Once Were Warriors is Alan Duff's harrowing vision of his country's indigenous people two hundred years after the English conquest. In prose that i...
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reviews
Dec 03, 2009
Emma
rated it: 
I seem to have read several books over the last few weeks written in this bleak, stream of thought style and I expect it's partly because of my overindulgence that I didn't really connect to this book.
It tells the story of a Maori family living on a poor estate surrounded by other Maori families with drug and drink problems. It's a story most of us are familiar with (in my case, I was born on a council estate not a million miles away from this) and I feel that that is the main faili More...
It tells the story of a Maori family living on a poor estate surrounded by other Maori families with drug and drink problems. It's a story most of us are familiar with (in my case, I was born on a council estate not a million miles away from this) and I feel that that is the main faili More...
Jan 16, 2011
Matthew
rated it: 
I picked this up at the library on a whim, after vaguely remembering having seen the film when I was younger. I have to say I found it really frustrating to read, mostly because of the style of writing (lots of dense clumps of long paragraphs, no line-breaks or punctuation for the dialogue, etc).
On top of that, the book was kind of boring. It was extremely slow-paced, with chapter upon chapter of depressing inner monologues about the state of the Maori culture and of the lives of the More...
On top of that, the book was kind of boring. It was extremely slow-paced, with chapter upon chapter of depressing inner monologues about the state of the Maori culture and of the lives of the More...
Aug 11, 2011
Intense and incredibly well written with stream of consciousness narrative and shifting viewpoints. Really paints a picture of a once proud race doing itself in. I read this and the sequel,What Becomes Of the Broken Hearted,back to back. If you enjoyed this,you'd probably enjoy Hubert Selby Jr's ,Last Exit to Brooklyn.Aspects of the book,especially the parts about gang violence also remind me of Anthony Burghess's A Clockwork Orange.For a similar portrait of dead end society ,but set in the near
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Jul 13, 2011
Kalilah
rated it: 
Heartrending. Tragic. Inspiring.
A must read for any segment of society hellbent on destroying itself. The frustration, anger and lethargy which grown out the perceived unfairness of the world can be crippling and this book serves as snap shot of one such lost community, eating itself alive because of the lopsided realities of life. I really think this book should be mandatory reading in the public schools back home, where a lot of the same anger, violence and self-destructive tendencie More...
A must read for any segment of society hellbent on destroying itself. The frustration, anger and lethargy which grown out the perceived unfairness of the world can be crippling and this book serves as snap shot of one such lost community, eating itself alive because of the lopsided realities of life. I really think this book should be mandatory reading in the public schools back home, where a lot of the same anger, violence and self-destructive tendencie More...
Jan 01, 2012
Sinthu
rated it: 
I really enjoyed this book. I am not an English expert but I feel that I should comment on the writing style because it is an aspect of the book that I loved– the book is structured as streams of conversations and inner monologues. The author does not sugar coat anything and in doing so, you really see the humanity of all the characters. In addition, the language and spelling is not standardized; this book is written phonetically to capture the dialect, New Zealand slang as well as emotion. I re
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Aug 28, 2009
Tim
rated it:
A tough, but revealing and poignant story on the component of Maori population in New Zealand living in ghetto-like conditions.
I was struck throughout this violent, despairing narrative by the internal constraints that people take on. There is an intensity of individuals in a small small world, and how they develop ways of coping with apparently no hope for change, though never reaching out or peering over to see the larger society and the possibilities they might escape.
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I was struck throughout this violent, despairing narrative by the internal constraints that people take on. There is an intensity of individuals in a small small world, and how they develop ways of coping with apparently no hope for change, though never reaching out or peering over to see the larger society and the possibilities they might escape.
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Jan 13, 2012
Lex
rated it:
One of my favorite books ever. A depiction of contemporary New Zealand life that tells it through poor, welfare-state Maoris struggling to rise above gang violence and alcoholism. Jake, Beth, and Grace are some of the most memorable characters ever written, and their stories will move you; Jake's, in particular, as the Maori warrior still poised to fight while struggling to live is one I still remember, even though it's been years since I first read it.
Check it out. Really worth it.
Check it out. Really worth it.
Dec 20, 2009
Libby
rated it:
I found that this book far outweighed the movie. It follows the same tale of the movie and its sequal 'what becomes of the broken hearted'. If you have yourself grown up in/around alcohol fueled domestic violence beware as this may open up wounds and basically rub salt in them but was still worth the journey in my opion. But if you liked the movie, definatly read this and even if you didn't like the movie you may enjoy this more detailed and heartfelt version.
Mar 06, 2011
Vicky
rated it:
This is a brutal book. No punches are pulled in the descriptions of domestic violence, gang culture, acoholism, sexual abuse and suicide. It is a raw account of the erosion of cultual identity in the Maori community, and the attmepts of individuals to reconnect with their heritage. Duff's writing is excellent and immmediate, so that the violence of the characters lives never feels contrived for effect.
