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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Manuel Ramos writes what every second and third generation Chicano thinks to. But there is a reason the entire population is not made of writers. The Skull of Pancho Villa and Other Stories is a collection of that: stories. Ramos does not capture the liveliness of the oral storyteller nor the grace of written novel. The plots are repetitive and his writing is dull. Only a couple stories managed to capture my attention. These are When Pigs Fly and Monkeys Talk, The Skull of Pancho Villa, and Neighborhood Watch. The others are forgettable at best or a downright chore to read at worst. The Scent of Terrified Animals was a lesson in endurance I had not had to recall since grade school reading assignments. The highlight of Ramos' work is his dialogue, as it is lively and realistic to a Chicanidad which speaks to even those of us so far disconnected from the community.
Some unusual characters (Jack Kerouac, vets, cops, soldiers, tagger) show up in Manuel Ramos most interesting short story collection, including a mystery about the theft and subsequent whereabouts of Pancho Villa's head.
I've enjoyed Ramos' four fiction and mystery/noir novels, so I was eager to read this collection. From the legend of La Llorona, to the robbery of Pancho Villa's grave in 1926 to contemporary stories of a cop, burned-out attorney, a screenwriter, and gentrified neighborhoods, these stories capture the history, culture and language of the Chicano/Mexican in the U.S., specifically set in Denver, Colorado.
The stories range from 'flash fiction,' to longer pieces and all manage to pack a scene with authenticity and interest. There is no narrative fluff in Ramos' writing, it's lean, mean and interesting.
A copy of this collection was sent to me for a fair review by Arte Público Press.
I've enjoyed Ramos' four fiction and mystery/noir novels, so I was eager to read this collection. From the legend of La Llorona, to the robbery of Pancho Villa's grave in 1926 to contemporary stories of a cop, burned-out attorney, a screenwriter, and gentrified neighborhoods, these stories capture the history, culture and language of the Chicano/Mexican in the U.S., specifically set in Denver, Colorado.
The stories range from 'flash fiction,' to longer pieces and all manage to pack a scene with authenticity and interest. There is no narrative fluff in Ramos' writing, it's lean, mean and interesting.
A copy of this collection was sent to me for a fair review by Arte Público Press.