The Last Warrior
Coming in March 2008
"Hau, here we are." He paused. "And we are alone together. It is enough to ruin your reputation yet again." He cast her a lopsided grin. "I fear that now you truly have no choice but to accept my proposal of marriage, if only for your own sake."
"Marry you?" She frowned, then shook her head and turned away from
him, presenting him with only her profile. "I...thank you for coming."
There was a tremble in her voice. He swallowed hard. It was not in his heart's nature to intrude on another's privacy, yet, he would give comfort if he could. He said, "Jesting aside, is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything that you need?"
"I fear that now you truly have no choice but to accept my proposal of marriage, if only for your own sake."
"Jesting aside, is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything that you need?"
Did Black Lion go to an East Coast college to get an education and some breeding? This arch dialogue might (I emphasize might) sound natural coming from a Charles Eastman type. That is, someone who spent years living and working in mainstream America. But from a traditional Plains warrior who traveled with Buffalo Bill and went around without a shirt? I don't think so.
Curiously, The Last Warrior isn't listed on Amazon.com--at least not the US version. I wonder why not. Because Amazon.com doesn't carry trashy romance novels?
For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Books.
3 comments:
So what is better. To speak that way, or to talk like Tonto?
Regarding these Indian/White Woman romance novels consisting of nothing but pure, unadulterated crap that basically falls well within the realm of pure sexual fantasy: anything goes, as does the forms of dialogue between the two (usually doomed lovers).
Most books and movies in this genre make allowances for the man's post-graduate speaking abilities by stating that he attended a special school at some point in his growth and development as a white-woman-satiating stud. That's another thing! If the all-too-eager-to-please white woman and her sex machine, ersatz Plains Indian man are not scheduled to die in each other's arm at the end of the novel, then they almost always (if not "taken in" by his tribe after the tribal council pow wows, smokes or group meditates on the matter) ride off into the sunset to live out the remainder of their lives at some totally isolated location where they never again run into anymore people 'a la the presumed ending of the trash epic "Dances With Wolves."
And they never end up living in the nearest cow town where the studly brave assimilates successfully into white society. Have you ever heard the term, "a hard-on for the hard-up?" This describes both the nature and purpose of these "novels" - their target audience just as full of bullshit as are the authors.
As usual, thanks for your thoughts, Melvin. Sounds like you've read some of these romance novels. ;-)
If I had to choose between Ivy League eloquence and Tonto-style baby talk, I'd go with eloquence. But something in the middle would be best, of course.
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