A man surprises a burglar and the situation turns drama. Another, sure to be seriously ill, think back to the days of his father. The son of a senator involved in a homophobic attack one night of drinking. A trainee journalist must write his first obituary ... Six new at all, interspersed with poems and aphorisms. Many variations on complicated human relations where the confrontation is never far away.
It hurts my stomach to admit it but the vast collection of Sherman Alexie has disappointed me. For the first time I did not close a book of the author, saying that he has once again demonstrated an exceptional talent. There was Indian Blues and Indian Killer his masterpieces. There was Phoenix Arizona , Life in the kits and Ten Little Indians , dazzling new collections. And then there was crying The first lost , the most fabulous novel by children's literature that I read in the last ten years. But here, with these Dances war, magic does not operate. A lack of binding between each text. Some appear anecdotal ( The Ballad of Paul Nevertheless, Fearful Symmetry ), other caricatures ( The senator's son). And insertion of new poems between no added value.
Fortunately, not everything is disposable. There are a few nuggets to be found where the Sherman Alexie we love. Between humor and anger, self-deprecating and dazzling literary. The news that gives its title to the collection is undoubtedly one of the best author ever wrote. Returns an Indian on his father's death, presumably anything but a model for him. The text concludes with these sublime sentences: "I miss that bastard of alcohol. It's always the man I was most disappointed that I feel closest . "
Dance War still remains throughout my first disappointment with Sherman Alexie. But finally whatever. There will always be a place in my library for future books by this author rightly regarded as one of the most talented of his generation.
Dances war, Sherman Alexie, Albin Michel, 2011. 195 pages. € 19.00.
The more info: Dances war won the 2010 Pen-Faulkner Award from the foundation of the same name to the American author of the best fiction of the year. Topping the list since 1981, some big names become unavoidable: Philip Roth (3 times), TC Boyle, James Salter, Don DeLillo, Richard Ford, Michael Cunningham or John Updike.
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