Fools Crow (Penguin Classics)

In 1967, bored with a steady diet of History classes, I enrolled in a Creative Writing class taught by Dick Hugo (University of Montana). There I became acquainted with a young Native American student/poet by the name of Jim Welch. He was a charming and gentle,shy soul. His poetry dwarfed the clumsy efforts of most of his classmates. Of course when he began to publish, I read each of his works as soon as I could get my hands on them. His voice is as authentic as you can find, to the point that it allows a "Napikwan" to live the life of a 19th century plains Indian. Having grown up among those same landscapes as are the settings for his novels, I can attest that he captures both the mood and the power of Blackfeet country, but in a way that we of the European descent simply do not normally see or feel. Fools crow somehow helped me see my world with the eyes of an American Indian and I believe that having experienced that I began life anew. Fools Crow is Jim Welch's masterpiece - and it should be mandatory reading. Follow up with his last novel - The Heartsong of Charging Elk. These two books should lead you to reexamine the way you view the world. We have lost James Welch, the person now - far too soon, but I believe that his work will continue to teach, and to affect, untold generations to come.

Fools Crow, a novel by James Welch, tells the story of a young plains indian who is chosen to be given the knowledge of his doomed people's fate. The author, James Welch, is himself a plains Indian. Although his heritage is certainly an asset in Welch's wonderful depiction the Native Blackfeet lifestyle, Welch fails in that he manages nothing more than a mediocre job of telling a truly wonderful story. The tragedy of the genocide of the Native American people is a saddening subject that most definately deserves the attention of authors. With this said, the concept of telling this tragedy through the eyes of a young brave on the brink of adulthood is truly a novel one (Welch does this using a third person omnicient point of view). This book had amazing potential. It is unfortunate that as the book approaches its climax, Welch's writing becomes jumbled and unclear. Although this was no accident (I am sure that Welch did this to propigate a dream motif that had run through the entire story), it was a mistake. The dream motif was well illustrated, but at the same time, Welch manages to confuse all but the most keen of readers during the most important part of the story. In doing this, he weakens his theme, and loses much of what he intended to communicate to his audience. This is definately a good book, and maybe even a great one, but it had the potential to be so much more.

I have been using Fools Crow for a program, "The American West," for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. It is a dense work, packed with insights into the condition of Northern Plains Indians. Parts of it are undoubtedly fiction, but they could be true. We look into the material and non-material lifeways of the Blackfoot people. It helps to know something of the ethnography of the Plains Indians, but there is much there for everyone. I use it in conjunction with Zane Gray's Riders of the Purple Sage and Edward Abbey's The Brave Cowboy. They make a great trilogy on the West of the 19th and 20th Century. They are fictional works set in real landscapes.

First, this is an outstanding history of the Indian condition since the late 1800's and goes up to the early 40's. A general survey of the white man's laws' results as regards the red man is somewhat enlightening. The meat of the story is, of course about the life of Frank Fools Crow. It is well presented and the reason I rate 4 stars instead of 5 is due to Mail's language as it reads like a text book.
I love reading about medicine men as it points up the fact that ANYTHING can happen because God can do anything and everything. I refer to the healing accomplished and the fact that stones speak, animals speak, etc. Fascinating. I really do believe these events and that these things have, do, and will happen; it's all in our belief system.
There is a lot of detail as to the various Indian dances and physical diagrams of where the healings take place. If you can apply your faith in a greater power like that shown in this book, then you will be a better person for having read this book.

I have read this novel and found that it gives an accurate view of Native American life. There has been much controversy about it not only in my state, but also in junior honors english class. Many in my class find that is "innapropriate" but I say that this is untrue. What these kids do not understand is that these people had different morals than we do and that their society was also very different. As far as that this book is innapropriate, I think that this could be said of many novels, ones that are considered to be great works of literature. Some of the most commonly banned books in the school systems in our country are The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Seperate Peace, Lord of the Flies, and even The Catcher in the Rye. I have read these novels and the fact that they are banned astonishes me. These are our great works of literature and should be read by as many people as possible. We cannot simply ban a book because the morals or ideas in it are not what we agree with.

