Personally I felt that this book had a lot to offer. As a narrator King is able to keep the reader's interest with humorous anecdotes while teaching about serious matters. He explains Native "problems" in a way that illustrates their relevance to modern living. The one story that I believe will stick with me the most is King's short-lived profession as a deer culler in New Zealand. This is because the story had an interesting plot with strong meaning. This book changed my perspective on stories by forcing me to realize how stories can be important regardless of constant details and that stories can help explain the world around us in a constructive way. As far as my perspectives on Native people, King's insights and examples helped me realize how deeply ingrained racism is in our culture and remain visible today.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was pleased to find myself not really wanting to put it down. The story that will stick with me is when he described to us that he wore certain things just so that people would know he was an Indian. He didn't necessarily like it or have much meaning behind it; he just wanted people to know that he was Indian. He then caved in and bought a suit and went to a lecture or something and ran into a man who appeared to be wearing the same types of things he used to. It was almost as though it was a younger version of himself. The man called him an "apple" and he knew that he shouldn't have been hurt by it but he was. I guess this story struck me as something very personal and relatable. Sometimes we aren't completely sure of ourselves and we want the outside, the material things, to reflect who we are on the inside. Maybe I'm interpreting this wrong but I believe that when he bought the suit it was a bit of a psychological mark. He was confident with who he was and didn't need extravagant things to make sure others knew. I don't know, maybe I'm looking at it all wrong but that story stuck with me because I can relate to it. As far as my perspective on Native people I find it disgusting how far the world will go to cancel out anything unique.

I enjoyed reading this book, because it kept me reading. I liked the first chapter the most, because it is a story that Thomas King told that I will always remember, not because he told a story about how the world was created, but because of the creative narrative that I would have never thought up. We do a lot of stereotyping and sometimes we don’t even realize it. In the second chapter with the photographs on the postcard, he had a stereotype of what a Native American should look like. When he didn’t like what he saw, he changed the appearance of the man to make him look like what we think how a Native American should look.

I thought "The Truth about Stories" was a quick read, and it held my attention up to the very last page. Thomas King uses sarcasm very effectively, and I think his sense of humor kept the book lively. At times, I felt he was being overtly political especially in terms of American politics. I felt that if he stuck to criticizing just the canadian government's treatment of native people, he would have been more persuasive then randomly bashing the current American government. Not that I don't agree with him, but sometimes it is more effective to leave personal opinions out of a book.
I found King's story about his experience speaking at a college very compelling. It is sad that someone with an actual native background is not taken seriously as opposed to paid professionals who can only say so much about native life.

I thought this book was really interesting, along with the way it was set up with the same beginning in each chapter along with the same type of ending. Each story was really interesting especially the one about the coyote who kept wanting more and more duck feathers, which I felt gave more of an insight to Native american stories and King's take on those stories. Going along with the idea that each chapter ended in the same way, in that you can take the story and do with it what you want and that "just don't say that in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now." I think that this part of the book is really important because everyone can take something away from a story that is different from someone else. And each person can take different actions. Some of the stories may have different meanings to Native people and may mean something new to King in which he makes it pertain to his life just as anyone in our own class can make those stories pertain to our own in certain ways but on different levels. The story that finally affected me the most was the last story. This story is one that King has a hard time telling but he feels he needs to in order to get to the reader, and he does, because he makes it obvious that people have made the world what it is today and if we chose to help or become more understanding and open to the idea that Native people are not what some stereotypically think of them as. King puts it in the readers hands to take the story and do what they want with it but when he makes such a profound point, with such a strong story, making us the ones that have shaped society into its more racist, greedy self then it is also up to us to help eliminate those vices or at least make the lives we live more meaningful.

I enjoyed this book very much. I feel that it was a very good introduction to the issues both in the past and in the present affecting Native North Americans. King keeps the book moving as he shifts between giving historical facts and personal stories. His voice is very evident in his writing so that it often feels like he is talking directly to you. I think the story that sticks with me the most is the story of his spontaneous trip to New Zealand and Australia. I was struck by the relationship between the struggles of the Aboriginal Australians and the Native people of Canada and the U.S. I really enjoyed his stories as a way to both break up his points but they contained their own issues and morals. Every story he told can be related to the trials of which he is speaking throughout the book. King's background on all of the government policies and treaties that have been used against the Native people has opened my eyes to the reality of what they have had to do in order to survive.

