The House on Mango Street

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!
Review: I really loved this book! Its about a girl named Esperanza with really great hopes and dreams and expresses in vignettes the oppression she experienced based on her heritage.

Rating:
Summary: never read this
Review: this is the second worst book i've ever had the misfortune to read.the other is too bad to even think about. This "book" makes no sense and is really draggy. The author must have been a bit under the weatherthe day she woke up and said "I'm goinig to write a book of short stories that are in no order and don't make any point what so ever." If you want to read a good book read something by JD Salinger or Agatha Cristiie. You just might stay awake.

Rating:
Summary: Delicious
Review: Reading this book is like eating dessert. Each vignette stands on its own as a work of art. Like dessert, the book isn't meant to be devoured quickly, but savored piece by piece. Excellent!

Rating:
Summary: Don't judge a book by it's cover....
Review: Don't judge a book by it's cover. I learned that from this very book. Glancing at it, the design isn't very interesting, it's very thin, and the type is rather large. Had I seen this on a bookstore shelf, I would not have even considered it. But after purchasing a copy as a requirement for a course I am currently enrolled in, I would have to say that passing this book by would be a mistake.
The reading level is fairly low - this book could be easily enjoyed by a student in elementary school, most likely as simply a witty recount of life from a childhood perspective. However, on another level entirely, it has plenty of appeal for older readers. There are a great deal of sociological observations in the statements Esperanza and her friends make, and situations they get themselves into. There are also a number of intriguing and ponder-worthy metaphors sprinkled throughout the text.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this will probably not be the one for you. But if have an interest in sociology or are looking for a book to make you think a bit, you might just enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: An Empty House On Mango Street
Review: In the House on Mango Street, the story of a struggling Mexican American family is told through the perspective of their eldest daughter Esperanza. Esperanza, a name which means hope in Spanish, narrates her life throughout the story as she comments on her growth into a woman and her struggles to break free from her culture's gender roles. Although author Susan Cisneros poetic style adds beauty to the story through rich imagery and style, the novel lacks such richness in plot and character development.
As the story begins, the family moves into a rundown house located on Mango Street. The house is not what Esperanza had expected. Unlike her dream of a large expensive house, she finds herself once again living in a poor house in the Barrio. It is at this point that Esperanza reveals that her greatest dream is to one day have a house of her own which is far different than the one on Mango Street. Unlike what Esperanza has ever know, she decides that one day she will have a nice house with a white fence and flowers in the yard.
Although the story does give perceptions into the people around Esperanza, we are more or less left questioning who these people are and what their relevance is to Esperanza's development. The characters in the novel are colorful and interesting yet often times lack depth and we as readers and not left with a clear sense of what it is that makes them tick. Instead we are given only a brief description of characters with Esperanza's comments as our only clue to understanding them. Without more knowledge or reference to these characters, we cannot understand the dynamic in which Esperanza has to interact with and we are left feeling like the only character we really know is Esperanza.
Unlike a plot with a distinct set of events or interactions with other characters, the story line seemed redundant and lacking excitement. I often founds that the novel would loose my attention in a vast sea of wording and imagery with little else. Although Cisneros style of writing greatly added to the story, there was little else that was substantial enough to keep the reader interested. Also, unlike a plot in which there is a distinct story line, the plot is vaguer and free floating due to the nature of the narration. Rather than following along with a story line, we are following along with the mind of a young child. This style of writing can make the story slow in areas and lacking greatly in others.
Although the story seems at time over simplistic and lacking depth, it is a well written book filled with a sense of poetic writing and strong imagery. The book is a light and easy read that can be finished in the course of the weekend. Although at times the novel seems vague and scattered, the overall messages were well conveyed. Throughout the story, the reader is left with a clear understanding of Esperanza's society and the radical division in gender roles.

