Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining and Enlightening
Review: A thoroughly enjoyable book, Dogeaters provides a fascinating view of Filipino culture under the Marcos regime. Hagedorn attempts to define and give an understanding of Filipino identity, how it is constructed on an individual level as well as on a national level. While reading the book, one comes to understand the problematic nature of living under a dictatorial regime by witnessing a multitude of characters escaping into the fantasy worlds created by drug use, a romance with the West (especially movies), and sleep.While the book can be a difficult read at times, this struggle seems intentional. Hagedorn presents the reader with a fragmented novel, one told by multiple narrators (at times it is unclear who exactly is the narrator), one without a disjointed plot progression, and one replete with a dizzying cast of characters and events. It is through these difficulties that one may face in understanding character relations and plot that Hagedorn allows the reader to identify with the Filipino people. Citizens of the Philippines in the middle of the twentieth century faced profound hardships in the construction of identity. So too may readers of Hagedorn's novel find it difficult to identify with characters in the book, the events in the book, and the very nature of Filipino culture as expressed in the book. Overall this book is an engaging read, providing both entertainment and enlightenment for the reader. One comes to a greater understanding of what may be called the Neo-colonialism of the West, or the imperialistic subjection of a people to the consumerism, materialism, and capitalism that so dominate the culture of the West. Furthermore, one sees that indigenous culture often falls prey to these influences. I highly recommend Dogeaters to any reader, but note that it would have to be given an "R" rating were it a movie, so reader beware!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Enlightening
Review: A thoroughly enjoyable book, Dogeaters provides a fascinating view of Filipino culture under the Marcos regime. Hagedorn attempts to define and give an understanding of Filipino identity, how it is constructed on an individual level as well as on a national level. While reading the book, one comes to understand the problematic nature of living under a dictatorial regime by witnessing a multitude of characters escaping into the fantasy worlds created by drug use, a romance with the West (especially movies), and sleep. While the book can be a difficult read at times, this struggle seems intentional. Hagedorn presents the reader with a fragmented novel, one told by multiple narrators (at times it is unclear who exactly is the narrator), one without a disjointed plot progression, and one replete with a dizzying cast of characters and events. It is through these difficulties that one may face in understanding character relations and plot that Hagedorn allows the reader to identify with the Filipino people. Citizens of the Philippines in the middle of the twentieth century faced profound hardships in the construction of identity. So too may readers of Hagedorn's novel find it difficult to identify with characters in the book, the events in the book, and the very nature of Filipino culture as expressed in the book. Overall this book is an engaging read, providing both entertainment and enlightenment for the reader. One comes to a greater understanding of what may be called the Neo-colonialism of the West, or the imperialistic subjection of a people to the consumerism, materialism, and capitalism that so dominate the culture of the West. Furthermore, one sees that indigenous culture often falls prey to these influences. I highly recommend Dogeaters to any reader, but note that it would have to be given an "R" rating were it a movie, so reader beware!
Rating: 
Summary: Has its moments.
Review: Dogeaters is a dizzying whirlwind slice of Filipino life. Jessica Hagedorn's post-modern, at times surreal, story is interesting not so much for the characters but the form and structure of her storytelling. Using a mix of points of view, interlacing traditional prose with play dialogue and songs (the kundiman), the fast paced narrative is at times breathlessly exciting- at its worst, it is overwhelming. The book's emphasis on style comes at the cost of an engaging storyline or fully realized characters- none of whom you completely understand or emphatize with. Ms. Hagedorn, with some ingenuity, does manage to illustrate a society caught between two worlds- the colonial, the post-colonial, the East, the West- and people who, despite being connected by sanguine relations (mothers, fathers, the family unit, ancestry, etc.) are more connected by media and technology- a people in love with the glamour of the movies- even though though their own lives, mired in poverty, violence, empty wealth, corruption- is the very stuff that movies are made of. The richest man in the country, the President and First Lady, a hustler/junkie connect via the movies. Daring and gutsy. (I especially liked the allusions to "dog-eating." Everyone is suspicous of everyone- the nightclub owner looks down on his busyboy because he thinks he eats dogs, the department store clerk thinks that the barbecue she buys from the roadside vendor is not cowmeat but dogmeat. Funny and true- I think that Ms.Hagedorn captures the suspicion and hypocrisy and self doubt and defeatism (she still keeps eating there...)that pervades Filipino culture, or any culture, under foreign influence and/or dictatorial rule.