I too thoroughly enjoyed the novel and found all of King's anecdotes to be both enthralling and thought-provoking. I particularly enjoyed the author's continual wit and creativity throughout, even when dealing with serious matters concerning stereotypes and misfortunes (his prom, for example). My favorite story was the one with talking animals because I can't recall (at least at the high school and college level) reading about such facetiousness. I appreciated and won't soon forget it. If I do decide to retell it, I'm sure the specificities will change, but the story will remain the same. I learned a great deal about how we as Americans perceive Natives, unknowingly even. Although not presented in the novel, Indian rug burns and Indian giving (seemingly harmless, however racist remarks) come to mind- both examples clearly having negative connotations associated with them. I wonder what Natives think about such defamation? And then there's the “innocent” white lies, of course.

Thomas King succeeded in capturing my attention and imagination for the duration of his narrative, and more importantly, opened my eyes to some of the inherent problems encountered by the Native people of Canada. The fact that this text was written to be expressed in an oral format only enhances the value for me personally because King manages to keep a great pace while instilling intricate lessons along the way. I found his five part narrative structure to be enjoyable because it kept me reading. I wanted to keep reading beyond the afterword because King had done such an amazing job. I came into this course with few expectations because I have so little experience with the material, but after reading King's work I feel that already I have gained a greater appreciation for aboriginal work, especially the art of oral storytelling. Perhaps the story that will stick with me the most is the story where King was criticized for dressing as a Native Indian, and then criticized for not appearing as native-looking. King's ability to address the importance of culture, and in particular, the oral storytelling part of Native culture is his greatest asset by far.

I read this book as a sort of exploration of the self for King, a search for identity. He grew up largely as an American and those stories about living in California (especially about the prom date) clearly show that while he had no choice but to feel his Native heritage in the form of sometimes overt racism, he never felt altogether "different." That being said, I think most of the stories he tells are important because they show his struggle to identify himself as Native and what that ultimately means to him. In terms of form, I think it is important that he begins each lecture with a creation story, but also that these are always followed by some form of the idea that "the truth about stories is that that is all we are." Again, this shows King's grappling with the idea of which stories are his and what they mean to him or how they contribute to his identity. To finish each lecture with a sort of warning that we cannot now say we haven't heard the story is another way for him to claim these stories as his own; King is an American, he is a Native, he is a teacher, he is a father, he is a storyteller... and not necessarily in that order, but these are the complexities that make up his identity.

The afterword, however, stands out to me as a sort of anomoly. Here we get a different side of King, possibly ashamed at his own behavior with his friend, John. I don't like this side of King because he is appologetic for what he can control in himself. But then again, maybe this is his way of saying that he, too, is entirely human with all of the flaws and anxieties that each of us displays from time to time. I would be interested to see what others have to say about that afterword.

I enjoyed how King discusses Native issues without assigning blame or trying to make the reader feel guilty. Last semester I took a class about race relations in the United States, and many of the articles we read assigned blame and were not enjoyable to read. The stories in the chapter "Your Not the Indian I had in Mind" stuck with me the most. There are so many stereotypes and misconseptions that exist in our society. They are all around us. I never thought about the racial implications of the Boston Tea Party prior to reading this book. King also does a great job of telling stories that the reader can relate to. The story about his junior prom for example. While many of us have never been the victim of racism, we can all relate to the feeling of being heartbroken.

Things that stood out to me that I’ll remember most: the lecture about the photographs and the notion of the ‘ideal Indian”, the comparison between treatment and privileges of the French in Canada and the Native population, the story about the duck feathers, and his reference to the quote from someone (of course I forget who—political figure, I suspect) who was saying that Natives’ desires had to be kind of teased and prodded in order to make them realize they wanted to buy and own things—to make them realize they, basically, wanted to become consumers and assimilate to a capitalistic society.

