Power: A Novel (Norton Paperback Fiction)

Love Linda Hogan's writing!

She luxuriates entirely too much in environment. I realize environment is the most important feature of the work, but she a) doesn't elevate it past "wind is spirit, spirit is Oni, Oni is wind, panthers are my people, panthers are wind" and b) doesn't substantiate human interaction with it beyond endless exposition. And because she doesn't give adequate descriptions of either culture in which the main character is a member, she has to retcon the significance of major plot developments and so the book - in the brief moments in which it does tell a story instead of droning endlessly about wind - spends its time justifying its own existence. It is 90% nouns and adjectives and exposition and she needlessly repeats entire passages almost verbatim instead of depicting character interactions or developing the plot. If I didn't have to finish this for school I would have stopped reading a long time ago.If you're forced to read this, don't. Here's all you need to know:(SPOILER WARNING)Omishto, like every teen, is torn between two or more worlds. Her mother loves the Christian god and washing machines while her auntie Ama worships wind or the panther or something like that. Doesn't matter.Ama is one of the last of the Taiga people, a completely fictional tribe of American Indians living near the Florida panhandle.The Panther clan is all about panthers.A hurricane tells Ama to kill a panther.Ama kills her personal spirit animal panther to put it out of its misery.Everybody is furious because it is endangered.White people and the Taiga people both have a trial.Ama is banished.Highways are bad. People are bad (but not the ones who destroy natural resources to create books out of wood pulp to profit off a culture that worships the environment and condemns capitalism. Those are fine.).Listening is important. (Legitimately a good point.)Will humanity correct its ways? Even though wind is the bringer of change, can these characters deal with change occurring that isn't in their favor? Or will they keep hoping, despite this belief in the great wind, that humanity regresses and reduces its understanding of metaphysics to that which is immediately perceivable and imbued with arbitrary significance? Is the flow of time toward some prior state really change? Can the two worlds communicate?Wind. Wind. Wind. Wind. Wind. Wind. Wind. Wind.

Some novels are special, unique, and are told in a language and with a setting and message that is all their own...this is one of those books that, in my view, fall easily into the classic category: a classic of American Indian fiction, a coming of age tale for a young girl, and, even though I hate to exaggerate but must in relation to this book, of classic literature in general. It might be a tad bit chatty at times and might have been better if shortened somewhat, but this novel has a language and pace that, I believe, could only be written by an Indian to make it as compelling as it is, and obviously by a woman, as women are central to the reader's experiencing of this story. It is not a tale that made me cheerful in any way as witnessed by the vanishing of the Taiga civilization but even as the Taigas slowly give into to encroaching civilization, their lessons about living in harmony with nature will remain as valid as ever as will the strength of character of Omishto, Ama, Annie & Janie and the ever-present force of Oni. A novel to be savored.

Linda Hogan's command of prose is impressive! A lyrical narrative that is not purple but moving in a way that it hypnotizes. Images come to life in such detail they transport you. The land of Florida comes is vivid through the voice of a young woman growing up in a difficult situation. The protagonist sounds older than she is, wiser than her years, and it is for a good reason! There are twists and turns in the plot that surprise even the most widely read reader! Symbolism abounds in this book as it layers and forms a theme, and yet it is not haughty and overbearing. Buy the book, open it, and settle in for a good read; one that you can dig into and reread again and again.

I read this for a graduate course in ecopsychology, but I really enjoyed it. I liked the metaphors and simple, yet detailed and truly complex experience of the young girl in the story.

I read this book as an assignment for school. The book had good reviews so I kept an open mind about it. I read about 3/4 of it and I thought it was one of those books that would get exciting and get better at the end but I was proven wrong. It is honestly the worst book I have read in years.

Love this author! Am 3/4 through it and it has captivated me.

I love Linda Hogan's stories. They help me to understand her worlds and question my own.

truly changed my life and made me look forward to reading more