Editorial Review:
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The magnificent Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of a stranger in his native land A young Native American, Abel has come home from a foreign war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his father's, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world -- modern, industrial America -- pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, claiming his soul, goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of dissipation and disgust. And the young man, torn in two, descends into hell.
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Reader Reviews for House Made of Dawn (P.S.):
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Customer Rating:  
Summary: Very disappointing
Comment: Perhaps I expected too much..and this was a big let down.
The book IS beautifully written..but, oh so boring! Hardly any dialogs, I never, at any point, felt drawn into the story, or close to the caracters. I struggled to finish is and when I have, I asked myself..what was it all about? Just a display of a writer's talent, but without any specific point being made.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Exquisite Modern Classic
Comment: House Made of Dawn is modern Native American art's most acclaimed work and the first to really hit the mainstream. It began the "Native American Renaissance," inspiring practically every Native writer since and winning considerable mainstream praise, including the Pulitzer Prize. Anyone reading it thus has great expectations, and it is a testament to the book's high quality that it does not disappoint. It is a landmark not only in Native literature, or even American ethnic literature, but American literature period.
The novel is many things. Perhaps most immediately, it gives profound insight into the many struggles and challenges facing twentieth century Natives. N. Scott Momaday, an enrolled Kiowa who grew up around Natives on and off reservations in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and elsewhere, based the book in large part on first-hand knowledge. A significant part is set on a reservation closely based on a real one that he knew well, and the woes facing such reservations' inhabitants are starkly depicted. Recent Native history is a story of an ancient people struggling to walk the sharp line between proud Native traditions and the modern Western world. Ancient connections run deep, but they are neither fully with their ancestors nor truly part of the mainstream world. This understandably led to a vast identity crisis, and Abel, the protagonist, is a modern Native Everyman. He struggles to find himself and his place in the world amid these conflicting forces - a path that is often heartbreaking and always hard.
House has long been valued for its historical, sociological, and anthropological interest, and there is indeed much to appreciate here. Those with little or no knowledge of this distinct culture will learn much, and the book has a wealth of inside historical, cultural, theological, literary, and other references that Natives will love. However, it is also universal in the best sense. It is in fact a curious experimental hybrid of standard Western forms like the bildungsroman and a plethora of Native elements. Such a melding was a great risk that could have easily failed to please, or even angered, one or both sides, but it is a tribute to Momaday's artistry that this is truly an experiment that worked. Those interested in modern Native history and culture will of course be particularly intrigued, but the book's real strength is that anyone can enjoy and appreciate it. It is one of the twentieth century's many great bildungsromans and alienation novels, giving profound insight into the human condition. The novel also deals with an array of important themes like the nature of masculinity, interracial relations, lust and love's primal bases, etc. Perhaps more importantly, it is also highly emotional, moving the heart at least as much as it provokes the mind.
Last but perhaps not least, House is also highly notable on technical grounds. The story is told in non-linear bursts and can be somewhat confusing and hard to get into; however, I strongly urge anyone having difficulty to persevere, as the payoff is well worth it. We cannot but admire how well and thoroughly Momaday weaves the various elements into a comprehensive, fully-formed whole. It is also clear that Momaday, who has written many poems, is a poet at heart, and it is no surprise that House was first planned as a poem series. The prose is exquisitely lyrical, about as close to poetry as possible; the descriptions are beautiful and highly memorable. The book is worth reading for the fineness of the language alone.
House is simply excellent in every respect. Anyone wanting a starting point into modern Native literature should start here, but this should be read by anyone with even the slightest interest in American literature of any kind.
Customer Rating:
Summary: house made of dawn
Comment: Before you read this excellent book you must set aside your expectations of logical sequence and a consistent point of view. Should you fail to do this you'll find the book confusing and difficult. If you become aware of relationships between characters or events, welcome this as a surprise bonus but don't work for it or try to figure it out. Take what comes as it comes and let the book, not you, do all the work. Appreciate the vivid scenery, the masterful use of language, the emotional impact of violence, sex, anger, frustration. Gain insight (by what is presented so you experience it rather than merely through an intellectual understanding of what is explained) into the impact of divrse cultures to which a Naive American strives to adjust.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Awesome-ness
Comment: House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday is a fictional book that tells the story of a young American Indian man named Abel. He hails from an Indian reservation where he has deep family roots and was brought up around their traditional culture. Though the story is fictional it maintains perfect historical accuracy throughout. This novel goes into the issue of Indians participating in WWII and how that affected their culture and the demographic shift that occurred after the war. The fact is that "More than 90 percent of Indians resided on reservations in 1940 and six decades later more than half lived in cities, with a large concentration in southern California." (American Pageant p.830). During the war there were more than 25,000 American Indian men serving in the armed forces and many were famous for being "code talkers" and used their native languages to fool the Japanese. When they returned home after the war these Indians experienced the repercussions of new policies relating to Indians. Abel is thrust into the city as he is basically forced to assimilate into white culture. This story illuminates the plight of these Indians when the US ultimately forced them west and our of their rich reservation land. We can see how these citizens were disregarded directly from the implanting of HCR 108 in 1953 which removed all special status for Native Americans.
This new bill made them responsible for taxes which they had previously been exempt from and was intended to force them off the lands which our government perceived as economically valuable. This novel has a big effect on the readers understanding of the real issues that went on between our government and American Indians. Abel experiences a downfall and a total confusion about his cultural identity. This is stripped from him as he was involved with the war. His turmoil can be seen in the assimilation of many others which hurt the Indian culture greatly. Abel finally realizes that he must battle the "white man's" influence not by violence but by embracing his Indian heritage and immerse himself in the culture that he was brought up in regardless of what social changes were occurring. This book is a must read, and would definitely be a 4 out of 5 as it accurately reflects the strife of the American Indians during the Post WWII era and how they had to deal with a sort of forced assimilation. The novel is slightly dark as it traces Abel's downfall, but this helps to support the overall theme of identity and cultural ties that are prevalent throughout the book and concludes with him understanding and running free of all burdens.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Powerful!!!
Comment: N.Scott Momaday like myself is a Native Oklahoman, and that makes me proud. His work is a work of Native power; it breathes in and breathes out as if it were a living being. The Pulitzer Prize was definitely well-deserved in the case of this book.
There is an almost magical sense of being to the characters. Like the overwhelming majority of the people in this state, I am a mix of several Native Bloods and White. Momaday's work speaks in a strong, honest voice to all who will listen. The characters are real; I have known them, lived among them, went to school with their children and watched the way of life Momaday seeks to capture fade into another realm.
His words are words of power; they hold truth and strength and they weave a story as expertly as the tribal storytellers of that lost generation. His voice is the voice of Native America. It carries the heartache and sorrow of a people relegated to change brought on by another culture. It relects the nature and the understanding that so many aim for but never reach.
I have read this work multiple times now and never fail to be moved by its strength and definition of character. I will read it again, and I will continue to recommend it to all who want to hear an authentic Native voice. This is a people speaking through Momaday.
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