Aug 01, 2009
Hard, painful going (it deals with the negative effects of colonialism on Maori culture in general and one family in particular), but well worth it. Made into an excellent movie. [return][return]So hard to read, so beautiful and painful. I watched the movie in "history of the pacific" and reading the book before didn't make the movie any easier. Highly recommend it.
Nov 22, 2011
Kirstyn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 15, 2011
Janne
rated it:
Elokuvana tämä on tehokas ja kyllä kirjakin toimii. Herättää suunnattomia vihan tunteita, jotka kuitenkin jollain kierolla tapaa muuttuvat kirjan edetessä ymmärrykseksi. Kirjoitustyyli on hyvin veikeä ja paikoin on vaikea tietää, että kuka puhuu. Tyyli kuitenkin istuu kirjaan täydellisesti Parhaita ansioita kirjassa on se, miten hyvin se tuo esiin eri hahmojen näkemyksen asioista.
Jan 28, 2012
Neil
rated it: 
The parents at the center of this book are terrible people. The lack of empathy they feel for their own children was well past the point of believability. If this is a fair depiction of poor Maori’s, than holy Christ that’s just awful. But I doubt it. I think it’s written to an extreme and for effect.
It’s really a mediocre modern mythical tragedy watching the family fall to see when they hit rock bottom. It’s short and written in a stream of conscious style that’s not difficult to g More...
It’s really a mediocre modern mythical tragedy watching the family fall to see when they hit rock bottom. It’s short and written in a stream of conscious style that’s not difficult to g More...
Nov 24, 2010
The violent story of an urban Maori family. The book, and its two sequels, raised a storm of response, including two movies. I was shaken by the first movie, which bears the same name as the book. Want to see how the author of the original told the story.
Jul 29, 2011
An honest look into the lives of New Zealand's social underbelly. The most saddening and depressing book I have read in a long while.....as we all know its a true account of how some live in our country. Slightly different to the movie.
Jul 10, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
I strongly suggest it to anyone who can handle it. About a family living in poor conditions, Father is abusive. Very hard-hitting. near then end I could barely read any more. Set in 1990 New Zealand. It has revealed to me what many families in New Zealand deal with. It is especially scary because at school I see kids who might be in the same position as the kids in the Heke family. I have learnt a lot about my country.
Dec 26, 2009
Rachel
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This book reminds me a bit of book:The Grapes of Wrath. It is moving and sad, the story of the lostness Maoris in New Zealand and their re-finding of themselves. A satisfying story.
Dec 12, 2009
Mariana
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Urban Maori youth don't have options beyond joining a violent gang, finding an old-style Maori teacher, becoming a drunk or committing suicide. I want to see the movie.
Jan 10, 2012
Gemma
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A must read for anyone interested in the struggles of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and any commonwealth country for that matter.
Apr 02, 2009
Aimee
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Since I'd never seen the movie, when I saw this book at a fair in Auckland, I thought I should read it. Very sad and moving.
Aug 25, 2010
Chantel
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This quick read will last with you - an inside look into both the good and the horrible within Maori society.
Feb 03, 2008
Anne
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Made into a decent-enough movie, this story about a Maori woman in the New Zealand housing projects is pretty gripping. Much of this has to do with the way the author focuses on the central character's experiences while blending in first-person voices; it keeps the story immediate, and brings the reader closer to characters and situations that might otherwise be distant. Be forewarned that the grinding poverty, drunkenness, gang warfare, abuse, and so on is pretty bleak; it actually makes the
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Dec 01, 2011
Victoria
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Very disturbing book about family violence. But absolutely rivetting.
Dec 01, 2011
Jeremy
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a hyperbolic uber-stereotypical look at the maoris.
read in n. zealand.
read in n. zealand.
Jul 02, 2009
linnea
rated it:
This was a hard read (tough subject matter) but done well. I enjoyed it.
Jul 18, 2011
Erica
rated it:
Different style of writing made it difficult to read. I enjoyed the movie better. The book didn't cover everything and left a lot of loose ends.
Aug 16, 2007
Troy
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It all started with us watching the movie over and over again like Boyz in the Hood. Same ghetto different country. We knew all the lines, could sing "What's the time Mr. Wolf" and Shaggy thought he was Jake the Muss. Although we thought it funny the subject matter was really brutal. The book brings that to the forefront. The truth that they are in an island paradise with a proud deep tribal tradition makes the situation that the characters find themselves in even more tragic.
Feb 05, 2008
Allison
rated it:
A very raw depiction of the life of a Maori family. This book takes an unflinching look at what happens to a proud culture when it is conquered by a foreign culture. It depicts the death of idealism and dreams under the weight of reality and routine.
I read this book years ago, but I still remember certain scenes vividly. If I remember correctly, this was a quick read, both because it was short and because the story drove you forward towards the conclusion.
I read this book years ago, but I still remember certain scenes vividly. If I remember correctly, this was a quick read, both because it was short and because the story drove you forward towards the conclusion.
