Rating: 
Summary: An excellent account of Gypsys today.
Review: This book shaters all of the romantic images we have of the Gypsies. If all you ever knew of them was from some silly opera than you are sadly misenformed. The author describes how the gypsies were once sold as slaves by European princes until the 1860's, and how today they are forced to live on the poverty margins in southern Europe. The book was very descriptive and to the point, but unfortunately, rather depressing.
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Summary: Why tell only half the story?
Review: I read the book and all the reviews listed and I have one comment in regards to what Peckenpaugh wrote. Obviously he doesn't get the point when he claims there are examples of "cultural insensitivity" throughout Fonseca's book. Without the author conveying her feelings to the reader we wouldn't get a sense of the "other" that is necessary in order to see what the Rom are all about when compared to western culture. To leave out your own experience when writing about another culture would be a cover up. Further, Fonseca obviously has way more respect for Gypsy people than Peckenpaugh gives credit, otherwise she would've found an easier topic. Think about it: what white American female is going to travel post communist gloom? Just to get a scoop and make a buck? I think not.
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Summary: the success of this work is the dialogue initiate by it
Review: If you view the comments here by those who read the book you can see that the significance of "Bury Me Standing" lies in the discourse it has evoked. To those who judge the book and find fault, your comments indicate that you have knowledge about this subject we all should be made aware of. Write your own story. And to those who enjoyed this work and learned about a culture they may not be from, your positive response even from a possibly biased or flawed work contributes toward a communal empathy any human should have for other disenfranchised people. The story here is not the writer, or the prose, or proper translation; the story is that this diasporic culture exists among us and trying to recognize them is a valuable endeavor. I would recommend this to those who are not turned-off by a descriptive rather than narrative style and for people who are interested in a few facets of the Gypsy diaspora.
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Summary: Filled in lots of gaps for me.
Review: Gypsies have intrigued me since I first heard about the mystery surrounding their origins in a high-school world history class. But this is the first book I have ever read that gave me solid information on how their language and way of life suggest a high-caste origin in India. I am grateful to Ms. Fonseca for writing this book, and recommend it highly. I found some of the later chapters depressing, but that's because they describe distressing realities of Gypsy life in today's Europe. I also appreciate the candid reviews that readers who are personally acquainted with either Gypsy culture or the Hindu culture of India have posted here: thank you very much!
Rating:
Summary: Good, but too long and badly written.
Review: This book gives a perfectly detailed picture of the Gypsy people in the past present, and in the future. My only problem is that the book is too long and arduous to read. Other than that it was good. It's sad to see that many of the romantic notions we have about Gypsys, there songs, magic practices and flamboyant exteriors are unfortunately no longer. The gypsys are now living in dire poverty throughout europe since the Soviet colapse. The author at least paints a better image of the future.
Rating: 
Summary: A good , but not scintillating , first person account .
Review: Look. The book was ok and certainly Fonseca's foresaking the comforts of Western life to research the book commands respect, but it is a bit of a slog to finish and the prose could use considerable trimming. I love this customer comment service but the customers don't seem to get it: they write reviews that ape the stuff you read on dust jackets instead of saying what they actually think about the book.They keep submitting comments laced with words like "majesterial","lyrical", or the ever-popular, "insightful." Are these readers afraid that if they honestly say that the book, though earnest, dragged and could have used an astringest Strunkian edit, that they will have deprecated the subect itself? This service should be an explosion of democratic opinions--not a Louis Laphim impersonation contest. A little more candor is in order people!
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Summary: An excellent book overall - with a few reservations.
Review: I congratulate Isabel Fonseca on writing an overall fair and excellent book about the Roma. I found that she writes powerfully, fairly and sympathetically of the Roma's experience during the Nazi holocaust - coming from her own background of Jewish heritage. Yet she is unable to understand why some among the Roma (who have been stereotyped, rejected, subjected to prejudice in every European country) are trying to identify with India or keep images of Hindu gods. Given the Jewish and Western response after the holocaust - i.e. the formation of Israel as a place where they could truly belong - I would have hoped that Ms Fonseca would have been more sympathetic to a people who may want or choose to identify with India (where they originated). Why disparage and dismiss their sentiments as emotional? The extensive and depth of observances surrounding the concept of mahrime or pollution and the astonishing purity of a few sanskrit derived words retained by the Roma, suggest to me that a good number of the Roma might have been upper caste Hindus - as lower caste Hindus may not have had such extensive pollution - related observances. Certainly coming from a lower caste family I can vouch for the far more lenient pollution laws observed in my home. Lastly, when Ms. Fonseca was disgusted when she encountered 2 Roma men defecating near their home - she did not seem to realise that they were private until she went there of her own volition. Nor did she enquire if they had any other option - though she did compare it to what may be seen in India now. However, even in India, when they have the option of availing of more private facilities poor Indians invariably always avail of them. For example, I have never seen people relieving themselves in Indian villages - this is exclusive to overcrowded city slums in localities where homes often lack sanitation and absolutely no public facilities are available. I agree that it is unpleasant for the viewer - but it would have helped to compare with how gaje in exactly the same circumstances would have lived. When Ms. Fonseca complains that Roma have trash outside their homes did she check whether city councils were collecting trash from Roma homes? Or whether the Roma had no option except to live near trash dumps!
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Summary: Fonseca only creates more myths
Review: The book is only another example of the wide spread myth about the Gypsies: not only that the author obviously lacks more "academic" information about the ethnic group but she cannot speak a word of the language either. It is also surprising that Fonseca picks the Eastern Europe to discover the "real life of the Gypsies" completely ignoring the rest of the world where the Roma are represented as well /not excluding the US where, espacially in certain localities, there are large enclaves of the Roma/. Instead, Fonseca prefers to compilate from other sources making hillarious mistakes both when trying to examine their cultural background or when "quoting" their language. It is quiet sad that the book has been taken so seriously since it only promote more myths about the nation supersticiously repeating all the prejudices and believes about them, covering them with a guise of a serious research.
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Summary: An outstandingly written account about a voiceless people.
Review: This is an outstanding book. I enjoyed reading Fonseca's account of a people group who certainly should be considered a minority. This book is one of those pieces of literature which can truly change the way you understand and perceive people who are without any form of representation. This book is easy to read and understand. I recommed this book for the person who would enjoy learning about a minority which has control over itself, but has no real voice in the greater European community.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, thought provoking
Review: This fascinating book dispels many of the Gypsy myths and stereotypes. Fonseca shows how this group continues to be marginalized throughout the world.
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