charlottesometimes's Reviews (3.33k)

This book made me think about how you would go about writing a novel based on historical events. 

I imagine that you would build a basic structure from facts: timelines, locations, characters biographies. And then you would fill in the gaps in the structure with narrative and historical details. And then once it was all woven tightly together you would lay on top of your sturdy structure all the novelistic details that would give life and truth to your characters; that would make them walk and talk and breathe and mean something to the reader.

Unfortunately when reading this novel I could still see the bones of the structure poking clumsily through. People did things because that’s what history said they did. People were present at scenes so that they could be seen. Actions happened in a certain order because the timeline dictated that they should.

I knew it wasn’t going to work for me as soon as the historical key note of the yellow ruff was forced clumsily into the first chapter. A box ticked, but nothing more. 

Well, I gave SGJ a second chance. And I will admit that this time he managed to avoid going on at interminable length about fucking basketball. So that was nice.

On the other hand, it turns out that The Only Good Indian was not an unfortunate exception. It appears that SGJ hates women. And also has absolutely no understanding of them as people, with inner lives and feelings and an independent existence separate from men. (i.e him. Pretty much all the men in this book are him)

Also he has an annoyingly self-conscious macho style of writing that almost feels like a parody of a male horror writer. And the structure of his stories is not great: it‘s kinda like just being told a string of events, with little linking them and no reason to care.So I couldn’t even enjoy the bits between the misogyny. 

The self-congratulatory author notes really were the icing on a very unappetising cake.

Are you looking for a novel with a female protagonists written by a man who doesn’t like women or books? If so, you’re in luck with The Sentinel.
Unfortunately the author does find the protagonist too hysterical to stick with throughout, so the final 1/4 is mainly from the POV of her misogynist boyfriend.
Even more unfortunately the story is terrible and makes little sense. But you can’t have everything. Or indeed anything, in this case.

Also, TW - Completely unnecessary homophobia. It didn’t even have any connection to the story. I guess the author is just really scared of lesbians?