I am STILL without a copy of The Truth About Stories, but through no fault of the bookstore; I ordered through Amazon. I borrowed the book from a classmate and read the first third or so, and then was able to listen to the rest of the lectures on Paul’s CDs. And being able to hear King speak turned out to be really great. I realized I’d been interpreting much of his tone in what I’d read all wrong; where I’d found him irksome in saying things like “I’m not going to mention [fill in the blank]” and then he would mention it among a long list of grievances toward oppressors of Natives, I discovered he was only kidding. Reading it, I knew he was kind of kidding, but my mind’s ears, if you will, heard a tone that was facetious and trying to sneakily dig sharply into the lecture’s listeners (or books’ readers) with a series of dark information that would take the fun out of the rest of his presentation. Listening to King’s voice in the context of the lecture, my impression was entirely changed. He was funny. But the voice and his entire attitude during the lecture created an atmosphere of sincerity rather than that of manipulation. Humor, of course, can be used to manipulate, but it didn’t feel any longer like part of a covert operation when I was listening, whereas in the book I’d been suspicious that it was a sweet outer coating used to trick his audience to bite into the hard bitter facts. I suppose I still sort of see his humor as something to make serious issues easier to swallow, but it seemed more natural coming from his voice than it did in the printed words—far less forced—not really forced at all.

My point, I guess, is that his audible words were infused with personality, and listening to the lectures after having read them awakened me to the importance of the oral account. I’ve never questioned the act of writing words down as a way to preserve them—adhere them to a physical substance that can be referenced and counted upon to remain unaltered; oral histories have always seemed untrustworthy to me for the simple fact that, in listening and recounting, details can change, and small changes can come to affect the whole story—affect the meaning, even. But it never occurred to me that placing an importance on the meaning can instill in the storyteller a sense of responsibility to retain that meaning and to ensure its continued presence in the stories. And only in the past months, because of another class, has the realization begun to resonate within me that voice, in stories, can be extremely important. Not just the voice that an author is trying to convey, but how the reader hears it—how the reader would actually read the words aloud. Meaning isn’t something that can only be lost in the absence or mutation of particular details assembled with the written word; it can just as easily be lost in the absence of the audible voice that’s trying to convey it. Communication (and yes this’ll seem obvious, but it also seems a nice way to sum this up) is as much in the sounds of words—the inferred meanings that tones carry—as it is in the words themselves.

This book was such a pleasure to read. King has such a strong narrative voice and conversational tone that I felt as if I was being read to. It was not surprising to hear that this book was given as a series of lectures. The thing I liked most about this book is how deeply personal it was. It is, of course, a political book, and King does a wonderful job portraying the various ways racism is inherent in our culture and how the Native populations have been systematically and culturally ravaged over the centuries. He is obviously very well versed in his history and doesn't withhold any information or any opinions on the way white culture and government have oppressed First Nations people. And yet, this book is not a political crusade. It is a personal story, and throughout it King does nothing more than relentlessly tell us his personal truths with humour, affection, and compassion. That being said, I think that is precisely why this book is such a powerful political tool. King shows us that our personal stories are all that we are- we see the world how we tell ourselves we see it, and something that has affected King his entire life is the stories white people told themselves about Indians. Stereotypes are fabricated; that doesn't mean they don't carry enormous and dangerous power. King invites us to examine our own personal stories and the power they have over our lives.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was really interesting to see how he took the first story about the turtle and the world and changed it ever so slightly that the reader was unsure why it sounded familiar the second time around. I think it really showed how insignificant details such as gender or age can be in a story and although those details can changed the meaning of the story is the same.

The story that will stick to me the most is the one where he makes a point to wear things just so that people would know he is Indian, then he wore a suit to a lecture and was called an "apple". It really grabbed my attention because he is clearly confident with who he is because he is showing it off, not trying to hide it, and then he buys this suit and is called a bad name which really upsets him although it shouldn't.

I really enjoyed the book and I found the author humorous but also politically moving. Out of all the stories, the one I enjoyed the most was the story about the basketball game and all the men letting him shoot the ball everytime because they were afraid of the "plate" in his head. However, once they found out that he did not in fact have a plate in his head, they blocked every shot and never gave him a chance. I just found it to be humorous and give insight to how a false rumor can change the way the world around you can treat and think of you.

This book has changed my perspectives about the stories. After reading King's book I have realized the significance stories can have on every person. Before reading the book, I did not really think much about stories or their meaning. However, I now realize that the ways stories are told, along with their meaning, carry signifcance and have a little piece of everybody in them.

