The House on Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros

I was suggested this book a while back by a writing professor of mine. I don't remember her exact reasoning on why she thought I would like it, but the title stuck out in my mind The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros seemed interesting and inviting.

When I finally came across a copy at the library I felt it was a destined read. It had been floating in my head for a few years and here it was staring me straight in the face. However, what I found was extremely dissatisfying.

The House on Mango Street is a coming of age story within the confines of the Hispanic section of Chicago. The house is nothing of her dreams and she's truly embarrassed by the rundown building her family calls home.

At the beginning of the book, it was very easy to read and understand, however as the book progressed I found myself avoiding it. While the book is short at only 110 pages I did not finish the last 10 or so pages because my mind was bored. Esperanza, the main character, became nails on a chalkboard with her life comparisons and no explanations. Her story has no conclusion for the reader and each chapter in itself is truly just a small story of a piece of time. There are no crossroads from one chapter into the next, vignettes, with random placement for Esperanza's story.

While Cisneros does a great job of describing the surrounds and characters with vivid expressions, I felt lost through most of the book. Each description was a vast comparison to what was truly happening. My frustration came to a head when Esperanza was describing her aunt and the day she died. I was lost in her descriptions until the part of mocking began, Esperanza's emotions became real when she expressed how they held their arms and laughed, not knowing that her aunt was dying.

All the fluff that Cisneros placed between the here and now facts felt like filler for a short story. Things that while beautiful by themselves became confusing in the storyline. I know that my review on this book is vastly different compared to those posted on GoodReads & Amazon, but truthfully I would not pick up this book again.