The Round House

A Novel

By: Louise Erdrich

Narrated by: Gary Farmer

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Award, Fiction, 2012

One Sunday in the spring of 1988, a woman living on a reservation in North Dakota is attacked. The details of the crime are slow to surface as Geraldine Coutts is traumatized and reluctant to relive or reveal what happened, either to the police or to her husband, Bazil, and 13-year-old son, Joe. In one day, Joe's life is irrevocably transformed. He tries to heal his mother, but she will not leave her bed and slips into an abyss of solitude. Increasingly alone, Joe finds himself thrust prematurely into an adult world for which he is ill prepared.

While his father, who is a tribal judge, endeavors to wrest justice from a situation that defies his efforts, Joe becomes frustrated with the official investigation and sets out with his trusted friends, Cappy, Zack, and Angus, to get some answers of his own. Their quest takes them first to the Round House, a sacred space and place of worship for the Ojibwe. And this is only the beginning.

Written with undeniable urgency, and illuminating the harsh realities of contemporary life in a community where Ojibwe and white live uneasily together, The Round House is a brilliant and entertaining novel, a masterpiece of literary fiction. Louise Erdrich embraces tragedy, the comic, a spirit world very much present in the lives of her all-too-human characters, and a tale of injustice that is, unfortunately, an authentic reflection of what happens in our own world today.

©2012 Louise Erdrich (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Loved it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It combines a coming of age mystery filled with some really sad moments, some happy times, humor, and the struggle of a family to come to terms with rape and the laws that tied their hands. It also gave a glimpse in to the lives of Native Americans and how they have been discriminated over the years. The characters were so varied and different and they were all developed and weaved through the story. This was not one of those books where you guessed what happened next at every turn, and that's a good thing. The story was both fresh and poignant and the narrator made it even better.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Round House?

The birthday gift from Sonja to Mushim (and I listened to the audio version so I doubt that I've spelled his name correctly); I really didn't see that one coming, and even more memorable is how Sonja spilled her story out to Joe in a way that had a very strong impact on both of them.

What about Gary Farmer’s performance did you like?

I feel his voice and accent were perfect for this book. I feel this Native American narrator did a wonderful job, absolutely wonderful.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved how the whole community stuck together, taking care of one another.

Any additional comments?

I liked how there were several little stories that for the most part all came together at the end. It starts out being the story of Joe's family and the terrible tragedy that occurs in their lives and how they react to it, but continues on to pull in the stories of those in their community, their family and friends. The end was sad and I think the book could have ended sooner without adding that part, but, in a way it continued how the four friends stuck together through many life changing events; they were always there for one another. This was a good use of a credit. The story brought to the reader Native American culture, and, how they are treated unfairly by discrimination and laws but keep strong to their heritage. I liked the side stories that brought out culture and history.

Bought the book instead

Well written vintage Louise Erdrich. I loved the book, the story, about the very important issue of violence against Native American women. Written with sensitivity and also with Erdrich's characteristic humor, it's a book you can't put down.
But the reader is awful. He was chosen I suppose because he is or sounds Native American (think Free Willie) which would have been nice. But this reader ends his sentences in the middle of a sentence. You can almost see the period. And then takes up again to finish. Ad he reads very slowly.
I bought the book.

Erdrich Fan

I enjoy Louise Erdrich books. Some mystery and suspense mixed in with a well written personal family history. They show the Native American contemporary experience in a new way for me. The Round House is not too long and Gary Farmer does a nicely paced read.

Put this one on the top of your fiction list!

I have almost finished listening to "The Roundhouse" by Louise Erdrick" It is about a Lakota reservation lawyer and his family who experience a violent crime and struggle to deal with it professionally, personally and within the context of First Nations community life and US legal history regarding treaty rights. The audio version is read by by a First Nations actor, Gary Farmer, and is told through the eyes of the 13 year old son. This book is so good I would rate it as high as "The Help" or "The Book of Negros" as far as excellent literature. It is a riveting story, with absolutely hilarious Native humour, loveable, heroic, pitiful and sad characters and the infuriating and debilitating injustice of living as outcasts in your own country and as prisoners in your own land. This is a must read people. Get the book.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" set on a 1980's reservatio

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The story is really enthralling, and so much more than you think it will be at first. At first, it seems like it will be just about a boy and his family disintegrating after a trauma, maybe a bit of a mystery, with a bit of "exotic" culture since it's set on a rez. The first maybe third of the book does these things, and does them very well, but then the novel weaves in several rich side stories and introduces new moral quandaries, and makes the narrative more complex and rich.

What other book might you compare The Round House to and why?

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "Stand by Me" by Stephen King, and "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros. It has Lee's lawyer's child grappling with injustice, King's the coming-of-age boyhood friends (with appropriate contemporary pop culture references that those of us who grew up in the late 80's will appreciate, but it's not too heavy-handed), and Cineros' vignettes that bring a community alive.

Any additional comments?

It seems like some listeners loved Gary Farmer's narration, and others not so much. I am on the not so much side. I appreciate the use of a Native narrator to tell a Native story, and some of the rhythms of his voice are characteristic of North Dakota Natives - which I really enjoyed and I thought it brought a lot to the story. I thought he did a really nice job with the men in the story (Mooshem, Bazil), and with the boys to a lesser extent. On the other hand, I really didn't like his treatment of Sonja's monologue after Mooshem's birthday, or Linda Wishkob, in general. Since these two characters were part of the power of the story, it really detracted for me.

The Round House

What made the experience of listening to The Round House the most enjoyable?

Gary Farmer's reading of Louise Erdrich's harsh and beautiful story of innocence, boyhood, family, frienship, horror, innocence lost, and loyalty moved me deeply. Farmer's cadence and Erdrich's prose are a perfect match. Will they pair up again. Please, make it so.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many to single one out as favorite, but Moosham's stories (and Farmer's wonderful reading of them) are hard to beat.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are many, none more than the last few pages

Any additional comments?

Will Erdrich and Farmer pair up again. Please, make it so.

A good “read”

I enjoyed this book even though about midway it seems they changed narrators. I swear they did, but I still enjoyed it.

Somewhat Interesting

Some of this book were interesting, and the dialogue with the boys could be entertaining, and some of the book was very slow, with things that we not really important.
The narrator spoke very slowly, so I change iPod to 1.25 and enjoyed it much more at this speed. Overall, his voice was pleasant.

I didn’t love the book, nor did I hate the book. Just found it okay, ended abruptly. Not a book I will listen to again.

Reminds me of the movie Stand By Me

Good

I honestly have been working on this novel for quite a while now. I had started reading it and found it slow and hard to stay interested. I decided to download the audiobook and I am glad to say I made it through. I read other reviews and found that the subject matter is a bit harsh but the fact of the matter is that this story details alot of the different things native Americans face when it comes to the law. All in all a good story and needs to be told.

that being said, I don't think I will be listening to books narrated by Gary Farmer anymore. It was slow and boring.

An interesting book.

An interesting book that brings to light Native History and the problems still seen on reservations in the form of a novel. The narration is wonderful to listen to, and the book, though at times hard to read and listen to, was well written.