The truth about stories is a wonderful grouping of lectures. But while reading i forgot that it was a lecture series and was fully enveloped in the book. this happens rarely when i read. this proves to me that Thomas King knows how to write a story. I thought that the book was an eye opening take for Americans from the US to look at a story. Meaning that when we hear a story that is it, thats the story. we get mad when someone changes the plot line or changes something else. we try to correct them, but as king shows in his books opening and endings of chapters that you can change the story around, but keep the importance and meaning of it intact.

The story that will stick with me the most would have to be the story about Ishi. they made him into a celebrity for no reason other than he was native... The truth about stories has opened my eyes to the world or spoken literature, it is a great way to story tell. We as non-natives have to loosen up a bit when it comes to facts of stories because if the meaning and final message are there then thats all that matters.

I personally found the book to be extremely interesting. I agree with Scott D. while reading the story I became completely lost in the story and forgot it was a series of lectures. This shows how amazing of a story teller Thomas King is. I love the way King ends all of the sections. after we here the story we can no longer make excuses because we have heard the story, what we do with it is up to us. I have learned that Native writers not only have to deal with problems outside of their culture, but even within their culture. By that I am referring to the story where Thomas King is insulted by another Native when he calls King an Apple. It does not seem possible to please everyone and that creates even more struggles for natives.

The story that will stick with me the most is when King is New Zealand and the gentleman from the Visa department calls him and when King tells him that he is as Indian the man automatically assumes that he is from Asia. Showing how sheltered most people are to other cultures was very awakening to me. Since where I am from is very diverse and traveling to Toronto most of my childhood I was always very aware and conscience of the many cultures around the world. I failed to realize that many people are not as lucky to be around lots of different cultures.

I loved this book. It had a dlow to it. Starting each chapter with the same story, but slight variation, showed me how stories are changed and personalized as they are told through time by other people. It made me appreciate Native literature, and want more, I am glad I am taking this class. There is so many stories that I loved in the book, but a funny one that I have been telling my friends is when he goes to New Zealand, and the immigration officer tells him he can't apply to stay longer because they have too many Indians already. It made me think of my personal experiences, and how misunderstanding and disrespectful people can be of people that are different from them. And how much we pay attention to steroptypes was very well described in this book, just by the title of the second chaper, "You are not the Indian I had in mind."

The Truth About Stories was one of the most enjoyable books I have had to read at college. King's use of sarcasm is not overdone, but it is enough to keep you laughing and it makes the book easy to read in a couple of nights, simply because you have no desire to put it down. The story that will stick with me is the elongated version of the creation story that he tells at the beginning of each chapter. Some would argue that it isn't at all rational but I don't think that everything in the world needs to be rational. I love that this story, in comparison to other creation stories we have heard, is more about reaching harmony and cooperation rather than chaos and uncertainty.

I personally thought the book was great. I really enjoy the way King started off and finished each story in the same format but changed little details. He writes the stories with a lot of good humor that keeps you interested in the book. The part of the book that will stick with me is from the second chapter where king was saying does anyone really know what a real Native American looks like. It makes you think, and realize that hey maybe what we have seen in pictures and movies is not really what a Native American is or looks like or even the way they carry themselves. This book has changed my view on stories because it shows how you can tell the same story in different ways. The way you take them and interpret them is up to you and whether you use that story to better your life is also up to you.

I found this book spoke to me personally in a way that not many books do. I can relate to the way Thomas King seems to be living in a world where his own race matters to other people more than it matters to him. Sometimes the issue of race pops up in the most unexpected of places, and I think overall for people like he and I its more important overall to be viewed as a person and not as a race. I certainly dont see many of my friends celebrating white power and I think its just as alienating to do so with Native power.This is not to say I am not proud of who I am or the people I come from, but I have goals entirely not related to my race and I think its important for other people to understand this

While I enjoyed Tom King’s stories from his personal life, incorporation of historical facts, and humorous sarcasm, the attention that he gives to dichotomies in combination with the repetitiveness in his structure made me feel as though he was oversimplifying complex issues. One point of King’s that I really found enlightening was his explanation concerning the way in which written literature and oral literature “occupy the same space, the same time” and speak to one another because it combined ways of presenting literature that are usually thought of as separate (101). Also, lately a big thing for me in books is the call to action and I did not feel a strong one from King. I wanted more pressure and direction.

