Book Description
By age twelve, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of East L.A. gang warfare. Lured by a seemingly invincible gang culture, he witnessed countless shootings, beatings, and arrests, then watched with increasing fear as drugs, murder, suicide, and senseless acts of street crime claimed friends and family members.
Before long, Rodriguez saw a way out of the barrio through education and the power of words and successfully broke free from years of violence and desperation. Achieving success as an award-winning Chicano poet, he was sure the streets would haunt him no more -- until his son joined a gang. Rodriguez fought for his child by telling his own story in Always Running, a vivid memoir that explores the motivations of gang life and cautions against the death and destruction that inevitably claim its participants. At times heartbreakingly sad and brutal, Always Running is ultimately an uplifting true story, filled with hope, insight, and a hard-learned lesson for the next generation.
Customer Reviews:
Almost too realistic, yet a must read. .......2007-03-20
I heard this book was good, but didn't know how good it actually was until I read it. There isn't a dull page.
What's most alarming about the book is not necessarily the events that take place, as many movies about this lifestyle have been made since the book's first publishing, sort of numbing the harsh realities of gang life to even outsiders who grew up in secluded suburbs, but the age that Luis Rodriguez actually is when the events are taking place. Some of the day to day drama described in the book is so adult like that you can only picture the subjects of these tales being 18 to 25 years old, yet the reader is often reminded that the author was as young as 14 when some of them took place.
What may also separate the stories told in this book from the stories told in typical 1990s west coast gang folklore, from hip hop to film to books like 'Monster', is the sexual situations Mr. Rodriguez describes that he took part in and witnesses, again, in some cases as young as 14. Some are romantic, and almost remind the reader of a time when romance was first discovered in their lives, yet there are some that are so disturbing that the reader is quickly brought down to earth, reminded that love and romance in a violent, drug infested environment is far different from the kind most Americans have grown to know, that is dictated by Hollywood fairy tales.
Luis Rodriguez finding his outlet from the gang life through art and writing could give hope to any current gang member who happens upon this book. It's one thing for a suburban high school teacher to tell a 'homeboy' that he can express his views through art, it's another for an older 'homeboy' himself to tell him.
A must read for everyone, from suburbanites with little knowledge of the gang life who would like another version than that given by media outlets and law enforcement agencies, where the knowledge tends to be limited to crime reporting and identification of territories and monikers, to kids and adults wrapped up in the gang life, and just looking for any story that can inspire them or give them some kind of direction to a better life.
The Definitive Account of Barrio Life........2007-02-19
What more is needed to say about this memoir? This is singlehandedly one of the most powerful memoirs I have ever read and that goes without saying. I was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, the same one that Rodriguez builds and describes and I can honestly say he is completely spot on. About? Everything. The racial, identity, and sexual struggle that Rodriguez weaves in this story is compelling and really grabbed me and immersed me into his life. This memoir says what there is to be said, and it says a lot.
best book ever.......2007-02-09
this os the best book i have ever read next to tommyland very different but bolth very good books
Poorly written.......2006-12-13
I suppose one of the editorial reviews summed it up nicely.
"...Mexican funerals, rapes and arrests, but his writing style renders much of that rich material forgettable."
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
I was very much interested in the topic, yet the rambling, writing style of Luis Rodriguez
made for a disappointing experience.
Always Running.......2006-12-07
We believe that every teen should be given the opportunity to read Always Running. Luis J. Rodriguez grew up in East L.A in the 60's and 70's. This book is his life story describing all the situations he went thru as a cholo; the sex, drugs, violence, and parties. His style of writing is hypnotizing due to the vivid descriptions that create an amazing picture in your mind. As a result, you won't want to put the book down. However, readers beware; Always Running contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find as inappropriate.
Book Description
One of history's most enigmatic women tells the haunting, passionate story of her tumultuous life. Juana of Castile is just thirteen when she witnesses the fall of Moorish Granada and uniting of the fractured kingdoms of Spain under her warrior parents, Isabel and Fernando. Intelligent and beautiful, proud of her heritage, Juana rebels against her fate when she is chosen as a bride for the Hapsburg heir - until she arrives in Flanders and comes face-to-face with the prince known as Philip the Fair, a man who will bring her the greatest of passions, and the darkest despair. One by one, tragedy decimates Juana's family in Spain. Suddenly, she finds herself heiress to Castile - a realm on the verge of chaos, prey to avaracious nobles and scheming lords bent on thwarting her rule. Juana vows to win her throne, until the betrayal of those she loves plunges her into a ruthless battle of wills - a struggle of corruption, perfidy, and heart-shattering deceit that could cost her the crown, her freedom, and her very life. From the somber majesty of Renaissance Spain to the glittering courts of Flanders, France and Tudor England, Juana of Castile reveals her life and secrets in this captivating historical novel of romance, grandeur, power and treachery by the acclaimed author of "The Secret Lion." "An exquisite evocation of a dangerous era, and of a forgotten queen." - Holly Payne, author of THE VIRGIN'S KNOT
Customer Reviews:
Little Known Story Comes To Light.......2007-08-03
Gortner's fascinating novel on Juana, the Infanta of Castile, illuminates a character in history I knew very little about. I approached this book originally with trepidation. The cover seems a little second-rate, and I hate to say I judge a book by it's cover, but I will admit that I as a little hesitant. But from the first page the story grips you, and the reader is shocked and horrified to learn how terribly Juana was treated by her family, literally being locked into a tower and parted from from her children. The book isn't a pick-me-up, but it's an illuminating insight into a woman a previously nothing about.