Rating:
Summary: Two Thumbs Up!
Review: Sandra Cisneros' novel, The House on Mango Street, is a collection of short stories and vignettes that add up to tell the story of Esperanza, a struggling Latino girl who wants nothing more than to leave the place she lives behind. It also tells the storie of some of the people that live around her, which contribute to the story by explaining what kind of life that society has laid out for Esperanza. The story is told in a language that seems simple, but has the richness of poetry. It is considered by many to be an easy read, but definately worth it.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful coming-of -age classic
Review: The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, is a "coming-of-age classic". Esperanza, who is reared in urban Chicago, desires to change her name, experiences much more during her adolescent years than many young ladies who are not reared in urban or inner city areas. She experiences rough times and she also experiences times that make her happy and free.
I emphasize with Esperanza when it became known she did not have any friends. I did not know what true friendship was until I entered college. I was hurt when Cathy said on page 13, "In the meantime [we'll] just have to move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in." After she makes that statement, she is Esperanza's friend because she gets upset when Esperanza befriends Rachel and Lucy by chipping in for a bike.
After Cathy moved away, a family moved into her house. The eldest of the children was a son named Louis. Esperanza only met him once but as she said, "it was important" (pg, 24). Louis had driven a Cadillac and had taken all of his brothers and sisters, and Esperanza for a ride. This vignette surprised me because I gave Louis the benefit of the doubt by believing he obtained the car through honest means. I was shocked to read that he had stolen the Cadillac. As the children waved goodbye after the police caught him and arrested him, I thought it sad that they were so accustomed to this activity that there was no other reaction than the waves.
Esperanza reacts very strongly to the attention she receives from men. The first time she, Rachel, and Lucy try on high heel shoes, they flaunt them all over the neighborhood but once when a bum tries to pay Rachel for a kiss, Esperanza knows to flee as fast as she can. They return to throw the shoes off and are not sorry when they are thrown out with the trash. I thought this a very wise move on their part.
Esperanza also reacts strongly to Sally's attention from the men. Esperanza does not like the attention Sally is receiving. She is confused, and very scared. Her childhood is disappearing before her eyes. No longer a kid, she is experiencing emotions that bewilder and frighten her. I was hoping that Sally would take her under her wing and be a friend to her but she only laughs and scoffs at Esperanza's fear. Sally also allows Esperanza to be taken advantage of at the carnival. Esperanza wanted Sally to help her but Sally left her as if she needed to be taught from experiences such as that one.
Esperanza wants out of her neighborhood. She wants a home, not the disgrace she calls a house. She wants away from her neighborhood where people die and no one cares or misses the deceased. She wants to leave her neighborhood where no one from outside wants to enter because they're scared of being stabbed or shot. I believe Esperanza wants the freedom to write and express herself and she cannot do that when she's trying to survive the people who claim to be her friends. She is told that she will leave but she also needs to remember where she came from and whom she left behind.
Her roots are a part of who she is. Her roots developed her into a strong Latin American female. She has dreams and will see those dreams accomplished because she is determined to have a better life than what she experienced throughout her childhood. She says she will provide shelter to bums. She knows what it is like to not have a home of one's own, to not belong in the world around her, and to feel like an alien among her own peers. I believe she moves out and moves on. I believe she writes and finds her place in the world but does not forget the house on Mango Street.

Rating:
Summary: Went on and on and on and on and on and on..................
Review: This book is probably the most boring I've ever read. It is narrated from the point of view of a Hispanic girl growing up in a poor family.

This resembles a diary, much like that of Anne Frank. But unlike the Diary of Anne Frank, there is nothing interesting about this one. It shifts around from one topic to another, making it difficult for the reader to follow. Cisneros has a very interesting style of write; she uses very few commas, and misses them in places where they are pertinent for the reader's understandability. Also, she doesn't use quotes. I was told this is her "interesting style of writing," to give the reader more of a feeling that it is being told by a young girl. However, I it's just another thing that makes this book so hard to follow.

I hope this was useful information!

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable book to read
Review: My daughter had to read some excerpts from the book in her ninth grade english class. I enjoyed it because I like Sandra Cisneros'writing style. I also like the fact that the chapters are short, yet I was provided with an interesting story each time. The stories revolve around the daily life a Latino girl on the less wealthy side of Chicago. I could relate to several of the events that occurred in the stories, and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: I was expecting better...
Review: Maybe I just don't like stories written as a series of vignettes. I'm not sure, but I just felt this book was boring and didn't really show me much about the Latin culture as I was expecting. It also was confusing because all the vignettes you weren't sure when took place and who all these people were in them. It needed more background information to make it more understandable. It was almost if the author was putting a bunch of poems together and expecting them to totally make sense.