnified to make the story work?

Amazing book, really engaging and full of suspense! Very violent and thrilling! Gives a different portrayal of Indians and leaves us questioning about the identity of the Indian Killer! Loved studying it, Alexie is a brilliant writer!

Conoscevo Alexie solo come sceneggiatore del film Smoke Signals, questo è il primo suo libro che leggo e, tra tutti i thriller che ho letto in questo periodo, è l'unico che credo valga la pena recensire per il fatto che è qualcosa di diverso dal solito. Infatti, non è solo il racconto di un killer che terrorizza gli abitanti di Seattle, ma anche la rappresentazione di uno spaccato di una società percorsa da tensioni etniche che vengono da lontano, ferite e paure forse mai curate o trattate in modo sbagliato, incomprensioni profonde che ancora dividono il mondo dei bianchi, mi viene da dire dei Wasp se penso ai personaggi del libro, e quello dei Nativi Americani.

Una gran novela. Creo que Alexie es de los grandes de la literatura EEUU actual y sin duda esta novela es mejor que "Libertat" de Franzen, que no deja de ser un folletín. Alexie se mueve entre el thriller, el psicotrhiller, la novela denuncia... para lograr un entramado que no puede dejar indiferente al lector. La recomiendo fervientemente.

This teaches us about the world. I recommend this book