Skins

by Adrian C. Louis

SKINS is Adrian C. Louis's realistic novel of life on Pine Ridge Reservation, the story of two brothers--one a rez cop, the other an alcoholic--and their relationship with each other, with their people, with their environment. Chris Eyre's film version of SKINS is scheduled for release by Firstlook Pictures in August 2002. A cloth edition of SKINS was published by Crown in 1995. It is now out of print.

Genres: Fiction, Native American

Paperback

First published May 30, 1995

About the author

Adrian C. Louis is a Lovelock Paiute author from Nevada now living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He has taught at Oglala Lakota College. His novel Skins (1995) discusses reservation life and issues such as poverty, alcoholism, and social problems and was the basis for the 2002 film, Skins. He has also published books of poetry and a collection of short stories, Wild Indians and Other Creatures (1996). His work is noted for its realism.

Reviews

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

2.5 Stars

Are you looking for a book that will give you an excuse to do something like this:



If so, well boy howdy is this the one for you!

Rudy is a cop who has always attempted to do the right thing – even when it comes to arresting the local drunk, his brother Mogie. In his efforts to “be the good brother” Rudy finds himself going to the most horrible of extremes – one example being burning down a local liquor store vigilante style in order to stop the problems caused by booze. Adrian Louis is unapologetic in his approach to telling the story of what life is like for some of the residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. His brutal honesty will leave you reeling.

Of course, if you’re looking for a nice, upbeat little tale you can always read it backward ; )

You get your house back
You get your dog back
You get your best friend Jack back
You get your truck back
You get your hair back
You get your first and second wives back
Your front porch swing
Your pretty little thing
Your bling bling bling and a diamond ring
You get the farm and the barn and the boat and the Harley
First night in jail with Charlie
You get your mind back
You get your nerves back
Your first heart attack back
You get your pride back
You get your life back
You get your first real love back
You get your big screen TV, a DVD and a washing machine
You get the pond and the lawn
And the bail and the mower
You go back where you don't know her
It sounds a little crazy a little scattered and absurd
But that's what you get when you play a country song read this book backwards

[Jacob Vangundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my anthropology of Northern Plains Indians class, and the professor warned us before hand that it was a controversial novel. I can see why. A stark, realist approach is taken to dealing with issues from sexuality to violence to loss of cultural identity.
In my opinion one of the key points of this book was to criticize the social construct of masculinity. When Rudy (the main character) has his masculinity revived by the trickster spirit Iktomi he embarks on a journey of sexual conquests and vigilante violence. This journey ends up hurting everyone he loves. In burning down a liquor store that he sees as a source of poison to his people he burns his brother Mogie severely. He also drunkenly rapes his estranged wife. Other characters also demonstrate this theme, two homophobic teens rape and then murder a slightly effeminate class mate. Rudy's brother, Mogi, sexually assaults his own mother in an act of vengeance when she drunkenly embarrasses Mogi and Rudy at their proudest moment. It is only after Rudy has a cleansing ceremony that his masculinity settles down and he is able to realize the senselessness of his actions.
The other important aspect of the book is how it displays modern Indian society, on Pine Ridge Reservation. I have lived less than an hour from Pine Ridge for the past seven years and this book, unfortunately, aligns pretty will if everything I've seen and heard. Wide spread alcoholism and unemployment are the more cheerful aspects explored while spousal/child abuse and extreme violence are the more frightening. The author traces these ideas back to the loss of traditional Indian culture at the hands of whites, but carried on by the Indian's themselves.
The last thing I want to talk about is the controversial rape scenes. First of all, each rape scene in the book made me sick to my stomach. That's a good thing. The characters aren't robbed of their humanity when they commit rape, which is also a good thing. When rapists are portrayed as inhuman it trivializes rape. For instance, when I see a rape scene in Deliverance or read one in A Song of Ice and Fire (note I love these books, despite the way rape is thrown around) it has no impact on me. The act is rendered cartoonish. In Skins, on the other hand, the characters motives are shown and they even express guilt at what they've done. This is much more likely to make people who don't consider spousal rape to be a real form of rape reconsider. It's more likely to make someone realize that rape isn't just something that happens on Law and Order. It makes rape real.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and heartfelt novel from the acclaimed American Indian poet Adrian C. Louis. Skins is the story of two brothers, Rudy and Mogie Yellow Shirt, and while it is a winding and far-ranging story, Louis' ability to bring the readers into the minds of the men and women who live on reservation land makes for a deeply immersive and engaging read. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an entryway to the work of Adrian C. Louis, who is one of the great voices in American poetry. There were points reading Skins where I felt like I was in the middle of a song by Townes Van Zandt or Johnny Cash, because the characters are so real, even in the moments when the narrative moved into more spiritual territory. This is a novel filled with a broad range of emotions, and I would encourage anyone to not only read Skins, but to also see out Adrian C. Louis' poetry as well. He is one of our greatest writers.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a brutal read; a novel that is supposedly trying to give a better glimpse of what real life is like on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the Dakotas. I don't like to conflate fictional novels with reality, though, because it leads to assumptions and misinformation about that real life.
Anyway, Rudy Yellow Dog is a cop for the tribal government and spends too much time locking up drunks, including his brother Mogie. Rudy's wife, sick to death of his stuck-in-a-rut life, leaves him . This drives a drunk Rudy to become a masked vigilante at night--when he attempts to burn down the liqour store where he views all his people's problems coming from, he horribly injures Mogie. The book is actually written in an almost comedic style, and this is incredibly jarring considering the brutalities of everyday life it describes, and the horrible acts committed against chartacters--Rudy rapes his wife, for instance, after she has left him. There are few sympathetic characters and even less are redeemable. I think this was Loius' point, but it doesn't make for a fun read.

[gianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is a hard read not because its difficult to comprehend but the verbiage and certain scenes are so visceral. I know the language serves a distinct purpose but god it sucked reading it at times. so much assault bruh and the male perspective is scary. that being said I think the book is important in its perspective of the western and showing what a reservation "is truly like" as that is the books aim. its depictions are hard to swallow but grossly real. the rock symbolism is so good and the dream sequence is like damn chills. but pls shut up about your penis we get it iktomi is darn trickster and ur dick is hard ok. I just had a vision of Oprah saying this is her book recc of the week and a middle aged mom buying it thinking it was going to be a beautiful natural story and is instead met with this actually insane read. made me lol

[sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because it’s VERY graphic but i think it’s a necessary book about how really life is in reservations and how western culture impacted and continue to impact indigenous people everyday and everywhere

[Kristin Martini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was South Dakota. There was something so poetic and yet simple about the writing, I really enjoyed this one.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still thinking about what I think about this one. I can't tell if it is so near the truth to be such a shocking cultural reality in terms of life at Pine Ridge or....so NOT like the cultural reality...because I am so familiar with it? Ahhhh.....THAT doesn't make sense...though it does to me....

All in all, I enjoyed the book but it was rather shallow. In a sense, I felt the author could have put a little more intelligence in the plot and character development...I was hoping for more, more, more...and wanted to have a connection with the characters but never really felt it. My "creep factor" kept elevating as I got to know both Rudy AND Mogie and though not a criticism...I just wanted to like one of them. I think it was the juvenile preoccupation with Rudy's sex-life and what his penis was up to (and into) that really turned me off. Mogie's past experience with his mom turned him into a perv to me and not some hopeless but endearing drunk. I loved the brotherly love connection between Rudy and Mogie but found that lacking...I wanted more... I really felt sorry for the women in the story. Considering it was written from a man's POV, I can see why I am reaching for that emotional connection and can only find it with the women and even then...only through my imagination and not from the author's descriptions.

I'll have to write more when I'm not so tired....I seem to be rambling. But my heart and mind are on the reservation tonight as I think of all my People and friends there...so alike yet so different...




There are SO FEW books written about life on an American Indian Reservation. Skins is a brutal peek inside that existence...the good the bad and the ugly.

[Litbitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was compelling enough for me to keep reading, but that's about it. A pretty appalling portrayal of reservation life (the life, not the portrayal, was appalling, the portrayal was just mediocre), but I've seen that done, and better and more concisely, in Alexie's works. Not much literary merit, and extremely repetitive, as if the author were writing every chapter as a self-contained short story. But when I looked at the copyright page, nothing had previously been published. Atrocious editing. On the bright side, it got me through some sleepless nights on Chantix and I've knocked another of the dozens of unread books off my shelf.

[ryo narasaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

i originally tried to read this book for class but (one of) the (many) rape scene(s) turned me off and i just couldn't finish it. i guess i'm glad i did. this book wrestles with a lot of issues, one of which is the symbiotic relationship between "heroism" (vigilante acts of revenge)and sexual arousal. the narrator's closeness to the subjects' perspective was both refreshing and frustrating. what i appreciated most was the honesty of the narrative, and the unpretentiousness personality of rudy yellow shirt's character. rudy is spiritual but not mystical.

[L.V. Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of my very favorite books! The characters are well-crafted & the story itself is off the charts! I have read this book several times & every time I open it, I get excited to reunite with my friends, Rudy, Mogie, Stork, Stella, & the rest of the rez gang. A wonderful, human story of love, anger, sadness, revenge & humor. Thank you Adrian Louis!!!

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a powerful emotional book about "Indian" brothers on Pine Ridge Reservation in early 1990's. One a cop the other a drunk. Best book I've read in a while! Thanks Lynn for recommending it!

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really good book but it does get graphic.

[Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is better than the movie

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my review at my blog.