House on Mango Street, the (Maxnotes Literature Guides)

by Elizabeth I. Chesla

REA's MAXnotes for Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0878910204
• ISBN13: 9780878910205
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Research & Education Association
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.3" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

House on Mango Street

I teach this piece of literature to my Freshman classes of Intro to Literature. At first glance, this tiny novel is deceptively simple in its structure and format. Without serious looking at the novel, it would appear to be flat and empty. Most of the chapters are less than 1 1/2 pages. There is no strong plot line but mere episodes in Esperanza's life and neighborhood. Yet, if you read this piece of literature as Sandra Cisneros wrote it to be read as a extended poem rather than a prose work, you can begin to see the depth of the characters and the action in the novel. The uses of color, imagery, and simple language all make the poetic influence stronger. For example, in the chapter titled "Hips", Esperanza describes her hips as "Ready and waiting like a new Buick with the keys in the ignition. Ready to take you where?" (pg.49) House on Mango Street is a great piece of writing with many layers to it that teachers are always looking for instruction in a literature class.

New light

The book The House On Mango Street, was an interesting book. It made you look at things differently and see what life would be like as a Mexican, or even Mexican American. For people who really aren't open to the culture, it gives them a look into the lives of others, and for me, gave me a respect for the women of the Mexican culture. I think that this is a very good book for people to read, and learn about others.

Loved this book

I personally liked this book. It reminded me of the times in which I was growing up in the Bronx. I also would sit outside with my friends and look at the stars. The people from other neighborhoods would come into ours and would be very afraid to pass by because they also didn't know any better.

It was a fun and intriguing book, but a little confusing.

I enjoyed reading it. It reminded me of how insightful young children are to the world around them. It examined Esperanza's life and the type of community she grew up in. It was a great book, but I was a little confused in the beginning. It was humourous and intriguing.

great book

I truly didn't want to read this book, but I did, because it was required for my English class. I got confused sometimes, because no quotes were used, but then I got used to it. I liked the book, and I felt that it was very well written. It seemed to take the reader through Esperanza's life. This was a great novel because it's reality, and it sho ws how many of us can achieve our dreams, and we don't have to continue any kind of pattern in life that others expect you can't get out of.