Rating:
Summary: Dogeaters
Review: Dogeaters offers its postmodern readers a grand perspective on identity, its fragmentation, and importance to the individual. In a brillant fashion its interrupted narrative and wild plot (I hestitate to say plot-line)remind readers of the dangers we all face as we strive to become individuals, and that complete self-actualization might come at the cost of community. Though ostensibly about the Philippines, this is a novel of every-person living in a consumer society, dreaming the sweet dreams that come from the collective nervous center (hollywood).
Rating:
Summary: Dogeaters: Disjunction of a Society
Review: Dogeaters, by Jessica Hagedorn, is an exploratory look at Phillipene culture. Set during the Ferdinand Marcos reign, the book focuses on the stories of many, seemingly unrelated, characters from all facets of life. Though the story does not come together as cleanly at the end as an Agatha Christie piece, the characters lives are interwoven enough to give the reader some sense of closure at the books conclusion. Disjunction, as mentioned, is the basic theme of the book. We have no consistent source of narration, as Hagedorn employs third and first person POV's throughout the book, giving her reader an intended sense of confusion about whose story it is that we are reading what the point of it is. Through the use of several points of view, and the use of made-up news articles, and of course the many different characters, Hagedorn gives us a sense of the confusion and separation that the Phillipene people experienced during this tumultuous time. We are meant to see the ways in which the nation reacted to the end of colonialism and the rise of a dictatorship, we are given a picture of a country searching for some sort of identity. An example of the disjunction apparent within the text would be the stories of Rio and Joey. Rio, the closest thing we have to a main character, is the daughter of a wealthy employee of the richest man in the Phillipenes. Her life is contrasted throughout the book with that of Joey, a male prostitute/drug addict, who is trying to survive in continuous near poverty conditions. It is interesting to say the least. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in untypical and exploratory novels. It is and engaging read, and is interesting enough to keep most anybody's attention. It might be frustrating to people who enjoy plot driven stories however, because what makes Dogeaters work is the vividness of its characterizations.
Rating:
Summary: Dogeaters: Disjunction of a Society
Review: Dogeaters, by Jessica Hagedorn, is an exploratory look at Phillipene culture. Set during the Ferdinand Marcos reign, the book focuses on the stories of many, seemingly unrelated, characters from all facets of life. Though the story does not come together as cleanly at the end as an Agatha Christie piece, the characters lives are interwoven enough to give the reader some sense of closure at the books conclusion. Disjunction, as mentioned, is the basic theme of the book. We have no consistent source of narration, as Hagedorn employs third and first person POV's throughout the book, giving her reader an intended sense of confusion about whose story it is that we are reading what the point of it is. Through the use of several points of view, and the use of made-up news articles, and of course the many different characters, Hagedorn gives us a sense of the confusion and separation that the Phillipene people experienced during this tumultuous time. We are meant to see the ways in which the nation reacted to the end of colonialism and the rise of a dictatorship, we are given a picture of a country searching for some sort of identity. An example of the disjunction apparent within the text would be the stories of Rio and Joey. Rio, the closest thing we have to a main character, is the daughter of a wealthy employee of the richest man in the Phillipenes. Her life is contrasted throughout the book with that of Joey, a male prostitute/drug addict, who is trying to survive in continuous near poverty conditions. It is interesting to say the least. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in untypical and exploratory novels. It is and engaging read, and is interesting enough to keep most anybody's attention. It might be frustrating to people who enjoy plot driven stories however, because what makes Dogeaters work is the vividness of its characterizations.
