House Made of Dawn cover art

House Made of Dawn

A Novel

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House Made of Dawn

By: N. Scott Momaday
Narrated by: N. Scott Momaday, Darrell Dennis
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About this listen

“Both a masterpiece about the universal human condition and a masterpiece of Native American literature. . . . A book everyone should read for the joy and emotion of the language it contains.” — The Paris Review

A special 50th anniversary edition of the magnificent Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from renowned Kiowa writer and poet N. Scott Momaday, with a new preface read by the author

A young Native American, Abel has come home from war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his father’s, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world—modern, industrial America—pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, trying to claim his soul, and goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of depravity and disgust.

An American classic, House Made of Dawn is at once a tragic tale about the disabling effects of war and cultural separation, and a hopeful story of a stranger in his native land, finding his way back to all that is familiar and sacred.

 Classics Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature Native American War
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The beautiful poetic descriptions create a special atmosphere, but at the same time, the struggles of the protagonist are also highlighted, so it is not an idealised, romantic world at all.

Great novel

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N.Scott Momaday is poet, and his stories are essentially long, richly lyrical poems. Momaday reads the preface in his mythically profound voice, that brings the words to life. But tragically Darrell Dennis’ performance is robotic and lifeless.
One must pay close attention to poetry as it is, and having a bland reader makes it impossible to follow the story. Especially when compared to Momaday himself.

Excellent story, bad storyteller

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