Review: The Inconvenient Indian, Thomas King

This review is going to be short but please do not correlate lack of comments with quality of book. The Inconvenient Indian was great, and you should definitely read it.

TL; DR, spoiler-free review: a brief history of Native peoples and how they have been treated by Canadian and American governments, bracketed by a bit of social commentary. Thomas King’s humour makes you laugh, even when you’re really angry.

You’re-verbose-and-I-like-it review: I find it difficult to review a book about history because it’s about relaying information and I’m not going to dispute the facts. What I can say is that I had a very broad understanding of Native history in North America and now I am much more well-informed.

King writes with a sense of humour that is sarcastic and dry which made me laugh many times. Not an out loud belly laugh but a smirking, knowing sort of snicker, as if you are part of an inside joke. For example, in the first chapter, he says, “So, am I suggesting that race is a criterion in the creation of North American history? No, it wasn’t a suggestion at all.” Not something you’d find on stage at a comedy show but this sort of dry wit always works for me.

The Inconvenient Indian also made me angry. I knew Native relations with North American governments were still fraught with tension but I did not know how bad it really was. It’s also pretty astounding to read some of the harmful things our politicians have said. For example, Stephen Harper, former Prime Minister of Canada, said at the G20 Summit in Philadelphia, “We [Canada] have no history of colonialism.” This must be proof that alternate dimensions exist because I would love to know what wonky history Harper has studied.

I thought this book would be essential reading, and it is. Joseph Boyden says it best, in a quote on the back of the book: “For those who wish to better understand Native peoples, it is a must-read. For those who don’t wish to understand, it is even more so.”

Week 8: American War, The Inconvenient Indian, The Clothesline Swing

Excuse for why I didn’t read three books last week: I’m being pulled in several directions by my other hobbies, most notably, Magic: The Gathering. After going to the Grand Prix last weekend, I’m quite keen to get back into the game, which involves sorting through boxes and boxes of cards and debating on buying more (which I totally need… YES I DO!). The good news is that once my decks are built, the bulk of the work will be done so I can just enjoy playing and, hopefully, reading!

American War, Omar El Akkad: I’m about halfway through so far but I’ll save my thoughts for the review.

The Inconvenient Indian, Thomas King: I considered moving this book to a later week to pair it, like I said before, with Seven Fallen Feathers; however, I kept it in this week because I think it’s going to be an important book for me, as a Canadian.

The Clothesline Swing, Ahmad Danny Ramadan: This book was on the Canada Reads longlist. I’m not reading the whole list but I wanted to check out a few that caught my attention, if only to see if I agree with the judges (especially since I haven’t really liked the books I’ve finished from the shortlist).

Today is supposed to have a high of 14° Celsius with persistent rain so I think I’m going to open the balcony door, push my lazy boy right up against it, get my comfy blanket, and wait for Phoenix to take over my lap. Hmm… that sounds too comfortable. I think I should forgo the blanket, otherwise I will definitely fall asleep. Wish me luck!

Week 7: Precious Cargo, American War, The Inconvenient Indian

*in my best announcer voice* And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, introducing an official new segment on the blog!:

Excuse for why I didn’t read three books last week: Have you ever heard of Magic: The Gathering? It’s a strategy-based card game that was created in the mid-90s and has since become so huge that there are worldwide competitions that range in size from casual play at local game stores to a World Championship with tens of thousands of dollars on the line. A Grand Prix tournament was hosted in the city this weekend and I went with my friend, Adam. On the last day of Magic Bonanza, my sweetie joined us and then we all went to see Marilyn Manson in concert. Ever have to explain to security at a mandatory bag search what Magic cards are? I don’t know if my interests have ever clashed so violently. Anyway, all this is to say I didn’t have time for reading but now, after all that walking around, my feet are so sore they might as well be on fire so I won’t be doing anything but reading for a while. 😀

Precious Cargo, Craig Davidson: I’m only 40 pages into this book so standby for more information 🙂

American War, Omar El Akkad: This book is set in a not-too-distant future in which the United States falls into a second Civil War. I feel a story like this will be extra frightening considering the real life issues and tension in America now. The phrase on the back of the book that solidified this pick for me is “a novel that considers what might happen if the United States were to turn its most devastating policies and weapons upon itself.”

The Inconvenient Indian, Thomas King: I picked this up to go along with Seven Fallen Feathers but being disappointed by The Marrow Thieves has prompted me to move it into this week’s reading.

Is anyone else reading the Canada Reads shortlist? What are your thoughts so far?