Review of 'The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
This book was a disappointment. The author wrote about a very serious issue in Canadian and American society, which is admirable. Unfortunately, he wrote the book in such a smug, sarcastic manner that it became incredibly frustrating and annoying. The author very often wrote long paragraphs detailing both historical and current injustices, but then always seemed to follow up with a snide one-liner. He also took shots at everybody from the government to the police to native band administrators; unfortunately, throughout the whole book, he could offer no thoughts as to how things could actually be improved.
The author did a disservice to his cause. People who already feel passionate about the issue will surely give the book 5 stars because they can afford to overlook the author's distasteful writing style. I just couldn't bring myself to it. By coming off as obnoxious, the author will have a very difficult …
This book was a disappointment. The author wrote about a very serious issue in Canadian and American society, which is admirable. Unfortunately, he wrote the book in such a smug, sarcastic manner that it became incredibly frustrating and annoying. The author very often wrote long paragraphs detailing both historical and current injustices, but then always seemed to follow up with a snide one-liner. He also took shots at everybody from the government to the police to native band administrators; unfortunately, throughout the whole book, he could offer no thoughts as to how things could actually be improved.
The author did a disservice to his cause. People who already feel passionate about the issue will surely give the book 5 stars because they can afford to overlook the author's distasteful writing style. I just couldn't bring myself to it. By coming off as obnoxious, the author will have a very difficult time bringing new people off the fence and onto his side.
King had such a good opportunity to really make a difference with this book. He did the research and had the reach. However, the man referred to as "a towering intellectual" by the Globe and Mail came off as a condescending smart aleck.
In terms of Canada Reads, I personally found The Orenda to be a far more effective book in terms of opening people's eyes to native issues. That book was able to stir emotions in the reader - emotions other than annoyance, which Thomas King provided in spades.
