Sapogonia

Rating:
Summary: Stunning and enthralling..exquisite writing...Bravo!
Review: A multi-viewpoint view on the areas of assimilation, violence, and gender relations. Castillo masterfully wavers from the masculine narrator Max (whom she writes from both the first and third person, sometimes switching in the middle of the narration) and Pastora, the woman with whom he is infatuated and cannot obtain. She also mixes fantasy, memory, and dreams to create a work that will stay with the reader long after the final page is read.

Rating:
Summary: SHALLOW PRETENDING TO BE DEEP
Review: I've read Castillo's "So Far From God" and was so charmed by it that I couldn't wait to read "Sapogonia."

I had to double check myself and make sure that I, indeed, was reading the same author. "Sapogonia's" characters are so on-the-surface and stereotypical that even this gringa is waiting for more elucidation.

Castillo tries to be too angry, while not giving me characters that draw me into their inner anger. All the anger is on the exterior in this book...leaving one thirsty for something more satisfying. And, while there's nothing wrong with experimenting, this book lacks true ingenuity.

Rating:
Summary: SHALLOW PRETENDING TO BE DEEP
Review: I've read Castillo's "So Far From God" and was so charmed by it that I couldn't wait to read "Sapogonia."

I had to double check myself and make sure that I, indeed, was reading the same author. "Sapogonia's" characters are so on-the-surface and stereotypical that even this gringa is waiting for more elucidation.

Castillo tries to be too angry, while not giving me characters that draw me into their inner anger. All the anger is on the exterior in this book...leaving one thirsty for something more satisfying. And, while there's nothing wrong with experimenting, this book lacks true ingenuity.

Rating:
Summary: Seductive in More Ways than One!
Review: Long before this country discovered "His-panic" literature there was Ana Castillo. Long before feminists understood that the Mexican/Chicana/Latina existed at all Ana Castillo was already writing the testament. Honestly, this has not been my favorite of her all her work but having come out with a small press originally its liabilities may not have been her fault. Nevertheless, it has withstood the test of time. I love Maximo, that man we Latinas love to hate and hate to love. As for Pastora, only a fool would see that she is meant to represent the macho's idea of woman. He creates her only to destroy her before she can destroy him. Seductive in more ways than one and way ahead of its time!

Rating:
Summary: Seductive in More Ways than One!
Review: Long before this country discovered "His-panic" literature there was Ana Castillo. Long before feminists understood that the Mexican/Chicana/Latina existed at all Ana Castillo was already writing the testament. Honestly, this has not been my favorite of her all her work but having come out with a small press originally its liabilities may not have been her fault. Nevertheless, it has withstood the test of time. I love Maximo, that man we Latinas love to hate and hate to love. As for Pastora, only a fool would see that she is meant to represent the macho's idea of woman. He creates her only to destroy her before she can destroy him. Seductive in more ways than one and way ahead of its time!

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical novel at its best
Review: Sapogonia by Ana Castillo is a fantastical and romantic novel. It may take some readers a bit of time to get used to the style of the novel, but once you do, you will be taken on various trips between the lives of Pastora and Maximo Madrigal. The characters share their lives both together and separately to create a well-rounded story. There's also a bit of magical realism that hints of what's to come from Castillo as an author. While I wouldn't say this is one of her best works, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in finding something new to read; especially if it was works from a Latina author.

This book would also make for a great edition to a literature class. I think the benefits of a knowledgeable teacher would really flesh out the themes of this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical novel at its best
Review: Sapogonia by Ana Castillo is a fantastical and romantic novel. It may take some readers a bit of time to get used to the style of the novel, but once you do, you will be taken on various trips between the lives of Pastora and Maximo Madrigal. The characters share their lives both together and separately to create a well-rounded story. There's also a bit of magical realism that hints of what's to come from Castillo as an author. While I wouldn't say this is one of her best works, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in finding something new to read; especially if it was works from a Latina author.

This book would also make for a great edition to a literature class. I think the benefits of a knowledgeable teacher would really flesh out the themes of this novel.