Another Juana La Loca.......2007-03-24
Although I have always been keenly interested by the intriguing personality of Juana La Loca, I was disappointed by this book. The author does try a new perspective and keeps some `surprises' till the end, but this autobiography just didn't feel like the real Juana la Loca.
The questions for children at the end worried me, too, because the book is definitely NOT historically accurate.
A Life Beyond Endurance.......2007-03-04
Reading books like this make you realize how lucky you are not to have been born a princess in 1400's Europe. In this novel about Juana of Castille - the second daughter of Ferdinand, King of Aragon, and Isabella, Queen of Castile - Gortner allows you to witness the delicate balance of power and impotence that marked Juana's life. Married off to Philip the Handsome at a young age, her life was continually marked by the power she could potentially wield and the control men had over her. Although she eventually became heir to the Crown of Spain, her husband and father never allowed her to claim her throne. Her once passionate marriage to Philip transformed into one marred by his thirst for power, and even turned abusive when he began spreading rumors about her "madness" in order to justify keeping her locked up. Indeed, her own father and son used the madness card to imprison her in the tower of Torsedillas for fifty-five years, until her death in 1555. Gortner takes some liberties with the storyline, changing for instance, the method of Phillip's death, but his modifications add depth to the story and in the afterword he fully admits he took liberties with Juana's history. He also gave Juana the benefit of the doubt when it came to questions of her sanity. While many historians believe she suffered from schizophrenia, Gortner gives us a woman whose life pushed her to the brink of human endurance and sanity.
No fairy tale - this Princess was locked in a tower in a distant fortress... .......2007-03-01
Author C.W. Gortner's chilling novel based on the life of Juana, Infanta of Castile relays a story of a Princess who literally was locked in a tower, betrayed by her family, separated from her children and pushed into the darkest shadows of history. Unfortunately, there is no Disney ending with a dramatic rescue and true love.
Juana is surrounded by men who resent her mother's iron will and ability to rule, and who do not believe women, even royal ones, to be of any worth beyond bedding, breeding, and bringing access to territories. In this environment, young willful Juana is married to Philip the Fair of Hapsburg, a political alliance forged by her parents in hope of strengthening their hold on Naples against the French. Philip may have been fair to the eye, but he was completely lacking in the judicial sense. Juana and Philip become adversaries trapped in a marriage and warring over the rule of Spain. Power hungry Philip and his manipulative "advisors" inflict years of havoc on Juana, hoping to break her spirit and force her to submit to their will. Juana fights back, maintains her sense of purpose, and keeps her spirit alive despite their best efforts. She nearly wins this battle of wills and politics, but is ultimately betrayed by yet another man she loved dearly and the result is that she is locked up for life.
The unending suspense about Juana's safety and future add to the allure of this novel about a forgotten and imprisoned Queen. I agree with some reviewers that Gortner could have been more creative in writing the love story and relaying Juana's on-going desperation. Had he done so, I would have given this book five stars. I personally found the description of Philip's physical prowess uninventive, Juana's choices frustrating (she does not pick the most willful or heroic paths, but does offer resistance - you just want her to fight harder!), and in the end found the desperation to be less engaging than it was 200 pages before. But such is a book about a woman whose freedom was stolen from her! Juana's story is compelling in and of itself simply because it happened. Thank you, Mr. Gortner, for putting it on paper and basing a novel on it.
Gortner presents Juana as lucid and alert through this period of her life and suggests the "Loca" label was simply propaganda. It leaves one wondering, "Was Juana mad?" She certainly endured cruelty and conditions that have broke the minds of others. Yet, Juana's family lineage is also full of other monarchs whose insanity is well documented, even if hers is not. The possibility that she may have had a medical condition throughout her life exists, and it would have certainly been exacerbated by the cruelties inflicted on her.
outstanding historical fiction.......2007-02-15
Gortner creates a complex and fascinating character out of the historical myth of the last Trastamara Queen of Spain. Writing in first person, we get an inside look at Juana's passion, pain and political ambition. Other characters in the story include the notorious Ferdinand and Isabella, Catherine of Aragon, and Philip of Hapsburg.
If you're a fan of the historical fiction genre, you'll love this book.
Book Description
There is only one winner in boxing. Fighting against your opponent and fighting against your own inner demons become one in the same. Those who survive both in and out of the ring are beloved worldwide. Those who do not spiral downward into drugs, prison, and even murder. ...[My] life's been pretty tragic, remarks Johnny. But in the ring, it's been a blessing. Mi Vida Loca is not just a nickname for Johnny, but a legendary tale of a life lived over the edge and back.
Customer Reviews:
Pitty party .......2007-05-08
The title of this book should be "Feel Sorry For Me, No wait! I Mean Don't Feel Sorry for Me". He truly can't make up his mind. The stories have a true ring to them but the emblishment is so far fetched that I found myself throwing the BS flag over and over. Still,it makes for a quick read and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. I am a female boxing fan from New Mexico and I used to live in Albuquerque so the details were fun. The "lingo" seemed authentic and if you have ever watched an interview with Tapia you will agree this book was written the same way he speaks.
Good, But Badly Written.......2007-04-23
As much as Johnny Tapia has led a crazy life, the grammar in this book is appalling. This book was obviously written firstly in Spanish & then translated over into English. It has been translated over very badly & reads in Pigeon English most of the way through. For what can be read, yes of course this book is good because Johnny Tapia has thrown caution to the wind in his approach to life ever since the terrible experience he went through at such an early age. I cannot help but wish him well though. To update you, he did have an overdose (approx. Feb / Mar 2006) which I understand now, 23rd April, he is hanging in there, Bless Him.
