Indian horse is written in first-person, told by the fictional Saul Indian Horse in an autobiography about his life growing up as an aboriginal in Canada in the early 1960s. The author, Richard Wagamese, does an impeccable job of creating a connection between Saul's feelings and the reader. He makes Saul relatable in every aspect and uses outstanding description to make Saul's world come to life. The reading level of difficulty in this book is not high at all; it's pretty easy to read. It is not too lond either, 121 pages. Nonetheless, the author perfectly captures Saul's life in the short novel with a high degree of effectiveness and understanding.
“Benjamin and I sat in the middle of one of the large canoes with our grandmother in the stern, directing us past shoals and through rapids and into magnificent stretches of water. One day the clouds hung low and light rain freckled the slate-grey water that peeled across our bow. The pellets of rain were warm and Benjamin and I caught them on our tongues as our grandmother laughed behind us. Our canoes skimmed along and as I watched the shoreline it seemed the land itself was in motion. The rocks lay lodged like hymns in the breast of it, and the trees bent upward in praise like crooked fingers. It was glorious. Ben felt it too. He looked at me with tears in his eyes, and I held his look a long time, drinking in the face of my brother.”
As you can tell, Richard Wagamese's description of the setting uses great adjectives and similies to create a real image in the reader's mind. "The rocks lay together like hymns in the breast of it and the trees bent upward in praise like crooked fingers" uses similies to enhance the glorious environment surrounding Saul and his brother. The use of adjectives creates the mood of the love Saul has for his brother and the time they cherish together.
"The rink was lit by a string of bare light bulbs. The ice ended abruptly in shadow, and the humped rocks and spindly trees created an eerie kind of backdrop. The shed was roasting inside with a wild fire in the stove. Beneath the smell of sweat and leather was the sting of liniment and a potent mix of farts, tobacco and chewing gum." (103)
"After a whistle, I took centre for the faceoff. I lost that draw but the puck had little momentum and I snatched it and was gone in three strides. I knew the defense would try and pinch me off in the middle, so I drove straight at them. When they'd committed I leaned onto my blades and made a sharp, veering turn, the puck cradled on my stick. Our other forward poured full-steam into open ice on the other side. I hit him on the button with a drilled pass and he was away and in the clear. He failed to score, but I gobbled up the rebound from his slap shot. I was twelve feet out, and as I closed the distance to the net I deked to the right, the quickly back to the left, and lofted the puck up under the crossbar. The defense banged their sticks in frustration." (105)
If you understand how the sport of hockey works, based on Richard Wagamese's description you will be able to see a clear image of the outdoor rink and Saul's game on the ice. Again, the use of adjectives in the first quote to describe the senses creates a real environment for the reader to connect with. The second passage shows Saul's actions on the ice. The moves are very detailed as if the reader becomes Saul on the ice- passing, dekeing, and scoring. The reader can see and feel every move Saul makes which becomes the most important factor in making this book so amazing.