Although this book is a novel it has much to say about the roles played by Native Americans, the U.S. Military, the federal government, Canada and the earliest travelers and settlers in parts of Dakota Territory, especially Wyoming & Montana. It follows the life of "Fools Crow" and his family in a well-narrated story of the history of this region of the U.S.

This book was assigned in one of my classes, but it has been a pleasure to read and never felt like an obligation. The writing and character development is perfect. It shows a good example of historical Native American culture and lifestyle, which is a perspective not explored as often as it should be, in my opinion. The plot is complex and I found myself gasping aloud when there were unexpected turns. The way it is written makes the different scenarios easy to picture in my mind, as though it's a film playing out in my head.

Buy yourself a copy; it's a very gripping story.

I came across the name of the author, James Welch, in Poet & Writers magazine. Very seldom have I read books about the American Indians, and I'm pleased to have read Fools Crow, which tells many stories of the Blackfeet Indians and their life in Montana in the 1870's. If you read one book about the American Indian, this is an excellent first choice, and you will be pleased and rewarded for your effort. Descriptions, situations, stories (some tragic, many happy), people, and nature are gathered together in a beautiful bundle and shared with the reader. I am anxious to learn more about the American Indian, and lives lived long ago . . . .

This novel portrays brilliantly the depletion of the Indian way of life. It has a beautiful, detailed description of life for the Native Americans and also the destruction of their people, through the eyes of those people. This novel has helped me understand what no other book on this topic has: the sufferings of the Indians and their struggle to keep their land and their beliefs. The Honors English teacher at GFHS made an excellent choice in deciding to add this to our curriculum this year. I commend her. She has opened up my eyes and my mind to different societies and their people. Thank you. And for all of those people who are interested in this book: Read It! You won't regret it.

Fools Crow is a novel more about the way of life for Native Americans. Welch uses the "Fiction" format to illustrate Native life. This is an Ethnographic novel. It is based on facts of traditional Blackfeet way of life, it is also based on real life also. The massacre of one of the tribes was a real life account. The novel depicts the one thing that Native Americans' have alsways wanted. To live their lives they way they choose, not the way White-European people want them to live. Welch shows that real effects the encroachment of white "civilization" brought to the Native Cultures, mainly disease and hate. This is an excellant novel for people of all ages and backgrounds.

James Welch succeeds in telling a story about the westward expansion of whites in the perspective of Native Americans. He also succeeds in describing parts of Native American culture. Welch faced many barriers in attempting his goals. For one, the language and culture can be daunting to understand for some readers who know very little about Native American culture. Sweat lodge, Praying for a vision and Sundance Festival are important rituals mentioned in the book at a surprising detail. In most cases, the reader is able to learn about these aspects of the culture as the protagonist participates in them. The names of objects and characters may be difficult to get to use in the beginning. For example, Heavy Shield Woman, White Man's Dog, and Three Bears. However, the style of writing is very important in narrating a story in a Native American perspective. It makes the story more believable and involves the reader into the life of the Blackfeet Indians after the arrival of whites in North America. A captivating book that will make you feel as though part of the band Lone Eaters experiencing their joys and suffering as their lives were changed forever.

Fools Crow is an historical novel of the European invasion from a Native perspective. This tragedy is told through prose so hauntingly beautiful, it will stay with you for a long time to come. An exceptional book.

I finished this book, put it down, picked it up, and read it again. The historically inevitable ending (for those who know history) does nothing to detract from Welch's ability to keep you hanging on every word, right up to the the end. The seamless integration of the physical and spiritual planes provides a refreshing view into not just Native American life, but life in general.

I just can't believe I didn't discover this book sooner.