Woeful stuff.......2007-04-14
I understand that Tapia had a hard upbringing but I kept getting the feeling that it was exaggerated throughout the book as a way to justify the drug addictions.
I bought the book as a boxing fan but there is very little boxing in the book. Mostly a runthrough on the boxers childhood and adolescence.
I thought the book was a disappointment.
I remember him as a kid........2006-11-04
I remember Johnny Tapia as a kid. I was quite a bit older than him but I remember him just as he describes himself, a high energy kid running around all the time, driving everyone a little crazy. I don't think I have any memories of him standing still. He was a fun kid. He was well liked, but even as a little guy, the bigger kids had a lot of respect for him. No one messed with him. I remember seeing him get into a fist fight in the parking lot at Wells Park. The kid he was fighting was twice his size. He pummeled that poor kid within a few seconds. I couldn't believe it. When I saw him in the news years later for his boxing accomplishments I remembered that fist fight in the parking lot. I wasn't surprised that he was a champ. When I read about his problems, I remembered what our lives were like growing up and wasn't surprised either. When I read about what he'd overcome, again - not surprised. I remembered that little kid running around and how he had such a good heart even back then. I knew he'd be ok. Reading his book, I have to say I admire him for how honest he was about his life. I couldn't put his book down. It's written like he was sitting in front of you telling you his life story, and what a story it is. This story made me appreciate my life growing up and all the time I spent hanging out every summer at Well's Park. I'm waiting for him to come out with some book signings here in Albuquerque. I promise I'll be standing in line.
Never count yourself out!.......2006-08-26
This book is great, but sad. For anyone to lose their morther at such a young age is devastataing. Johnny wanted to give up at times, but his wife never counted him out. A compassionate book with the attitude that says "always get back on your feet, no matter what."
Book Description
Un novela extraordinaria de amor y locura, en la que un historiador y una joven estudiante investigan la enigmática vida de Juana la Loca
La Reina Juana de Castilla, hija y madre de reyes, es el personaje más carismático y fascinante de un período crucial de la historia de España. Hermosa, inteligente, segura y poderosa, se rebeló contra la represión y los abusos, y luchó sin descanso por ser fiel a sí misma. En 1509, con veintinueve años, fue declarada loca y encerrada en Tordesillas, donde permaneció hasta su muerte en 1555.
Cuatro siglos más tarde, a través de Lucía—una joven de asombroso parecido con la Reina Juana de Castilla—un historiador busca resolver el enigma de quien fue más conocida como Juana la Loca. ¿Enloqueció de amor, como cuenta la historia oficial, o fue víctima de traiciones y luchas por el poder? Seducida por la pasión de la palabra, Lucía se adentra en un pasado que alterará su presente para siempre. En esta novela, histórica y contemporánea, Juana de Castilla regresa para contar su propia versión de los hechos.
Customer Reviews:
novela.......2007-05-14
Me gusto esta novela y me entretuvo mucho quizas en parte porque tiene fundamento historico y me gusta mucho leer sobre historia. La recomiendo y pienso leer alguna otra de esta misma autora.
magnifico.......2007-02-18
Este libro me sedujo. Hace mucho que no corro a la casa despues de trajabar porque quiero seguir leyendo... y no me acuesto hasta tarde por la misma razon. Devore este libro en un par de dias. Los dos cuentos entrelazados- el cuento moderno pero rara de Lucia y Manuel, tanto como el cuento antiguo de Juana la Loca y Felipe el Hermoso, me encantaron. Empece a entender mas el estilo de vida de las princesas espanolas de los 1500- es decir, lo aprendi por primera vez! Les recomiendo este libro: contiene mucha historia, mucha emocion, y hasta un poco de sexo bien interesante. Un libro extraordinario.
Book Description
A group of Mexican-American women come of age in Southern California's burgeoning punk rock scene in the early 1980s and mature into the present.
One of the most humane, graceful and imaginatively inexhaustible artists in American popular culture, Jaime Hernandez has created in Locas one of the great American novels of the last 25 years, graphic or otherwise. Spanning a quarter-century, Locas tells the story of Maggie Chascarrillo, a bisexual, Mexican-American woman attempting to define herself in a community rife with class, race and gender issues.
Maggie's story begins in the early-1980s Southern California rock scene, when it was shifting from the excesses of glitter rock to the gritty basics of punk and new wave. "Hardcore" punk rock came to the fore, and the teenaged Maggie finds herself drawn to the anarchy, energy and diversity of the scene, which in the hands becomes a very real, habitable place populated with authentic human beings rather than stereotypes. She quickly befriends Hopey Glass, a feisty anti-authoritarian punkette who quickly becomes Maggie's on-again, off-again lover and a constant presence in her life throughout the book.
Maggie comes of age in this tumultuous environment, with class and racial tension fueling the rising violence between punks and the already antagonistic LAPD. Hernandez's naturalistic storytelling and mastery of body language and facial expressions, and his pitch-perfect depiction of barrio life all makes for an exhilarating read. His characters are infused with strength, intelligence, independence, imperfection, bitchiness, frailty, obsessiveness, and so much more.
Maggie evolves from an angry young punk into a mature woman. She encounters cruelties large and small and resigns herself to dashed hopes, shattered illusions, and even death with ironic acceptance. Locas presents an incomparable body of work in comics form, created over 20 years (which not coincidentally mirrors Maggie's arc), and told with an uncompromising beauty and grace. As the New York Times Book Review has described it, "These stories have all the visual smarts of film and the narrative smarts of literature....Hernandez specializes in psychological detail; we see both text and subtext immediately ....What better than to open a book that shows there is more going on than we dream of in our workaday philosophies?"
