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Chulito Charles RiceGonzalez 9781593501723 Books

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Chulito Charles RiceGonzalez 9781593501723 Books

Chulito tells the story of a young Puerto Rican man from the South Bronx who begins to question his long-held ideas of masculinity and sexuality as he struggles to find his identity when the man he once considered his best friend confesses to having romantic feelings for him. The confession tips the first domino in a life-changing process that leads him to open up emotionally and free himself from the prejudices weighing him down.
The author challenges the ideas of masculinity and machismo that pervade the Puerto Rican community. His main character Chulito is the representation of Latino men who feel pressured to achieve the ultimate image of the macho, and this is seen in the careful manner in which he manages his image. From the clothes he wears, which are baggy, to the way he fixes his hair and how he strolls the streets. Rice-Gonzalez seems to advocate for the renouncing of a dangerous level of masculinity and he does this at times subtly and at others overtly. On the one hand, he demonstrates the way the men's skewed concepts of masculinity leads them to devalue women, which in turn relates to an unstable family structure, and to repress their feelings. On the other hand, he uses clear symbols to demonstrate how men lash out and isolate themselves.
Chulito is a refreshing novel and it is one of its kind. It is probably one of the few books to portray the struggles of coming out in a Puerto Rican community and the author who has a similar background to the characters is able to give the readers a very realistic insight. The South Bronx setting was adequate if not ideal since it is an area highly populated by Puerto Ricans and has historical significance because of the arsons and gentrification that lead Puerto Ricans to be seen as criminals and thugs. The story flowed naturally and it was not only enjoyable but easy to read. It did not feel rushed either. The writing itself was up to par and the dialogues were faithful to the characters and their education levels or ethnicities. Another plus is that Rice-Gonzalez includes every gender and sexuality in the spectrum in his story. The author, however, tells the story only from the perspective of Chulito and so readers learn very little about Carlos. It also seems like the story deviated from its main characters unnecessarily at times, some portions did not appear to add anything to the overall theme such as Brick’s encounter with Taino in Puerto Rico. Furthermore, while it is very unlikely that this is the writer’s intention and Chulito is a teen in his puberty, the sexual dreams portray homosexual men as likely to prey on any man, which leaves them in a negative light. Those scenes achieve to let the readers know they are dealing with the life of a pubescent man, but otherwise, the novel could do without them.
I enjoyed the story, it was different than the other stories of its kind and it managed to portray the struggles of a man coming out in a Puerto Rican community and his journey of liberation. The author also manages to defy the concepts of masculinity and machismo that sometimes keep the men from our Latin communities emotionally restrained. He carries his message often covertly although there are clear signs of the lesson he is trying to teach. Rice-Gonzalez’s writing is different and it sometimes did not deliver what was expected, but for a new writer his story was well written, well developed and had a natural flow. I believe he is a very promising author.


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Chulito Charles RiceGonzalez 9781593501723 Books Reviews

Chulito is a hoodrat. Born and raised in the South Bronx. A beautiful 16 year old boy who grew up in the streets of his neighborhood and lives by the rules of that small world.

Carlos, was Chulito's best friend while they were boys, and later when they got a little older Chulito realized that he maybe felt more than just friendly towards Carlos.

But Carlos is an outsider now. He has left the Hood, and gone to Long Island for college. He is also openly gay. Those two things put Chulito and Carlos in two worlds so distant they might as well be in different planets.

Chulito's life revolves around hanging out on the corner with the Fellas, running drugs for his best friend Kamikaze, the local TOP DOG, and being the hardest thug he can be. He dropped out of high school, and all his ambitions pretty much lie within whatever is confined to his block and the people in it.

The only thing that Chulito can't do is not be friends with Carlos, he misses him. Wants to reconnect with his boy, so he makes a move to get in touch with Carlos, and ends up being surprised by his friend coming back to the Hood for the whole summer.

This book was SET SO PERFECTLY. The author captured the sub-culture so well, and not just of the NYC, but of the Latin communities, especially Neuyoricans and Dominican Yorks. It's such an insular world. Comes from immigrant generations that preferred staying up there in Washington Heights, Harlem or The Bronx where everyone spoke their language, ate their foods, listened to their music, knew their history, their culture, and most importantly UNDERSTOOD why it was preferable to come to the United States to the ghetto than remain in a homeland that had nothing to offer. Even if the memory of that homeland is something so large and painful that it's present in everything the do.