Very pertinent to our present situation (how to support the magic of community and perpetuity while letting go of a flawed paradigm while being squeezed by another flawed paradigm-NWO), of course we have far less self sustaining wilds to feed us and share in. Walk through your sadness and anger for you can not ignore it or anesthetize it forever. Courage my dear friend, may this book help you rewire your mind.

Having recently read 'Fools Crow' for my history class at the University of Oklahoma, I still am debating on how much/little I enjoyed this novel. We read it in class as an example of the terrors enforced upon America's Native Americans around 1870, and in this sense, it's a very effective piece of historical fiction. As a narrative, it encapsulates the reader within the Blackfeet tribe unlike any other book I've ever read. Everything tribal custom is discussed: religion, tribal structure, and the effect of Westward Expansion as mentioned earlier. The only real beef I have with 'Fools Crow' is the ending, which frustrated me on a level previously unfathomable (The ending is also why I gave the book a 4 and not a 5), but if you're looking for good historical fiction, check this one out.

I recently read this book and had mixed feelings after finishing it. The book gives an amazing look inside the culture of the Native Americans, and its authenticity can't be beaten. However, the book stretches itself too thin, attempting to develop far too many characters at once and taking away from the main characters and the central plot. The book has lots of storylines, but none of them tie together very well. The end of the book leaves you waiting for some sort of resolution to a lot of the different stories, but it never comes. This book is an excellent read if you are looking to learn more about Native American culture, but it suffers from some serious problems as well.

Is the language beautiful? Mostly. Does the author draw the reader in? Yes. Should it be taught at the High School level? Absolutely not.
An exciting read, but unfortunately pock-marked by cheap-romance-novel descriptions of sex and desire. While the bulk of the text waxes poetic, phrases such as "he felt his penis stiffen" belong to Jackie Collins, not someone who is touted as an award winning author.
Recommended for college age readers - but the High Schools should NOT use this book as part of it's curriculum - kids under 18 have a warped enough view of sex as it is.

Fools Crow, by James Welch, tells of a Montanan story that needs to be told because of the historical content that ties into the storyline and is accurate according to the area where the story is set, it has a high interest level; you can't set the book down to stop reading, it keeps you hooked, and effects you emotionally, making you care about the characters.

I had to read this book for a Literature assignment in college, and I loved it. I thought it was a perfect tale of Native American life and depicts the Native American culture with a true sense of realism. I'm so glad that it was included within my curriculum for that class

This book is incredibly boring and tedious to read. It has no plot; I fell asleep every time I tried to read it. It isn't realistic, as some attest, becuase the Indians have the ability to talk to animals. Remarkably, their dreams are always perfectly accurate prophecies; James Welch takes foreshadowing a little too far. A final warning: this book is not appropriate for younger readers due to excessive descriptions of sexual desires and acts, including adultery and incest.

I was forced to read this for a history class. I felt like I had done something wrong and was being punished. Everytime I picked it up was torture. I read the page numbers like a child in class watching the hand of a clock. A half page felt like a gift because it was done so quickly. It skips around and every small glimmer of interesting plot is swiftly disguarded. If you have any option at all to avoid reading this book please consider your self lucky.

I was forced to read this book for a college history class. This book is the exact reason I hate to read. It is long, boring, drawn out way too far, skips randomly from one situation to another, and never gets to a point. This book could have been 1/3 the length and delivered the same message. Indians struggle, cheating wives.. blah blah blah. Too many "dream sequences." Often the book would switch in and out of dreams, often making me wonder which was which. This is the second worst book I've ever read, only behind, "The Woman Warrior."

I must say that this was one of the most boring books i have ever read in my life. It is a complete waste of time to read this book. There is no plot. Honestly i would rather pull my own teeth out then read this book again. This book is pretty much 400 pages of wasted paper. If I even have to look at this book again i will probably throw up. Anyway i hope this was helpful to anyone wanting to read Fools Crow. If you ask me it just sucked.