Customer Reviews:
So Alive . . . ........2005-07-02
Jaime Hernandez is simply one of the greatest creators of fiction in the latter half of the twentieth century, period, full stop. As an artist, he belongs on the shelf with the likes of Kirby, Ditko, Eisner, Miller, Schultz, Spiegelman, and Crumb. And that amount of talent is more than enough, but Hernandez is also a brilliant writer, existing in the same rarified air as Kerouac, Wolfe, Salinger, Thompson, Bellow, Singer, and Morrison. His characters are not just drawn well, they're written well, and the combination of images and words creates something entirely new.
The saga of Maggie and Hopey reminds me, in its way, of Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" in the way it examines these two characters in such loving detail over a long period of time. Maggie, especially, grows from an awkward, confused girl into a headstrong, beautiful (though still awkward and confused) woman as fully dimensional and alive as any in the history of literature. Hernandez's achievement in "Love and Rockets," now finally collected into one giant book as it always felt like it was meant to be, will stand the test of time and passing fashions with the other great works of Western art and become one of the primary sources for information on life in the twentieth century. I don't know what Jaime Hernandez set out to do in 1981 when he and his brothers created "Love and Rockets," but I do know what he finally arrived at when all was said and drawn: genuine greatness.
Our Wives Look Best To Us.......2005-04-17
This is, as far as I know, the complete works of Jaime Hernandez from the original Love and Rockets comic book series. The series is about two punk rock girls, Maggie and Hopey (and their friends and family). Their world is a lot like our own, but with a few changes. For instance, on their earth rocket travel is commonplace, dinosaurs still exist and professional wrestling is a legitimate sport. The science fictional aspects of the strip were eventually dropped in favor of a more realistic style (pro wrestling was never dropped from the strip). The comic started off pretty good, and eventually turned into a great comic. I'm sure Jaime Hernandez himself would admit that his art and writing was much better at the end of the comic than it was in the beginning. Anyway like I said, the comic's main characters are Maggie and Hopey, but there are many supporting characters who get a lot of coverage, too. In fact, there are times when Maggie or Hopey go "missing" from the comic and aren't seen for a long time. The book really hits it's stride after Maggie and Hopey "split up" and have seperate adventures. I found myself getting really caught up in the lives of these fictional characters, reading about them grow from girls into women. This is a big, fat, expensive book, but it is well worth the price. Highly recommended.
One of the best comic dramas ever written........2004-11-27
I'm just going nuts for Fantagraphics lately. They've already granted my wish with their dedication to publish beautiful reprint volumes of every Charles Schultz Peanut strip ever made, and now that they've collected all of the Maggie and Hopey stories from Love and Rockets in a giant 700 page hardcover volume.
The original Love and Rockets comics, which during their initial run, were published for 15 years between 1981 and 1996, featured two incredible ongoing dramas by brothers Jamie and Gilbert Hernandez (with an occasional tale from a third brother, Mario). Gilbert's "Palomar" stories (collected separately by Fantagraphics), and Mario's "Locas" series were published together in each issue, alternating chapters and cover artwork. While Gilbert's work was more gritty, tragic, and adult oriented, Jaime's work, which focused on teenage best friends Maggie and Hopey in a sort of bizarre Archie Comics universe set in a largely Hispanic southern California neighborhood that featured professional wrestlers, punk rock, and lesbian romance. Both works are masterpieces of the comic book medium, but to have the stories separated and published in their own complete hardcover sets is a dream come true. I'll be reviewing Palomar separately, but for now, let's focus on the brilliance of Locas.
Locas may be single best comic book drama series ever created. As a writer and artist, nobody has been able to capture the youth and vibrance of young adults like Jaime Hernandez. Utilizing the black and white page with a skill that only Frank Miller has been able to equal, Hernandez brings out a charm and grace to his characters that is sexy, realistic, and endearing. From the cocky smile of Hopey, to the ever-growing rounded ass of her best friend Maggie, to the smart and realistic dialogue that makes you feel almost voyeuristic spying on the girls' trials and tribulations.
The characters of Hopey, a short haired undersized punk-rock girl with a penchant for chaos, and her best friend Maggie, an expert mechanic and adventurer at heart who struggles with a ballooning waist size, are so well defined, many readers in the letter columns of the original issues would profess that they had crushes on them, or went to school with girls who were just like them.
It's hard to not fall for either of them in this epic that spans a huge period of time, and ultimately splits them apart as they go their own separate ways. The last page, which brings the two together again, is one of the most bittersweet moments I've read in comics since Bill Watterson's final "Calvin and Hobbes" strip.
Jamie has a blast with the series as he features tales revolving around struggling punk rock bands, the behind the scenes world of professional wrestling (and mostly lady wrestlers to boot), and gang life. One saga, "The Death of Speedy" is a brilliantly tragic tale about the inevitable death of a young man, who was a longtime crush of Maggie's for the first 6 years of the book, who makes the mistake of dating a rival's girl on the side. The eventual death scene is done so brilliantly and with such an eerie presentation, that I still get shivers and look around me after I read it.
Considering the high quality of the paper, and the monstrous weight of the book, the $49 cover price is a steal, considering you've got over 50 issues of comic book stories collected in this tome. I read the whole thing again in one sitting and am blown away.
This is as good as comic books get.
On to Palomar...
