Caramelo

Rating:
Summary: A stroll throught Mexican life
Review: Caremelo is a novel written literally by Sandra Cisneros, however the narrator is a young girl who tells family stories, with the help of her grandmother and her imagination. She tells of her family's countless summer trips across the border to Mexico, she talks of the time when her father is put in the situation of either choosing his wife or his mother, she tells the story of when they gave her a really bad haircut and she even talks about the time when her grandparents where young kids. Basically Caramelo is full of Mexican stories and legends.
This book is not like any other novel that flows in chronological order, Cisneros writes Caramelo in a way that makes you want to keep reading. It bounces back and forth, which not all readers may enjoy, but personally I like this writing method because it keeps me anxious, which in turn makes me want to keep reading in order to find out what happens next.
Another thing I also enjoyed about the way Caramelo is written is that it has Spanish references, like for example some Spanish words are used to add sizzle to the stories. I enjoyed this because I not only read and speak Spanish but I was also raised in a Mexican-American home, which greatly helped to understand these references. Basically I really enjoyed Caramelo and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading cultural stories.

Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: I have to admit when I first started reading this book I thought the dialogue and narrating was, as another reviewer described, syrupy and, personally, mediocre. The problem is Cisneros translates many Spanish sayings literally- making them sound sappy and just plain strange. For instance her 'Aunty Light Skin' would be 'Tia Guerja', which to someone who is familiar with Mexican Spanish, would sound just fine. The translations took a while to get used to.... Uncle Fat Face, 'my life', 'my heaven', etc.. All familiar in Spanish but just don't translate well literally into English. However, the story is wonderful and will have you coming back for more! A very rich story of the Northern Mexican & Southern Mexican(the other side) experience, culture, and sometimes culture-clash. A very vivid depiction of a family 'caught between here and there'. The story extending back generations, revealing personal struggles, and a families' quest for upward mobility in a post-colonial world of 'dirty indians' and rich Spainards, and later in the complicated society of the U.S. I was surprised how quickly I read this one actually. You'll be sad the story has come to an end.

Rating:
Summary: Like the candy -- to be savored a chapter at a time
Review: I walked into CARAMELO simply because of the title. Indeed, the prose is sweet, chewy, and sticky all at once -- yet sometimes hard to swallow in large bites. If you are looking for a plot-driven, third-person, Mex-Am narrative (note the multiple hyphens), then please put the book down. This is a semi-fictional reminiscence of a family history, complete with memory lapses and revisionist remembrances, not to mention the stream of consciousness chapter structures. All this being said, many of the chapters are lovely bites of a family that is struggling to straddle their past and present, and overcome the barriers they themselves have put up. If you do not have a familiarity with the Spanish language, it may be difficult for you to savor the full flavor of the connection to each story. A casual reader should read one or two chapters at a time, in order to fully enjoy the stories, background details, and essence of this young woman's (and her family's) history. Otherwise, you may find yourself sorely disappointed when you reach the end. Enjoy it for what it is -- a series of short stories that are interconnected but do not culminate in a resolution or tidy ending.

Rating:
Summary: Mexican Pride
Review: Sandra Cisneros has once again out done herself with Caramelo. Her words kept me wanting to read page after page until there was no more pages to read. After reading her first novel The House on Mango Street," I thought to myself that this has to be her best work. Obviously, I was wrong. It seems as though each book is better then the last. This book has to be one of the greatest books ever written. Personally one of the greatest books I have ever read. I have always been proud to say I am a Mexican and this book did an excellent job in strengthening my pride. And for that I thank her. She is definitely an inspiration to all women.
The Caramelo in the book title refers to the caramel-colored stripped rebozo that Lala has claimed for her own. This rebozo has knotted fringes, but part is left unfinished. While reading this novel, you can see how many similarities are between the rebozo and the Reyes family. The family lives are strongly interconnected, yet with a bit of unfinished fringe at the end. Caramelo is a multi-generational tale of the Reyes family. Caramelo is written by Sandra Cisneros, but is told by Lala with the help of her grandmother and her own imagination. Lala is the favorite child of a favorite child. Lala weaves together stories about her family's past, and tries in the process, to find a place for herself within her family. The story starts with a family vacation the family Reyes is taking to Mexico. However, the trip ends with a hint at a family secret that is revealed much later in the book. Caramelo reveals a story about a girl that has or lives a life similar to that of a Spanish soap opera. Both having ups and downs, tragedies, heartbreak, reconciliation, hate, love, laughter and tears.
Caramelo is full of Mexican stories and legends. This book is not like any other that flows in a chronological order. The author wrote this book in a way that keeps you coming back for more. The story bounces back and forth which most readers might dislike and find confusing. Personally, I enjoyed it. The entire time it kept me at the edge of my seat. It made me want to turn the page to see what will happen next. Another thing that I enjoyed about the way this book is written is the way it has Spanish references. For example, some Spanish words are used to add sizzle to the stories. Cisneros has a gift and is able to share that gift to the world by her words that create this wonderful story that anyone can enjoy. To sum it up I really enjoyed Caramelo and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading cultural stories. I gave this book 5 stars because I was glued to it. I laughed and went back to it several times and reread it because I was so touched at times.

Rating:
Summary: Caramelo
Review: This book is filled with family stories and history, complete with folkloric themes and songs. It made me remember my childhood and how my family used to and still does take family trips, especially driving from Chicago down to Mexico. Those are trips that bring back nostalgic memories to most Mexican Americans.

Cisneros pictures her family's life as a fotonovela, with drama, happiness, tragedies, and more. This book is based on her and her family's real life circumstances filled in with, as she says, "healthy lies."

I love Cisneros' writing because she brings you into the story, as if you are a part of the characters' living environment. The details are very explicit. An example of this is the apartments her family and uncles live in. Bits and pieces purchased at the flea market cover the walls. Furniture so big, that limits the space to walk in the rooms.

Being born in Chicago does not take away the satisfaction of her mixed background, Spanish and Mexican. She expresses the era and culture in each place, writing some history about the Original Maxwell Street flea market. Also with reference to the unique hand made rebozos and the Spanish conquering Mexico.

She is her father's favorite, his reina, and his cielo. Being the only daughter and the youngest after six brothers that only tease and bother her, she grows up looking like a big boy but keeps that little girl inside of her. I grew up with my younger brother fighting all the time and can relate with Lala. I felt sorry for her because her appearance of a boy was another thing to criticize her about. She listens and sees how everyone in her family fight, cries, laugh, and go crazy. I think that she endures by seeing how everyone in her family live with daily situations and how they act upon them.

If you want to read and learn about culture and history, love, issues that pertain to relatives, all of this with humor then you must read this book. I love the fact that coming from three nations they relate with each other no matter the circumstances. It shows the true significance of family.