The Chief [Hardcover]

Robert Lipsyte (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Demco Media (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606073620
• ISBN-13: 978-0606073622
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,914,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, October 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chief (Paperback)

I really liked robert Lypsyte's book The Chief. It really gave me a feel for the characters. It also made all of these emotions towards the characters surface, which I really like in a book. The author makes you have feelings for the characters. He makes you really want the characters to either succeed or fail, but there is not any room for an "I don't care" character. All in all I think everyone should read this book, because it is truly an example of great writing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Chief, March 10, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Chief (Library Binding)

The Chief

This book is about a guy named Sonny Bear who is a Cherokee Indian. He is a boxer who is struggling to get any good boxing matches after he cheated and was disqualified from a match that was for the championship. Ever since, he has been traveling all over the country with his manager/trainer Alfred, a guy named Jake who is a also a trainer and a guy named Martin Witherspoon looking for matches but are having a hard time finding any. Just when Sonny was about to quit Martin had an idea to go to Las Vegas and interrupt the championship match.
I didn't like this book because it was very hard to follow. Also boxing isn't one of my interest but if it is an interest to you then you will probably like this book.

3.0 out of 5 stars Accepting Identity, July 18, 2007

By 

A. Luciano (Lowell, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chief (Paperback)

Sonny Bear is half Native-American and is possibly in the running to become the youngest heavyweight champion boxer ever. His Native-American blood causes difficulty--he has to figure out where his loyalties lie, and he has to combat racism when he travels from town to town fighting.

Sonny Bear's friend Marty is traveling around with him, trying to keep him motivated to fight and recording his story in the form of a creative-writing project for a college course. Keeping Sonny motivated is becoming more and more difficult. He is disgusted with the home-town fights where everything is balanced against him. His tribe is also in conflict; there is talk of building a casino on their reservations, but not everyone is in favor of the idea.

Sonny needs to get his head straight and decide if he is really going to dedicate himself to the boxing title. Marty may be the only one who can help him get back on track.

This was a decent story, although not very in-depth. The characters, especially Sonny, were likable and interacted well. The conflict was too easily resolved, though, and Sonny's authority was too easily recognized by the angry older members of his Nation.