20 seconds into 20 years .......2004-10-30
There has never been a comic before or after like love & rockets. This collection is the maggie/hopey stories from the 20 year run of the original love and rockets series. Beware, this doesn't collect all the stuff that compromised jamie's part of the series only the maggie/hopey stuff. I would recomend buying the paperback graphic novels instead for those who want the complete experience. Having said that, it's hard to explain the attraction of seeing all these stories placed together to be read in one sitting. Years ago we had to wait months just for a continuation of these characters stories at some points (in the original comic). Seeing them together rocks. No one could have predidcted that a punk comic would last this long. For those who have never read the hernandez bros. Love and rockets stuff before i can only say BUY IT NOW WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE. It won't be available forever. This book along with PALOMAR represent the major story arcs of love and rockets. While my previous review mention punk bands that probably confused some people, an understanding of the punk stuff going on at the time is not required. The reason i changed my review is because i don't think it did justice to this book. It owes much of its style to noir & frank miller (in the black and white composition) and will eisner's graphic novels (in its humane content). If you ever liked either read this stuff. In the 80's and early 90's this was THE underground comic. It should be read by all who wish to understand comics from fans of kirby, miller, eisner, morrison, moore, and even sims. It is a great read. I can't recommend it more.
Amazon.com
This powerful, deft, and fast-moving first novel reads like a direct line to the hearts and lives of two young girls of Mexican descent living in the gang-dominated stratum of Echo Park, a tough Los Angeles neighborhood. The story is told alternately through the voices of Lucia and Celia, who through family and love are linked to the dangerous center of an emergent, fast-growing Latino gang dealing in guns and drugs. Celia watches her beloved older brother as he rises in power as gangbanger and changes in frightening ways, yet she herself struggles to find a way to live a life of goodness. Lucia, meanwhile, transgresses barriers in her own culture by forming her own female gang, the Fire Girls. Murray has a musician's ear for the language of these women, the first-generation children of immigrants coming of age in a violent place where the roles and rules of their mothers no longer obtain.
Book Description
A plunge into Los Angeles gang life, Locas is the story of two girls under the pressure of urban warfare. "Murray perfectly captures the patois and fury of the Mexican women of the East L.A. neighborhood Echo Park." -- Publishers Weekly
Customer Reviews:
REALISTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-29
this book IS realistic no matter what other people r saying, it is one of the best books I have ever read.
It is rare that you get the viewpoint of a girl in the gang life but this book was hecka good at describing everyday life in the barrio. I wouldn't say it is realistic, more like if this ever happened, this is how it would happen in real life! If that makes sense.
You have to read this book. It is amazing.
xxx
Can't Get Enough.......2006-08-15
I own and love this book!... It goes in the "barrio" life very deep. I can relate to it. And for all those who think "Oh the ones who join gangs are so stupid...yadiyadiya" yeah yeah it is dumb whoever made up gangs but sometimes you don't choose your life, it chooses you. Trust me, I know...So think before you speak, please. or just don't judge at all... Like they say "Only God can judge me".
Well, this book is great from the beggining to the end.. And if your not in the gang thing then just don't read it and quit complaining..
But for all others, buy it!!!!
ESTUPIDAS INSTEAD OF LOCAS.......2006-05-11
Reading this book took me back to my days of the street and living in the projects. Life was one big beating; your parents beat you, the gangs beat you and even the nuns of school beat you. I hated it all and knew there was a better world out there and I would get out to see and live it. All of my family made it out of the barrio by working hard and staying focused BUT not by taking advantage of others. It made me sick to read Lucia and her pitiful gang robbing those poor young mothers of the money they need to raise and feed their families and selves. Shame on you! Parasites! So much smarts but plain stupid. Drugs are something to stay away from, not take nor sell no matter what the profit. My brother OD'ed like so many other kids stupid and weak enough to let drugs and gangs rule their life. It is necessary that Hispanics present more positive images to the world other than drugs, gangs and violence. We will never get ahead as a class until we stop using and hurting others like us. Use your brains to get out of the slums and make a better life for your family, and yourself. We need positive role models badly. Learn to help others even if it is just one person. All four of us daughters worked and went to college at the same time; our parents DID NOT PAY A PENNY for any of us. Then we all got well-paying jobs and worked hard, striving for even better jobs all the time. Two sisters are on their second career, one was in the A.F. and retired and the other was a police officer and retired. Both still work, one in the sheriff's office as a profiler and the other is a teacher. I am very proud of my three sisters, who could easily have been prostitutes, whores, druggies, users, dropouts or on welfare. But not one of us ever had to do these things nor would we allow ourselves to do those things. We still faced violence, rape, muggings, shootings and robbery around us every day. HARD WORK and DETERMINATION are wonderful motivators.
We get it already! Gang life is not glamorous!.......2003-11-20
This book is nothing new. It's your typical storyline with an obvious problem, a goal, and a very predictable ending. The only difference is that the story is told from the perspective of two girls, which if you're already familiar with southern California gang stories is a complete spin-off from the movie Mi Vida Loca. In fact, if you were to combine the movie Blood In Blood Out with Mi Vida Loca, you would get this book. The good part about Locas was that even though I was one step ahead of the story the entire time, I did keep an interest in it. So by no means is this a slow paced book. Besides the lack of inspiration behind this novel, my only grievance with it is this: the book is narrated in the first person by two girls (Cecilia and Lucia). Since neither of the two really had much of an education, especially Lucia, Murray seems to have purposely squeezed in a few grammar errors to illustrate her lack of education. That's great because the reader can create a better image of who exactly the person is who is telling the story. However, if Lucia is supposed to be poorly educated and Murray wanted to show that in her writing, then she has to be consistent with it. I seriously doubt that a high school drop out from Echo Park is capable of constructing a quote like, "When I'm listening to them jumping sounds I start seeing that same picture again, there's Star Girl on the grass, smiling up at me with the fog in her breath twining up in the night air with mine." Other than that it wasn't too horrible. I'd recomend this book if you have a lot of time to kill. Otherwise just rent Mi Vida Loca and see the same thing.
