Customer Reviews

The Blessing Way

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved this novel, and while I guessed the Whodunnit, the why dunnit was less easy to guess. What I really liked about this was the action, and the culture. The insight into the Navajo community and culture was extraodinary and so infused in the book as that it didn't seem forced.

This book starts with the disappearance of Luis Horseman who thinks he has murdered someone and takes off for a lonely corner of the Navajo tribal lands. Leaphorn a Navajo 'Law and Order' sets out to find him, What he finds is a body - which seems a bit odd - the death is suspicious and witchcraft is suggested.

Leaphorn must sift through the facts and the fiction to understand the Navajo's death. I really enjoyed this part - listening to Leaphorn as he sorted out what people said and what they probably meant. The convoluted relationships which allowed him to figure out what happened to Luis

The story then cuts to a pair of researchers who are studying the Navajo and their culture and rituals - and this is where the action gets really good. I found the pursuit in this to be one of the best I have read. It was chilling to read and I couldn't put it down.

The last part of the book where the reason was revealed and the ultimate escape was all right. Quite amusing in parts, but not brilliant - well written though.

Overall, I really liked this book and have been searching out more of his stuff. I have said it before, but I will say it again, the culture is so well revealed - I was intrigued by it and loved the way it fitted in with the story without dominating it with excessive explanation. I also enjoyed his descriptions of the country, they were graphic and evocative.

I would recommend you try at least one of his stories, my favourite so far has been listening woman.

Tony Hillerman has written 15 or so novels about Navaho policemen working in the high,dry canyon country of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Published in 1970, this is the first in the series, introducing Joe Leaphorn, who will become well and favorably known in subsequent novels.

Witches are about in the Navajo country and Leaphorn -- the most rational of men -- perceives a connection between the tales of the witches and the murder of a young Navajo. Strange things occur: the throats of sheep are slashed, men dressed in wolfskins are seen, a hat is stolen, all of this leading to a confrontation in a cliff dwelling and a chase on a high desert plateau.

This is not the best novel of the series. Some of the deeds of a mild-mannered college professor fleeing the "witches" seem improbable. And Leaphorn is not yet fully developed as a unique character and master detective. But "Blessing Way" is a strong beginning to what would become a masterpiece series.

Hillerman's strengths are authenticity and atmosphere. Elements of Navajo culture, religion, and folkways are woven into the fabric of his novels. His landscapes are harsh and spectacular. Nature is magnificient, but also menacing. In this exotic setting, the supernatural seems almost possible and little chilly fingers tickle your spine. If you are a urbanite, you may not like Hillerman; but if you are drawn to big, blank spots on the map you will likely love him. Not the least of his accomplishments is that he has probably taught more people about the Navajo -- and generated more interest in Navajo culture -- than any other writer.

If you're already a Hillerman fan, you already know this is where it all started and you don't need me to tell you how good it is.

However, if you're approaching the technically-white but 'adopted'-Navajo master storyteller for the first time, and want to know where to begin, this is the place!

You will learn more authentic information about the Navajo culture from Hillerman than from all the academic types who have ever written on the subject. Not to mention Southwest Geography and Climate, along with the uncomfortable relationship between the Navajo tribal police and other law-enforcement agencies in the area.

From the creepy opening chapter, to the introduction of the great tribal policeman, Leaphorn, to the satisfying resolution of the mystery, there is no better way to meet Hillerman than in the book that started it all. Here are Arizona and New Mexico as you've always imagined them, complete with tourist-guide detail about places you'll HAVE to go visit after you read this. [The books really do make great travel guides, once you figure out where the locales are by consulting a good map.]

The *only* quibble anyone could have with this book is the Title, which is NOT Hillerman's own-- it was imposed on him by his publisher and has nothing to do with the story. Other than that, the book is perfect.

If you do an advanced search on Amazon for "mysteries published in 1970" you'll first find a lot of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, and some by old reliables Mickey Spillane, Ross MacDonald, and John Dickson Carr. Then there's the newcomer, Tony Hillerman with his first anthropological (or is it "anthropomystical" ?) mystery and hero Joe Leaphorn.

While the cultural/spiritual side of things is never far from the goings-on in a Hillerman story, they overshadow the crime/thriller element in this novel. That's not necessarily a bad thing; the mystery in this case is very slight and makes use of some convenient scapegoating at the end (not unlike secondary character Bergen McKee's theory on Navajo Wolves). The book gives us only the briefest character sketch of Leaphorn (he's absent from a lot of it), and we don't find out much about his wife or co-workers (half the fun - and sadness - of the later books). The transformation of McKee from milquetoasty professor to wilderness he-man is overdone and/or underexplained; fortunately it's a problem Hillerman avoids in the future. Even if things end up a bit too nicely, you've still been entertained for a few hours and learned a thing or two in the process - and bringing things into a harmony is a big part of the story, after all.

Hillerman is a remarkable author. He is able to tell his story in a way that keeps readers engaged while imparting pages of folklore that in lesser hands would put an audience to sleep. Then consider that he's been able to carve out a niche without much competition for thirty-plus years. That means either a) people aren't really interested in this kind of story (not true, or he wouldn't be writing them for three decades), or b) it's a very hard kind of story to write (persuading other authors to stay away and write things with helicopter explosions).

