Dances with Wolves (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous adventure that changed his life forever. Relive the adventure and beauty of the incredible movie, DANCES WITH WOLVES.

From the Inside Flap

Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous adventure that changed his life forever. Relive the adventure and beauty of the incredible movie, DANCES WITH WOLVES.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett; Mti edition (August 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449134482
• ISBN-13: 978-0449134481
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,111 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A simple tale that became a great movie, July 5, 2005

By	William Sugarman "nprfan1" (Great Neck, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dances with Wolves (Paperback)

It's a bit hard to believe that Kevin Costner turned such a simply written book into such a wonderfully sophisticated film. But that's exactly what happened.

Michael Blake's book reads as though it was written for a junior high and high school audience. That doesn't stop it from being a well-done tale of life on the prairie in 19th-century America, although why Costner made his Indians Sioux instead of Commanche as written by Blake is beyond me.

Aside from that difference, Costner obviously followed Blake's novel almost to the letter; I felt as if I was seeing the movie all over again. But Blake's writing style is something of a disappointment. After seeing the movie I was expecting a much more detailed story of John Dunbar's transformation into Dances With Wolves - something on the order of James Clavell's "Shogun". If you picked this book up looking for information on how Native Americans lived back in their glory days I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a well done Western this is the book for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Book!, December 2, 2003

By	Nataliya Lyubimova (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

"Dances With Wolves",by Michael Blake, reveals an exciting story about the war for territory between the Native Americans and Settlers. If you enjoy stories about the West this book is an excellent choice. It depicts the frontier from the viewpoint of Native Amerians. Moreover the reader is invited to experience the constant pressure that was placed on the Native Americans by the Settlers. The main character, Lieutenant John Dunbar, who was originally sympathetic to the early Settlers, joins a Native American tribe. This shift is what makes this story so unusual and unique, because the antagonists in the book become the protagonists. In the beginning of the story the author depicts Indians as the antagonists, when the warriors from Pawnee tribe kill Timmons, Lieutenant Dunbar's escort. The reader gets an impression that all of the Native Americans are evil and cruel savages. However further into the book, Indians become the protagonists when the Comanche make peace with Dunbar, and they are described as victims of colonization.

The love story between Dunbar and "Stands With A Fist",a unique Comanche white woman, makes the book even more interesting. This book is a great example of American literature and I would recommend it to everyone.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, September 13, 2005

By	M. Perkins "vtmom13" (Bennington County, Vermont United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dances with Wolves (Hardcover)

What a joy this book was to read. "Dances with Wolves" is such a wonderful story, and is so well told in this book, that I feel perfection can be applied to it. My only wish is that I had found and read the book, before I ever saw the movie. As is usually the case, Hollywood did not do justice to the story.

Michael Blake has brought to life a time in our history that so fragile, and so very beautiful. He showed us that people are just that, people. He gave the faults, and strengths, the loves and hates, the understandings and prejudices that belong to the human race to both the whites and well as the Indians in this book, and just plan showed that these people also lived.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It should perhaps become required reading.