A review by drp_moonlight
The Skull of Pancho Villa and Other Stories by Manuel Ramos

1.0

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.