Enforce Your Latina Stereotypes Here.......2003-06-24
This novel does not depict the reality of the mean streets. What was Murray thinking when she wrote this in a first person voice? Murray herself states that she had no real experience of the gangster life. She wrote what she imagined was a girl's life as a gangster. How much research did she do before she wrote this novel?! None, if you ask me. Her attempts to present the daily life of someone caught up in this world are cute.
Book Description
Manuel is a man of many talents; an art historian and professor, he is also an exquisite storyteller. When he meets 16-year-old Lucía on an outing from her boarding school, he offers to narrate a story of dire consequences—that of the Spanish Queen Juana of Castile and her legendary love for her husband, Philippe the Handsome.
Promised to Prince Philippe the Handsome to solidify ties between the Flemish and Spanish crowns, Queen Juana immediately fell in love with her betrothed with all the abandon and passion of her fiery personality. Theirs was one of the most tumultuous love stories of all time.
But Juana, who was also one of the most learned princesses of the Renaissance, was forced to pay a high price for being headstrong and daring to be herself. Those at court who could not fathom Juana as heir to the throne of the most important empire of its day conspired against her and began to question her sanity. Eventually she came to be known as Juana the Mad. But was she really insane, or just a victim of her impetuosity and unbridled passion?
As the novel unfolds, Lucía and Manuel become enmeshed in a complex psychological web that seduces and incites them to relive Juana and Philippe's story, and eventually leads them to a mysterious manuscript that may hold the key to Juana's alleged madness.
Customer Reviews:
Ferdinand & Isabella Offspring.......2007-03-16
This book would have been better if the story line stuck to Philippe The Handsome and Juana The Mad's love story. The secondary lust story between a naive, convent-bred, swoony teen-ager and an older man in mid-life crisis is unnecessary and boring.
Great entertainment, and very imformative.......2007-03-16
This is great book that would keep you guessing and engaged. The soft erotic air of the storie gives it a tremendous sex appeal. It gives a clear picture of the intrigues and betrayal of royal chamber in the king' court of Europe. We can appriciate that little has change in our circle of Government. On the other side the book focus on a great love story of high magnitude. Excellent reading. A must read.
Amazing!.......2006-11-06
I felt as though this book grabbed my attention and kept it throughout the whole novel, I couldn't put it down! The descriptions and imagery were incredible and at times I felt as though everything was happening right in front of me. I definitely recommend this book to anyone! Well done Ms. Dillman, great translation!
Haunting Novel of Love, Obsession and Madness.......2006-11-03
The Scroll of Seduction is a very turbulent and haunting novel that tells the story of the Spanish Queen known as 'Juana the Mad' and her husband 'Philippe the Handsome'. I was as entranced with this part of the story. A secondary story in this book is about Lucia, a young orphan living in a boarding school in Madrid. Lucia meets a professor of History one day, who is obsessed with the story of Juana. He entices Lucia to don a gown as he tells her the story. This part of the book is too reminescent of Nabokov, and I found it a little eerie.
Vivid history, unconvincing and unappealing framing device.......2006-10-29
Historians have disputed whether Juana of Castile (1479-1555)deserves her nickname of "La Loca" (the Mad). The daughter and heir to Queen Isabel was caught in a power struggle between her Flemish husband Philip and her father King Ferdinand. Both men were strongly motivated to discredit her in order to seize the territories that she was entitled to rule. "The Scroll of Seduction" tells Juana's story within the purely fictional story of Lucia, an orphan living in a convent school in Spain in the 1960s. Lucia is being told Juana's story by an obsessed 40-year-old historian, Manuel, who lures Lucia away from her boarding school on the weekends, brings her to his apartment and insists the 16-year-old wear a historically appropriate costume in order that she can better identify with Juana (and give Manuel insight into Juana's psyche) during the story-telling sessions. Obviously, the situation with Manuel is far from appropriate from the beginning and only gets worse, but it is really Juana's story of her passionate love for Philip and her struggle for independence that is truly engrossing and believable. The framing device of Manuel's relationship with Lucia is a gothic "Flowers in the Attic" catalog of lies and sordid behavior that seems unnecessary and over-the-top. However, the character of Lucia is well-written and relatable. Unlike Juana, she seems poised to survive and overcome the many traumas that come her way, including her seduction by Manuel. There are occasional anachronisms in the book (as far as I know, it was discovered that diamonds were made of carbon in the late 1700s -- there's no way Juana would have known that fact) and other "continuity" errors. In the edition I read, there were quite a number of spelling mistakes. But there are not a lot of books available about Juana, and the historical sections of this book explain her behavior in an intelligent and interesting way.
Average customer rating:
- Astonishing
- Quien es la Loca de la Casa???