He captured, The Hood and its cycles of poverty, and outdated views on gender roles, who men and women should be or act like. These attitudes can entrap many kids, wanting MORE or wanting DIFFERENT, whether it is ambition to move elsewhere, being open about your sexuality, daring to demand respect as a woman, or show vulnerabilities as a man, cannot only make you an outcast it can make you a target. But he also showed the love and support that exists in those neighborhoods, strong loyalty and such a deep understanding of each other.

We understood all the contradictions of that world. Who Chulito was, and his yearning for something more that the Hood, but also his loyalty to the neighborhood that has been his whole world. Carlos' need to leave it, but also feeling pulled back by those he loves that are still there. The women in the neighborhood and how they cope with hard lives, the lack of aspirations and ambitions and posturing of the men. The trials that those who dare to be different have to endure. All SPOT ON.

I know that for some readers Chulito and Carlos will be strange characters, they seem so much more mature than their age. It is strange it's true, but kids like Chulito and Carlos grow up fast and hard. It is rough living with no daddies, hustling to make a living, mothers that care but have to work hard to provide fortheir kids. There are too many harsh realities everywhere in places like Chulito's world.

THE VERY BEST thing about this book are Chulito and Carlos. What a JOY is was to watch them fall in love. To see Chulito discover a whole world outside of the Bronx. I just loved them. They were so open, so hopeful and brave to be who they were, despite a more than hostile environment.

There were too many things I loved about this book, it's worth reading if only to get a glimpse at a slice of American life that people rarely get to read about, especially from the perspective of young gay men.

Chulito and Carlos were TRAILBLAZERS, I wish that every boy like them could find a way to love and be loved openly like they did.

RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND. RECOMMEND.
Chulito tells the story of a young Puerto Rican man from the South Bronx who begins to question his long-held ideas of masculinity and sexuality as he struggles to find his identity when the man he once considered his best friend confesses to having romantic feelings for him. The confession tips the first domino in a life-changing process that leads him to open up emotionally and free himself from the prejudices weighing him down.
The author challenges the ideas of masculinity and machismo that pervade the Puerto Rican community. His main character Chulito is the representation of Latino men who feel pressured to achieve the ultimate image of the macho, and this is seen in the careful manner in which he manages his image. From the clothes he wears, which are baggy, to the way he fixes his hair and how he strolls the streets. Rice-Gonzalez seems to advocate for the renouncing of a dangerous level of masculinity and he does this at times subtly and at others overtly. On the one hand, he demonstrates the way the men's skewed concepts of masculinity leads them to devalue women, which in turn relates to an unstable family structure, and to repress their feelings. On the other hand, he uses clear symbols to demonstrate how men lash out and isolate themselves.
Chulito is a refreshing novel and it is one of its kind. It is probably one of the few books to portray the struggles of coming out in a Puerto Rican community and the author who has a similar background to the characters is able to give the readers a very realistic insight. The South Bronx setting was adequate if not ideal since it is an area highly populated by Puerto Ricans and has historical significance because of the arsons and gentrification that lead Puerto Ricans to be seen as criminals and thugs. The story flowed naturally and it was not only enjoyable but easy to read. It did not feel rushed either. The writing itself was up to par and the dialogues were faithful to the characters and their education levels or ethnicities. Another plus is that Rice-Gonzalez includes every gender and sexuality in the spectrum in his story. The author, however, tells the story only from the perspective of Chulito and so readers learn very little about Carlos. It also seems like the story deviated from its main characters unnecessarily at times, some portions did not appear to add anything to the overall theme such as Brick’s encounter with Taino in Puerto Rico. Furthermore, while it is very unlikely that this is the writer’s intention and Chulito is a teen in his puberty, the sexual dreams portray homosexual men as likely to prey on any man, which leaves them in a negative light. Those scenes achieve to let the readers know they are dealing with the life of a pubescent man, but otherwise, the novel could do without them.
I enjoyed the story, it was different than the other stories of its kind and it managed to portray the struggles of a man coming out in a Puerto Rican community and his journey of liberation. The author also manages to defy the concepts of masculinity and machismo that sometimes keep the men from our Latin communities emotionally restrained. He carries his message often covertly although there are clear signs of the lesson he is trying to teach. Rice-Gonzalez’s writing is different and it sometimes did not deliver what was expected, but for a new writer his story was well written, well developed and had a natural flow. I believe he is a very promising author.