Rating: 
Summary: A Virtuoso Performance
Review: Caramelo is a surprisingly dense, wonderfully detailed and sensual novel that deals with the eternal theme of family and love. Ms. Cisneros' writing is magical and an experience not to be missed. Here again is another novel that, although highly praised, has not gained the readership it deserves. This would be a wonderful addition to reading lists of any kind, and certainly takes its place as one of the richest works of Hispanic fiction ever written.
Rating: 
Summary: Ugh!
Review: I couldn't wait for this story to be over. I listened to the audio book and I must admit that Cisneros is a fabulous reader - her voice and inflections and reading ability was fantastic. But the story literally bored me. I can't believe I listened to all 14 hours. Granted her "poetic" writing, with the descriptions and the lists, was interesting... for about the first half hour. After that it was trivial and started to sound like the author was just trying to fill pages. And when she started reading personals from a newspaper written by folks not involved in the story - for about 20 minutes!! - I thought I was going to die. I never got involved with the characters and honestly could have cared less about their lives.So two stars for the first class reading ability. The story alone would have gotten one star.
Rating: 
Summary: Puro Yawn!
Review: I can't belive this drivel! Cisneros took how many years to write this uneven collection of stereotypes? (10+ years!) Ilan Stavans is completely right in his critique of Cisneros (see his book The Riddle of Cantinflas). I happen to think she is producing work that is riding, and cashing in, on the so-called "Latin craze" in the U.S. What happened to the exciting wave of Chicana literature we witnessed in the 80's, a literature which was cutting edge and passionate, not caring about what the general public wants? I guess New York seduction is too hard to resist for the likes of Cisneros, Castillo, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Just read House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Review: This book did an excellent job of documenting the stories of a large colorful family in refreshingly realistic and blunt way, but I gave it 3 stars because it was also somewhat erratic and boring. Cisnero's efforts to make the book entertaining and intricate at once felt like she was forcing the "rebozo" metaphor. Continual attempts to appeal to the senses prove to be more vulgar and overwhelming than "poetic". The comedic element of the book is good but would fare better if the characters were more 3-dimensional and endearing. The bits about Mexican History were fascinating and added texture to the book.
Rating:
Summary: "Caramelo" is a special treat...!
Review: I loved this book so much and I highly recomend it. Cisneros has a way of weaving back and forth between reality and fantasy and creating characters and experiences that are enchanting and delightful. I love how she includes informational background at the end of each chapter. And her lyrical prose that weaves together Spanish and English, bounces with life. As a Mexican American myself I was delighted to find a novel that brought be back to my roots and moved me so deeply with its close depiction of a life and family similar to that of my own. This is a special treasure!
Rating: 
Summary: Happily surprised
Review: I've never read a book about Mexico or the Mexican culture until this book. I was happily surprised. At first I thought, uh-oh, this is going to go by slowly, there's Spanish in here (which I don't speak or read)...but after about 50 pages, I was hooked. I enjoyed how at the end of each chapter there were footnotes describing in detail something or another that was in the chapter. For instance the government at the time or something going on in popular culture. What I enjoyed the most was the stories about the grandma and mother. I felt this was really a good book. I only give it a 4 because it drag in some points, but most of the time the pages flew by.
Rating:
Summary: As yummy as pan dolce
Review: The voice of Celaya, the youngest child of seven and the only daughter, tells her family's history in this marvelous book that rambles back and forth across the Mexican border, detours into 'Notes' about Mexico's history, and meanders through three generations of the Reyes clan.
Sandra Cisneros's distinctive and poetic voice rings out in all the music of the Spanish language with which this book is so liberally seasoned. She tells her 'cuenta' through many, many, many very short chapters, each of which is usually a little family anecdote that, strung together like the beads of a rosary, form a loop that completes this tale of history and mystery, of love and jealousy, of sin and forgiveness - and most of all of joy and celebration.
Caramelo, titled in honor of an unfinished striped antique rebozo (shawl) in which the fringe is partially unknotted, is a beautiful offering for Cisneros fans, like a platter of colorful tropical fruits.
Rating:
Summary: Caramelo - interesting but not magnetic
Review: I enjoyed the book - living in southern Arizona, I deal with Mexican-American people and culture every day, and I think Cisneros nails the culture eloquently. And while I enjoyed the author's writing style, she didn't convince me to care about her characters. This is an accurate collection of stories about the immigrant experience - but it's not magnetic.
Rating:
Summary: Book has fatal flaw
Review: I live on the Texas/Mexican border so I was very interested and entertained by certain elements of the culture pictured in this book, but the book had one fatal flaw in my opinion. The writer absolutely made no effort for the reader to be able to admire or love any character in this book. After reading so much about the lives and experiences of these characters (some funny, some sad, all believable), I still finished the book not caring one bit about whether they continued to live or die, succeed or fail. This is hardly a recommendation to the writer.
Rating:
Summary: Am I missing something?
Review: I have read all the glowing reviews for this book and I wonder what I'm missing. I couldn't even finish this book. It was so fragmented - just wanted to read a good story! This book was the Today show pick for the month and I thought it would be a good read, but I really did not like it at all. I am an avid reader but this book left me cold.
| 