Rating:
Summary: worthwhile and fascinating, if difficult
Review: First: yes, this is somewhat fragmented-- there are multiple points-of-view and the style changes with the characters. I guess it is postmodern, but that term is so offputting to most readers these days that I use it reluctantly. It's really no more difficult to follow than the postmodern techniques we're all used to with dream-sequences and flashbacks on such shows as "Six Feet Under" and "The Sopranos." Second: the writing is sure of itself, a tour de force. Third: the subject-- Manila and the Philippines in troubling times-- is, in a sense, the true protagonist. Summary? It took me a long time to get through this, but that is more a reflection of me than it is a rebuke on the book. I admired it greatly and was often struck by the insights, the writing, the intimacy with all the people in the society-- from senators and society people to male prostitutes. Because I have little time to read, I prefer novels to short stories (i.e., a longer story I can pick-up and put-down over the course of a few weeks) and in some respects this was almost more like reading thematically related short stories.
Because of my own limited time to read, I would forget some of the subtle clues connecting the chapters. The book would benefit from a different kind of reading. But it has an almost Tolstoyan scope to it. There is some amazing writing here-- much of it is very funny. It is often poignant and always, always very very vivid.
Rating:
Summary: worthwhile and fascinating, if difficult
Review: First: yes, this is somewhat fragmented-- there are multiple points-of-view and the style changes with the characters. I guess it is postmodern, but that term is so offputting to most readers these days that I use it reluctantly. It's really no more difficult to follow than the postmodern techniques we're all used to with dream-sequences and flashbacks on such shows as "Six Feet Under" and "The Sopranos." Second: the writing is sure of itself, a tour de force. Third: the subject-- Manila and the Philippines in troubling times-- is, in a sense, the true protagonist. Summary? It took me a long time to get through this, but that is more a reflection of me than it is a rebuke on the book. I admired it greatly and was often struck by the insights, the writing, the intimacy with all the people in the society-- from senators and society people to male prostitutes. Because I have little time to read, I prefer novels to short stories (i.e., a longer story I can pick-up and put-down over the course of a few weeks) and in some respects this was almost more like reading thematically related short stories.
Because of my own limited time to read, I would forget some of the subtle clues connecting the chapters. The book would benefit from a different kind of reading. But it has an almost Tolstoyan scope to it. There is some amazing writing here-- much of it is very funny. It is often poignant and always, always very very vivid.
Rating: 
Summary: dizzyingly powerful
Review: Hagedorn's take on my country is eye-opening, witty, and true. We read the book for a student forum in Wesleyan University, and we could not stop talking. Topics like power, post-colonialism, Filipinos' penchant for movies and pageantry, historical narratives, and the Philippines' "halo-halo"-ness were brought up and talked about earnestly. Everyone, including those who are not of Filipino descent, enjoyed the book's juiciness and intelligence. READ THIS BOOK! It's one of those books (like Master and Margarita)that you can read again and again and still come off with something entirely new. If Jessica Hagedorn would visit our university, I would graduate happy.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific and awe-inspiring book.
Review: I had to read "Dogeaters" for my American Literature class during my sophmore year of college. Usually when I have to read for class I get bored very easily, but this book completely astounded me for so many reasons. It is a frank and honest description of the Philippines during the Marcos era. The characters, particularly Rio Gonzago and Joey Sands are believeable and frankly portrayed both in negative and positive lights. I was particularly impressed by the way that Joey was portrayed. It is not often that an author's main character is a sympathetic, homosexual, drug-addicted, male prostitute. Yet the reader feels that he is a real person telling his story to those who would pick up the book. Though the final few chapters became a little hard to follow at first, I read the book at least five times, both straight through and also just passages, and finally developed a sense of what was going on. "Dogeaters" is one of the few books that I loved so much that I actually lent it to someone to read.
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