- The intimacies of Rosa Montero
- ST. THERESA SAID IMAGINATION NEEDS CONTROL
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La loca de la casa (Alfaguara)
Rosa Montero
Manufacturer: Alfaguara
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Amantes Y Enemigos/lovers And Enemies
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Historias de Mujeres
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Sab (Letras Hispanicas)
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Pasiones/passions
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Arrancame La Vida/ Tear Up My Life
ASIN: 9681912667 |
Book Description
This novel, essay, and autobiography is Rosa Montero's most personal work, it is a journey through the mystery of fantasies, of artistic creation and her most secret memories. Montero undertakes a trip to her inner self in a narrative game full of surprises. It is a magician's hat from which she reveals amazing and unexpected events. In this book Rosa Montero mixes literature and life in an aphrodisiacal cocktail of other people's biographies and a semi-fictional autobiography. La loca de la casa is, above all, a torrid story of love and salvation between her and her imagination.
Description in Spanish: Este libro es una novela, un ensayo, una autobiografía. La loca de la casa es la obra más personal de Rosa Montero, un recorrido por los entresijos de la fantasía, de la creación artística y de los recuerdos más secretos. Es un cofre de mago del que emergen objetos inesperados y asombrosos.
La autora emprende un viaje al interior en un juego narrativo lleno de sorpresas. En él se mezclan literatura y vida en un cóctel afrodisíaco de biografías ajenas y autobiografía novelada. Y, así, descubrimos que el gran Goethe adulaba a los poderosos hasta extremos ridículos, que Tolstoi era un energúmeno, que Montero, de niña, fue una enana, y que, con veinte años, mantuvo un estrafalario y desternillante romance con un famoso actor. Pero no deberíamos fiarnos de todo lo que la autora cuenta sobre sí misma: los recuerdos no son siempre lo que parecen.
Un libro sobre la fantasía y los sueños, sobre la locura y la pasión, sobre los miedos y las dudas de los escritores, pero también de los lectores. La loca de la casa es, sobre todo, la tórrida historia de amor y salvación que hay entre Rosa Montero y su imaginación.
Customer Reviews:
Astonishing.......2006-08-04
For someone that has never written a book it is difficult to imagine how the creative process is made. Rosa in this book guides the reader to a trip were we can see what's going on inside a writer's brain, the ghosts, the fears, the vanity, the anger, the models of inspiration. A fundamental book for every booklover.
Quien es la Loca de la Casa???.......2006-04-22
Libro excelente... y divertido.. Lo aconsejo especialmente a quienes estan en el proceso creativo de un libro, tesis...o algun otro escrito.. Tambien a aquellos que tienen que convivir con una persona que esta en ese proceso... Rosa Montero nos cuenta como vive ella su experiencia de escribir, como busca inspiracion y tambien nos relata historias de otros escritores muy divertidas e interesantes. Otra cosa que me llamo la atencion fue el estilo de este libro: van a descubrir una an?cdota supuestamente personal contadas varias veces, y cada vez de una manera distinta... No es un error, pero tampoco les voy a decir.... Les recomiendo que lean el libro para descubrir de que se trata ese ejercicio literario, biografico... o como lo quieran llamar. Disfruten este hallazgo!! Omar
Pd: perdon por la falta de acentos...
The intimacies of Rosa Montero.......2004-03-06
La Loca de la casa is Rosa Montero's most intimate novel about herself. We learn about the personal fantasies and details about the author through the many episodes that she experienced while writing many of her works. The book is an autobiography and partial biography about other authors that Rosa Montero talks about continuously throughout the book. Each chapter details a specific episode in Rosa's life that in some circumstances led her to put pen to paper. The episodes are told with enthusiasm and incomparable spirit as the author looks back at her life and her life as a writer. Once you begin to read the book you will quickly identify that La loca de la casa is Rosa Montero herself. I enjoyed the book immensely. It is a great journey through the soul of a terrific author.
ST. THERESA SAID IMAGINATION NEEDS CONTROL.......2003-09-05
This is a well done job. Many anecdotes are true, many are novelesque,nontheless, they are needed to explain the story. Picasso, states Rosa,"felt that imagination needs to be applied during hard work, not in a beautiful island with a drink."The story brings to the floor many ideas on how to handle creative impulses. An old friend of mine, now a catholic priest for 50 years,says that some people live a life of highs and that is good as long as you do not hit your head.A well thought out creative live can bring a lot of happiness and joy to family and friends and society as a whole.BTW, I feel that the site of the old Twin Towers in New York should be filled with children playgrounds since they are the sinonimous to liveliness and they stand next to God together with sick people.
Book Description
Latino style is a huge and growing trend in home decorating and fashion. Latina personality Kathy Cano-Murillo takes the explosive colors and iconography of Latino style and merges it with pop art to create an inspirational craft book with a hip, contemporary sensibility. The twist: readers can create their very own casa loca crazy house by hand.
Cano-Murillo offers a fabulous array of easy, inexpensive projects to liven up the interior and brighten the garden, to throw killer fiestas and take restful siestas, to live—and look—the Latino style. Use T-shirt fabric to make toss pillows with fringe or turn inexpensive soft-drink bottles into fabulous glittery vases. Use a glue gun to transform an ordinary garden into a Mexicali masterpiece complete with a Bonita Birdfeeder and Milagro Tree Ribbons. Heighten the hues in any home with Margarita Candles and Campy Terra Cotta Patio Lights. Ditch standard party fare for playful Loteria Wine Glass Charms, spicy serving bowls, and Frida Kahlo placemats.
This is the stuff of La Casa Loca—an ethnic treat for the senses that brings the exciting, classy-meets-campy Latino style home to hip decorators everywhere.
Kathy Cano-Murillo was named one of the "10 Latinas to watch" by Latina magazine in July 2001. newspaper. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
Customer Reviews:
Super! Even for gringas like me..........2006-07-11
as a super crafty gal who loves fun, quirky projects, using cheap materials and bold use of color-this book looked intriguing. I was NOT dissappointed. This book is really fun, well written, and has mostly simple projects that are quick to put together but high on satisfaction after they are complete.
