Rating: 
Summary: A near perfect picture
Review: In any case -- I give it all five stars on account of the almost comical portrayal of familiar (to a Filipino) personages. Ms. Hagedorn is obviously what we term here as "burgis" -- the picture she paints of the impoverished characters in the book would raise an eyebrow in Manila. The character Joey Sands, for instance, was a street urchin and petty thief -- and later a street hustler -- yet he is a favorite dj in the hottest Manila club? That just doesn't happen here. In this country -- everything is about connections, connections, connections -- and I didn't see his (Joey's) claim to the city's inclusion into the moneyed set.Certainly it wasn't on "Uncle"s credentials. The rest of it, though, would be as close as anybody gets to life in this mad city.
Rating:
Summary: A novel put together like a collage.
Review: Jessica Hagedorn puts together a brilliant novel. Through her style of writing, she captures the chaotic atmosphere and the hybrid ambiance that occurs during the days and nights of the
Philippines. There is a lot of brutality in Dogeaters. She paints a bleak picture of parts of the Philippines yet reminds us that the Philippines is still a beautiful country. This is a MUST read.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Carabaos in the mud.....
Review: Like Carabaos in the mud, we are quick to embrace our own "Otherness".Pause for a second from the breakneck pastiche that Hagedorn is presenting you. Read the reviews that present arguments such as a "fragmented novel" or "multiple narrative" or "disjointed plot progression" and everyone is quick to categorize Dogeaters as a "Postmodern" tour de force. I guess the real question we have to ask ourselves is - What now? It is vogue to jump in to the fashionable world of so-called post colonial examinations and tangle your readers in so-called "Postmodern" purposeful ambiguity and you are left with what? I guess what I am really saying is that the good writers coming out of the vast wealth of material that the turbulent history that the Philippines provides always seem to get mired in that Marcos-era, colonial identity search (a project that is defined by our colonial past - hence we never seem to have our own) and leave the reader with a sense of hopelessness. Does it really have to be that way - I don't think so. Arlene Chai writes "Last Time I saw Mother" and Jessica Hagedorn presents us with "Dogeaters" - both are fascinating looks at a really fragmented identity crisis. Chai chooses a more conventional and sanitized look while Hagedorn chooses a more gritty, stylish and angst ridden version of our identity creation. Where the two converge is the stories they can't seem to help themselves but write about - caricature of Marcos administration style Gestapo tactics, our strong ties to our colonial past, infusion of Tagalog words whose double meaning is lost to those outside the discourse (since we are all "Postmodern" here) - what they are really writing about is an embrace of the "Otherness" that we so much suffer from. While we are object to the gaze - we have reversed our role as subject in this discourse and are looking at the "Other" (in this case our colonial benefactors) and have internalized our "Otherness". We valorize american consumerism while we are being vilified by the west. The fractured nature of our identity is a much written about topic and that we are an amalgam of our colonial past is often written about. What is missing is a sense of our own identity and the celebration thereof . Where are the positive reprsentations? Where is the possiblity? Much of this book focuses on the Maternal leanings of our society. We are all things and nothing. We are indo-malayan, we are spanish, we are wanna-be americans. We watch western music and yearn for a country that is "Other" really. We are not destined to remain Joey Sands or Rio Gonzaga. I will grant Hagedorn her place as a good writer. Despite the book hanging everywhere and not really going anywhere, it offers a slice of life but not the whole picture. The book is sexy, sassy and despite burgis language - the book is anti-burgis. It is kitsch - its trap is that is falls into the same trap of the caricature of the Filipino as reactionary with no depth. Where is the true "Intelektual" in the halo-halo? Where is Rizal? You might not believe this, but despite everything that I have outlined above, I recommend this book highly. As a Filipino abroad, you will be nostalgic but you will be disturbed by it. The language is pure sensationalism - but it is representative of a slice of life that we might not be proud of but seem to fall into without much examination. That "Dogeaters" is a cold, hard look at ourselves, I give her the 5 stars. The question I have for Jessica Hagedorn is, if this is deconstruction, where is the reconstruction? Do we remain "Dogeaters"? Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: good
Review: The Dogeaters, what a name for a book. It makes you wonder what it is about. You will probably think it's about people who eats dogs but it is actually about a girl faced with a serious problem. What problem?, I will not tell you it is up to you to find out. So, I will just keep you wondering, but I recommend that you go and read this book. And then you will find out the great ordeal this girl had to face.
Rating:
Summary: A multi-vocal representation of a post-colonial Philippine
Review: This book offers a glimpse into the complex history
of imperialism and colonialism that shaped Filipino
identity. Jessica Hagedorn offers a multi-vocal representation of the Philippines in a post-
colonial state.
The novel moves rapidly through time and from place
to place revealing the lasting effects of U.S
imperialism and Spanish colonialism. As charaters
struggle to cope with these still existing forces
they tranform what is American and Spanish into
something completely their own.
This book is a must read for those interested in cultural conflicts and empowerment.
Rating:
Summary: Profound ideas Abound
Review: This is a genuinely good book. However, I must say that it requires a dedicated reader. There are many characters and sometimes the story line can be confusing. It is definitely not the type of book that you would want to start reading one week and finish reading next month. No, I would recommend that you read this entire novel within a short period of time so that you can experience the richness that the text can provide without becoming lost in trying to remember who was who. The novel is a clear demonstration of just how far the tentacles of American consumerism and materialism can reach. Hagedorn depicts these characters with a criticism of contemporary Philippine lifestyles in mind, at least in my opinion. This also works for the average person who is into brand names and movie stars and who really needs to just get a life.
Rating:
Summary: Profound ideas Abound
Review: This is a genuinely good book. However, I must say that it requires a dedicated reader. There are many characters and sometimes the story line can be confusing. It is definitely not the type of book that you would want to start reading one week and finish reading next month. No, I would recommend that you read this entire novel within a short period of time so that you can experience the richness that the text can provide without becoming lost in trying to remember who was who. The novel is a clear demonstration of just how far the tentacles of American consumerism and materialism can reach. Hagedorn depicts these characters with a criticism of contemporary Philippine lifestyles in mind, at least in my opinion. This also works for the average person who is into brand names and movie stars and who really needs to just get a life.
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