Customer Reviews

James Houston's Treasury of Inuit Legends (Odyssey Classics (Odyssey Classics))

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This book is a set of stories set in the Arctic, long before snow mobiles, rifles, or any modern technology that has changed the lives of people living in a stone age culture. Simply and beautifully written, this book would be suitable for an older child or teenager, but also fascinating for adults interested in Eskimo life.

Each of the stories describes a character overcoming serious challenges, often the threat of starvation. I found each one engaging and evocative, so much so that sometimes I stopped reading for a while, because I couldn't stand the feeling of intense cold that the the author keeps the reader feeling!

As a dog trainer, I was especially interested in the descriptions of sled dogs and how they were handled - hardly the way we treat our domestic dogs today. But I imagine very real!

I also read Houston's The White Dawn, a more serious, adult-level book, and loved it. I highly recommend this Treasury to anyone interested in native life in the Arctic.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in life in the Arctic.