Review: 'Ten Little Indians' by Sherman Alexie

MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2003

Eric Weinberger of The New York Times reviews "Ten Little Indians," a new collection of short stories by Sherman Alexie, and asks why it isn't more "Indian."

"The Indian seems merely incidental, in other words; not integral," Weinberger writes of the nine stories in the book, three of which he says are "wonderful" but the rest not so much.

"As good as his stories can be, they run the risk of staleness," Weinberger says of Alexie.

Weinberger's first complaint is that Alexie's stories cover the same ground as previous works. His second is that they lack a certain "Indianness." "Alexie's wide readership is entitled to ask about the world he has created from his Indians, and how it is distinct from other writers', and larger than its subjects," he says.

Get the Story:
'Ten Little Indians': Off the Reservation (The New York Times 6/15)
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Relevant Links:
Sherman Alexie - http://www.fallsapart.com