Now if you are into subtle, staid, pastel "shabby chic" or Martha Stewart rigidity-this book may just be too shocking in it's humor and color. But anyone with a funny bone should get a kick out of it.
Even my husband-who is NOT crafty but loves funky stuff was bowled over by this book and wants me to hurry up and start producing some of the projects:)
My only gripe-and it's a very minor one-is that on a few of the more complicated projects there's not more detailed instructions-like the paper mache skull. The instructions needed a little more finessing but I'm sure they will be better understood as you begin that particular project.
I also wanted to mention what another reviewer stated about being able to find some of the Mexican mementoes used in some projects. Yes, they may be harder to find. May I suggest ebay, other online world markets shops, or as the author suggests, substitute. Like any funky vintage postcards if you can't find vintage Mexican film postcards. Use your imagination:) That should not stop you from fully enjoying this book.
So if you were looking for a quirky ethnic craft book-you've found it.
5 stars!
Great book for lovers of Mexicana souvenirs.......2006-05-13
A whimsical and colorful book that has fancy fiesta ideas for turning Mexican and other kinds of Latin trinkets into impressive decorations. I highy reccommend this book along with the author's other one on Mexican crafts. I collect Mexican design books, and I've never seen anything like these books. I'm intrigued at the clever presentation of making your own items from memoribilia. Now I hope to give it a try soon.
oh how we love kathy and her books!!! .......2005-06-16
this book came in the mail and i couldnt open the box fast enough..it is amazing!!! the projects have a great list of things you need and the directions are very easy to read and understand.. i plan on making everything in the book! i highly recommend this book..for someone who is just starting out crafting, to someone who is advanced..everyone can enjoy this! thanks so much kathy!!!
I LOVE KATHY AND HER BOOKS.......2005-04-05
WELL, IVE HAD THIS BOOK FOR SOME TIME BUT NEVER HAD THE TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW. SINCE IT'S NOT GETTING AS MANY STARS AS IT SHOULD I NEED TO PUT MY SENSE IN. WELL, FIRST OF ALL EVERYTHING IS SO UNIQUE... IF YOU CANT GO TO TIJUANA AND GET THOSE RECUERDOS YOU CAN BRING TIJUANA TO YOU AND MAKE YOUR OWN. I LOVE TO TURN JUNK INTO ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PUT UP AND THIS BOOK IS GREAT FOR THAT. IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING IN THIS BOOK YOU CAN ALWAYS PUT IN YOUR STYLE. MAYBE THE COLOR SHE USES YOU DONT LIKE DOESNT MAKE THIS BOOK A BAD BOOK MIX UP THE COLORS YOU LIKE. THIS BOOK MAKES YOU SPAND YOUR CREATIVITY AND LEARN SO MANY THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR HOUSE UNIQUE OR SIMPLY A UNIQUE GIFT FOR A LOVE ONE. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK AND ALL OF HER OTHER BOOKS.
Way Fun!.......2005-03-20
I love Mexican folk art, so when I saw this book I immediately ordered it. It is so much fun! The ideas are presented as how-to projects. If you like step by step directions, you will love the way the projects are laid out. However, if you're like me and never color in the lines, the book is an excellent spring board for creating your own versions of the projects in the book.
The great thing about this book is that she gives an extensive "where to buy" section. Many of them are online sources, so if you don't live in the southwest, you can still play!
La Casa Loca is the most inspiring book I've bought in a long time!
Book Description
The legendary Love and Rockets comic book series continues in a comprehensive series of new paperbacks.
The 25th anniversary Love and Rockets celebration continues with this, the first of three volumes collecting the adventures of the spunky Maggie; her annoying, pixie-ish best friend and sometime lover Hopey; and their circle of intimates, including the blonde bombshell Penny Century, Maggie's weirdo mentor Izzy—as well as the ageing but still heroic wrestler Rena Titanon, and Maggie's handsome but mostly out-of-reach love interest, Rand Race.
Having abandoned the sci-fi trappings of the earliest Love & Rockets stories (as seen in Maggie the Mechanic, the first volume in this series) Hernandez refined his approach, settling on the more naturalistic environment of the fictional Los Angeles barrio, Hoppers, and the lives of the young Mexican-Americans and punk rockers who live there.
A central story and one of Jaime's absolute peaks is "The Death of Speedy." Such is Jaime's mastery that even though the end of the story is telegraphed from the very title, the downhill spiral of Speedy, the local heartthrob, is utterly compelling and ultimately quite surprising.
In this volume, Maggie also begins her on-again and off-again romance with Ray D., leading to friction and an eventual separation from Hopey (which will form the narrative backbone of "Wigwam Bam," as seen in the upcoming third volume that completes the "Locas trilogy").
A number of these stories—including a whole cycle of wrestling stories starring or co-starring Rena Tinanon, whose return was memorably chronicled in the New York Times serial "La Maggie La Loca," and the supremely unnerving "Izzy meets the Devil" story, "Flies on the Ceiling"—were not collected in the hardcover Locas.
Books:
- Barabbas
- Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices
- Bronze Horseman, The
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2
- Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by his Pupils
- Complete Scoundrel: A Player's Guide to Trickery and Ingenuity (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
- Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
- Cross Creek
- Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless: How to Make Them Love You, Keep You Coming Back, and Tell Everyone They Know
- Dancing with the Devil
Books Index
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