The story that really stood out to me was Curtis’ story because it highlighted the absurd ways that stereotypes are constructed and showed the power of art to transform reality. In fact, I felt a sense of danger during his discussion of the camera that really made me pause and think about the darker side of representations and how even if they are created by an objective medium could be false (43). I also liked this particular story because it was the one that made me laugh the loudest. The point where King envisions Curtis dragging his supplies through the woods is brilliant: “I can imagine this solitary man moving across the prairies, through the forests, along the coast, dragging behind him an enormous camera and tripod and the cultural expectations of an emerging nation, and I am humbled” (37).

King’s idea that stories are a representation of one’s self made me more aware of the stories that we choose to listen to and the stories that we pass on to others. This really hit home for me because as an English major one is constantly being introduced to stories and are defined by them. When I introduce myself in classes, my name always goes with my specialty. For me, my specialty is a direct result of my personal experiences, but I do not think that is always the case. I guess I am wondering about the ways in which our personal tastes and experiences influence the way we communicate and pass down information.

This book was very enjoyable reading. It was interesting to me to learn that this was actually a collection of lectures-- it made a lot of sense looking back upon my reading. That being said, I think King's voice is unique in that even in print the reader can almost hear the words being spoken aloud. One of my favorite stories was the creation story featuring Charm. I've always found native creation stories interesting, particularly when we compare them to the creation story of Adam and Eve. I also found the story of Amy and John quite touching. It was an interesting way to again, tie in King's anecdotes with the classic story of native peoples. It was a prime example of the complexities we face in our lives- whether they be familial, economic, or racial in construct.

In response to Nichole: I wonder if you are being a little hard on King in expecting a stronger voice of rebellion or call to action. Isn't that a very Western approach to the text? I was tempted to say the same thing of King, but I think one of the things he is trying to show us is that subversion does not have to be the same sort of aggression that we tend to expect.

In response to Seth: I appreciate your opinion and I agree— I may be being too hard on King and I may be taking a Western approach. Even so, let me just further explain my position. After taking Early Encounters last semester and Images of Africa this semester, I have found that lectures or persuasive essays dealing with oppression usually have a strong call to action. This is not to say that his subversive method throughout the book were pointless, I enjoyed that too. Yet, the choice that King provides us with, that is to take or leave his stories, did not give me the feeling of immediacy, a need to take action, that I feel oppression warrants.

Something about this book really caught me off guard. I was sort of just expecting King to discuss problems, and ramble on. He really made the stories stick to me, and in a tasteful way. There were no stories he told that were interesting just because they were shocking or depressing. He had a lot to offer if the reader took it.

The chapter that stuck with me was about what a real 'indian' looked like. In this world at this time, looks are the most important thing to people. People have to be a part of a group in order to get their voices heard in this society. I liked that he was able to add a comical aspect to such a depressing view of the world.

I learned a lot from this book about oral literature. The idea was new to me that an oral tradition and a written tradition are not mutually exclusive... Oral literature is something that interests me because I used to know someone who was sort of an Abenaki raconteur. I hadn't thought about the topic in a while.

I loved the story of Louis Owens' suicide because it made me think a lot about racial tension in terms of its effect on one person's individual life. The story of Ishi was similarly provocative for me -- I think it's these two I'll remember the longest. I have grown up a white person in a white society, so I admit I have no concept of what it feels like to be racially and culturally alienated from everyone around me, and to feel like I can't change it. My family is not rich by the standards of Burlington, Vermont, but I rest easy on the knowledge that I can always get a job and save money if there's something I need, or borrow from a bank in an emergency and pay it back afterward with extra working hours. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have the assurance that I will be able to find a decent-paying job where someone will hire me.

King's lectures were humorous and profound. He brought up many serious topics and touched upon several such issues with a clever sense of humor that kept me interested. I had trouble choosing just one of his lectures as I feel two will stick with me and compliment one another.

'Your Not the Indian I was Expecting, and 'Entertainment' both brought to light the issue of Native identity and the modern image associated with such. In the former King talks about the romanticized, white, view of native portrayals. Large feathered head dresses,horseback warriors with lances and bows and arrows, these are the images modern explorers of thought conjure up when they think Indians. The fact that being simply Indian is no longer good enough for the white society romantics leads to staged photos and a false idea of reality among many. King embarks upon his coffee-table-book journey to show Natives in the flesh, not portrayed as savage warriors. The idea of the romanticized Indian leads into King's other lecture.