If you're a fan of the Leaphorn series or are looking to make his acquaintance, give this book a read. It's not his best, but it's better than a lot of other things published in 1970 (Three Days of the Condor, excepted, of course - as is Shaft).

Tony Hillerman's The Blessing Way is much more than a mystery - it is a book that allows a close up look at the Navajo and the southwest. The mystery is great and holds the readers interest, but the reader is also taken to a place of enchantment, where one can almost feel the wind and see the beautiful, but barren, landscape. Hillerman is a master of creating characters that seem absolutely lifelike in their mannerisms, approach, and emotions. The culture is presented in a unique, passionate way, that teaches the reader and places a yearning to know more about the Navajo.

I would warn the perspective reader of one thing - if this is your first Hillerman book, be prepared to purchase others. The Hillerman mysteries will grab a hold of you and not let go!

I have read nearly everything that Tony Hillerman has written and, ironically, I read THE BLESSING WAY, one of Hillerman's first books, last. Doing so has given me some interesting perspectives about Hillerman and his stories.

It's interesting to me, for example, that Joe Leaphorn emerged as such a hero in subsequent Hillerman stories while it is Bergen McKee who is literally the star of THE BLESSING WAY. Truly, Leaphorn, if you think about it, is a supporting cast member in a story that highlights McKee's adventures from start to finish. Had he wanted to, Hillerman could have based an entire series of stories on McKee. His character is absolutely compelling--kind of a nerdy Indiana Jones out to discover the darker side of Navajo mysteries and myths. But even with his more bookish nature, McKee is still resourceful enough to outwit virtually all of the villains that Hillerman puts him up against.

Don't get me wrong. I can certainly see how THE BLESSING WAY spawned Leaphorn and his legend. There is certainly enough of him here to keep things interesting. But I would have loved it had Hillerman chosen to include McKee in a few more of his stories.

THE HORSEMAN

This is the first entry in the Joe Leaphorn Novels by Tony Hillerman. I prefer to start series at the beginning, however, I started this series with the Sinister Pig. That book was very enjoyable, so I started at the beginning with this novel, The Blessing Way.

First things first. This novel is not great based on the mystery plot at its center. What gives this novel its "great" status is the way in which it introduces the uninitiated to the Navajo Way. This book made for a very enjoyable read. Although it certainly lacked the complexity of a John Dunning novel, or the eloquence of an Elizabeth George novel, it did stand out on its very own merits. Hillerman does an excellent job of describing the dry and arid landscape. He paints an excellent picture. I was also impressed with the tension in one of the chapters in which the suspense was riveted up a couple of notches.

This book was a great first in this series. I look forward to the rest.

I must say Mr. Hillerman knows his Navajo culture. Some very fascinating stuff. The plot was OK, though at times I felt it strayed a bit. It did come back in the second half of the book, which contained the most drama in the story as archeologist Bergen McKee is thrust into a life or death confrontation with the main villian.

We were lucky to glom onto Hillerman's first book as our introduction to his graphic depictions of Navaho life and geography. Set in the mesas and desert lands of New Mexico and Arizona (and a bit of Utah), we agree with the many reviewers who react to much of his stories as though they were travelogues. Indeed, the author's descriptions of the scenery and his illumination of this Native American culture were entertaining and informative, while reportedly extremely accurate and well informed.

His mystery writing skills, at least in 1970 when this novel was first published, seem a little tame by comparison. The murder of Luis Horseman gets the plot going, but the investigative role of the central character, Lt. Joe Leaphorn, of the Navaho Tribal Police, is frequently overshadowed by college professor Bergen McKee. McKee, engaged by a search for rumored witchcraft, more or less stumbles onto the likely bad guys "whodunit". His manly actions to protect a female companion and escape armed captivity are a little tough to believe. Moreover, the late chapter appearance by Leaphorn, to just wrap up everything with the tidiest possible ribbons, left us feeling a little shallow about the book's craft and cohesiveness.

Hillerman has a loyal following and has published over a dozen of these stories to date. While his settings create their own interest, it is not likely his plots are as complex as more current modern writers might typify. We expect Hillerman's work will either tend to please or disappoint -- but the domination of Southwestern imagery and culture should allow most readers to make an informed choice.

I don't know if this book accurately depicts Indian life on the reservation---I don't know anybody from there, never been there.

All in all, I found the characters very interesting and nice, made me want to visit.

It was a good, interesting whodunit cop story, full of the no-nonsense practicality of the cop-life (my dad was a cop long ago), contrasting with the reservation's strong metaphysical world, all set in a mellow, laid-back, sunbaked world of mountains, sheep and horses.

I must say, if one of my hometown cops was a an equivalent minister-on-the-side, and soliciting his services, he would probably be teased to death.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of all the scenery, people's mannerisms, how they live, talk, treat each other, concerns over manners. I wanted to hear more of their metaphysical life, studies for it, actually more of everything.