The House on Mango Street

Rating:
Summary: Not clear enough...very misleading...
Review: I thought it was a neat idea of having the vinigrettes (? spelling? ) and it was very creative, and it helped to get into Esperanaza's mind, but on the other hand, I really didn't get anything out of the book. I really never figured out that Esperanza was in Chicago until I read the back of the book. I would really have not distinguished Esperanza as a hispanic, unless I didn't know that her name was of hispanic origin. This story could have happened in New York, Cali, or any other inner city. Each story was different, as it was supposed to be, and some were incredibly interesting and pertinent and others were very random. That is very normal if we are viewing this book as the work of a 5 (or how old) year old.

The big disappointment is the way the readers are mislead. From the reviews and comments on the novel, one would expect a whole lot more. I think this book is suitable for children in elementary school. It seems like something I would have read in 4th grade and up. There is no plot, and I don't feel I ever got to really know Esperanza.

I know that many others feel differently upon this, but I have read other books that deal w/ latino/hispanic themes, growing up in America, and living out the American dream, and this book just really doesn't do much for that effect. See my other reviews for other recommendations.

Rating:
Summary: 10 year love affair !
Review: I was "forced" to read this as a freshman in college, and I found myself reading it twice in one sitting. In such simple yet rich poetic story telling I fell into the lives, neighborhood, and culture of each character. After ten years I still pick up this book and put it down with a tear and a smile.

Rating:
Summary: poetry and storytelling combine
Review: being a lover of poetry, i was instantly amazed at cisnero's poetic story telling. she does not tell a story, she makes you feel it with the off beat prose normally found in the best poetry. she takes the best of both worlds to create a captivating and at times gut-wrenching story.

Rating:
Summary: Digging Deeper
Review: Sandra Cisneros uses the character Esperanza to depict the hardships of minority women living in Chicago. Cisneros tries to put you in the many shoes of Esperanza as she grows up and faces more and more of the reality of coming of age. I think this is not so much a book of stories used for entertainment, as it is a book for all people to recognize and begin to correct the problems of today's society.

Rating:
Summary: Two Thumbs Up
Review: The book that I recently read and recommend, The House on Mango Street, is written by Sandra Cisneros. This book contains 44 short stories called vignettes. These vignettes are narrated by a little girl by the name of Esperanza Cordero, who just moved with her family to Mango Street (in the barrio). She hates this house on Mango Street because it is not a "real" house, like the one she sees on TV. Esperanza is forced to realize that she does not belong to the race or class of people who live in such houses. Sandra Cisneros, recipient of two NEA Fellowships for writing and a Dobie-Paisano Fellowship, through Esperanza tells about the ghosts (of poverty, sexism and racism) inside that haunt her. This book takes an honest look at these issues as faced by Mexican-American women. It also talks about the importance of education among women in order to succeed in life and have an equal say in a society dominated by men. House on Mango Street is full of characters that lack power - socially, politically, economically and sexually. This book is not a story of despair, but of hope, which is what Esperanza means in English. In order to see and understand the affects of being the only daughter out of seven kids in a Mexican-American culture and having your family move around a great deal and not be able to keep your friends, one must read this book. Not only is the language of this book simple, but the short stories are so short that they allow a person to read this book in many sittings. This makes the book much more easier to read, understand and enjoy among young readers. One of the main human concerns that is developed by Sandra Cisneros is the sense of belonging somewhere. Esperanza never feels like she belongs anywhere. This is due to the fact that her family is always moving from one place to another. She never gets a chance to interact with the friends that she makes as they move on to another place. In order for the Corderos to achieve their dreams, they must struggle against both poverty and racism. Another reason why she does not have a feeling for belonging somewhere is the fact that the house on Mango Street is in such a bad condition that she is afraid to admit that she lives there. She is afraid to call it her own house because this is not the kind of house that she hoped to live in. She compares her house with the ones that she sees on TV. This attitude of embarrassment tends to pull her back from progressing in life, especially when she was embarrassed by a nun. It was the nun, not someone from the barrio, who teaches Esperanza to be ashamed of her house. This makes Esperanza vow that someday she will have a beautiful house and offer help and shelter in her attic to passing bums because she knows how it is to be without a house. A real house that would give her privacy, space of her own where she could forge her identity, a place that she could be proud of and it would be a physical evidence that she belonged somewhere. This book is highly recommended by me for young readers because it teaches young readers about poverty and its disadvantages. From this lesson they will realize the importance and value of education and equality for all. Another thing that they will learn from this book is how the protagonist discovers that power and peace come from recognizing one's place in and one's duty to the community. The award-winning author makes it a great book to read also.

Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Review: I am an avid reader and I found this book boring. There were only two things I liked about this book: (1)it dealed with a couple of mature situation and (2)it seems as the book was written by a child. It is unfortunate that I was forced to read this.

Rating:
Summary: Review for class
Review: This book is told through the life of Esperanza and her family. Throughout her life she had lived in many house, some of which she cant remember where they were, but the one that had made the biggest impression in her life was the house on Mango Street. She tells stories that she remebers from her childhood and each story centers on a different detail. Every detail tells the story of how she wants her life to be better and at the same time the same as it was at "The House on Mango Street."

Rating:
Summary: The book was bad
Review: this book is pointless,and is not realy a reflection of what goes on in a latino bario. Having grown up in the latino world and moved when i was a freshman, I know that the idea of latino women bening only good to cook and hve kids is very high in the white comunity. This book gives a bad image of the latino world and i think should be taken off the shelves off schools.

Rating:
Summary: The House on Very Bad Street
Review: Nooo! Don't! It's PAINFULL to read this book!

It really is, believe me. Don't get it.

Rating:
Summary: Vignettes unfold Esperanza's identity
Review: "The House on Mango Street" is the story of an adolescent Hispanic girl named Esperanza. She lives on Mango Street with her family in a house where everyone shares a room. For her whole life, Esperana has dreamed of a house of her own. She feels trapped by her home as the trees in her front yard are by concrete. The poverty of Esperanza's family affects her opinion on life and believes the world outside her home to be simple and carefree. She feels insignificant, but despite her low self-esteem, Esperanza is optimistic of her future.

Vignettes are used in "The House on Mango Street" to display aspects of Esperanza's identity. She has many views on poverty and how it affects her place in society. Through these vignettes, Esperanza appears to be easily intimidated. Contradictory to Esperanza's negative self-image is her optimism. Though she feels trapped by poverty and race, she has a clear view of her destiny to leave Mango Street. The vignettes unfold the growth of Esperanza from a bashful, naïve girl to a strong, focused young woman prepared to strike out on her own.