In 'Entertainment' King talks of the fascinations several contemporaries have with Native cultures. These people are suddenly interested in hearing the stories and learning the traditions of the same culture that a generation earlier their families were working so hard to displace and exterminate. Now a days Natives are put on podiums across the country and displayed as though they were pieces of art. The story of Ishi (forgive my misspelling) goes to show that being Native has become fashionable in a way. People like the art, want to hear the stories, and will listen to the lectures but when push comes to shove i think it is still the romanticized view of the Indian that contemporaries are interested in. A trip to a reservation might wake many people up to the realities that being Indian in modern days is not so interesting. Similarly a Native museum janitor is no better a story than a white museum janitor. It is hard for some people to see that Native peoples are still just people.

So i suppose these two lecture really hit me because they display the unfortunate reality that an Indian alone is of no real interest to the modern world, while the white man's Indian has become some sort of fashion statement. Perhaps more feathered headdresses could help make white society appreciate Native cultures more. And maybe if all Natives were to ride around on Horseback white society would begin to respect the cultures and traditions and stop infringing on the few rights and resources they have left.

I really loved the Truth about Stories. His ability to keep the reader/listener entertained while conveying a powerful message is remarkable. Most of what he talks about I have thought of before, but like most people go about my life as if I have not. I especially like the way he ends each piece. It kind of wakes us back up and puts it to us to do what we will with it. Of course he has a hope for our actions, but never the less leaves us with the option. Unlike some of the other authors we have read, he really doesn’t make us feel a sense of pity, maybe it’s just me, but he engages us on a much more intellectual level. Which I think causes us to have a much more upfront and personal reflection at the end of his stories; because we are forced to look at ourselves, rather than just view his work as a piece of fictional art.

Since this is the first book we read I never really understood just how important it was. Thomas King is a master storyteller and he is able to communicate a whole culture which lies behind the stories he tells. He really does tell us the Truth About Stories, bringing stories out of the realm of just the fictional into something much more. Every story he tells is told in a very unique tone, he blends sarcasm and an intelligence that goes beyond just college educations. Thomas King has tapped into a crucial artery that supplies blood to his native culture while also finding the vein that brings that culture back out to the "mainstream." When thinking about this book I find many of the stories that stuck out to me; stories about suicide, about coyote, about creation, stories that challenge all types of issues for native people. However, the one story that sticks about to me the most is the story of turtle who holds the world on his back. I remember this story because it recurs in King's lectures over and over. Though the story doesn't seem that particularly deep or poignant, the story of turtle is important because it highlights one of the main truths about stories: they're meant to be told. And not only are they meant to be told, as King shows us, they are shaped and changed by both the audience and the storyteller. This story shows us something King wanted us to know about stories: stories are alive.

Thomas King's The Truth about Stories is a lecture series but does not come off as such. While I did not read the print version, I did listen to the tapes of him telling the stories and they held my attention through their entirety. He was able to use his incredible sense of humor to tell the reader of serious problems and to get them thinking about those problems without the reader ever knowing his true intention, it never seemed like a lecture but more like listening to your grandfather talk about life long ago. My favorite story was definitely "Your Not The Indian I Was Expecting" and the way he describes peoples response to him as a result of what they knew from books and movies. This romanticized image is far from the truth and through Simulacrum, the real Indian is no longer good enough.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and even though we read it awhile ago, a lot of what I read is still pretty fresh in my mind; especially what King had to say about stories in general and how we are all made up of stories and when one is told to us, it becomes ours and we can do with it what we will. As someone who likes to write, I could really relate to a lot of what he was saying and his sense of humor made it much more pleasant to read what he head to say because he was so personable.

Of all the stories in this book, the one I remember best is the one about the turtle that kept changing with every chapter he used it in. I'm not sure if it's because of the repetition that this story stuck with me or because of the content but it's the first thing I think of when I think of this book. It really sticks out, mostly for what it stands for, I think.

As for how this book has changed my perception of Native peoples, it has definitely heightened my appreciation for the spoken story. For some reason, even just reading stories like King's that are meant to be read like it's being delivered orally is a lot more entertaining that reading just a regular story. I like the way the words roll off your tongue more easily and I like that the narrator as so much more character and personal existence in the text.