Scan barcode
plufifi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
jujujuris's review
3.0
This was a unique read, and I’m not sure if I felt the pacing was off because of the way it’s structured in vignettes or if I could even say that since I’ve never read anything structured like this before. I wish we could’ve spent as much time in adolescence as we did in childhood.
The restraint coupled with a sense of familiarity grounded on the (I assume) deliberately hazy timestamps of its setting like the presence of colonizers and markers of the dictatorship is unlike anything I’ve encountered.
Joey Ayala’s Panganay ng Umaga (1991)
The restraint coupled with a sense of familiarity grounded on the (I assume) deliberately hazy timestamps of its setting like the presence of colonizers and markers of the dictatorship is unlike anything I’ve encountered.
Joey Ayala’s Panganay ng Umaga (1991)
kbwms_1's review against another edition
5.0
Well done. Pacing felt rushed towards the end, but the writing style had a perfect mix of being straight to the point, descriptive, flowery and concise. Loved it so much! I love books formatted and told like this. I wished that I could’ve read more of his experience of the Martial law.
pageglue's review against another edition
Good lord I’m bored! The one interesting thing about this fictional memoir is how unknown our protagonist is. The story tells us everything around him - his family, his town, some major events around him - but not much directly about him. So the idea of ‘these things are what made me me’ is interesting, but the process of sitting and reading about them is super boring.
losh's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t think I have been this enchanted by words in a while. Remoto’s prose is delicious, his images and diction so vivid, drawing you in at all the right moments. Riverrun is not by any means a “usual” novel, there is no linear plot. It is laced with poems, recipes, manuals, all of which work in its favor. This felt like a meditation on Remoto’s life, maybe fictionalized, maybe not, who knows? It reads as a compilation of memories - that of a young gay man growing up in the Philippines, full of wit, longing for a better government, and longing for love that never seems to leave his lips.
filaughn's review against another edition
3.5
This short novel was well-written and consisted of a series of vignettes. Several of the vignettes could have stood on their own as short stories, though together you can see the coming-of-age arc clearly. I thought the description was beautiful, especially in Part 1 (covering childhood). Part 2 (adolescence & young adulthood) seemed rushed or incomplete, and I would have appreciated more on this time period and getting to know the friends and others in Danny's life during this time. The time and place came through very clearly in the narrative, vivid without being didactic about the Philippines in the 70's.
sirlancelot2021's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pagesofelly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Told from the perspective of Danilo ‘Danny’ Cruz, a boy who grows up in Marcos’ Philippines, this melodramatic reads like a memoir; it is lyrical and poetic. There is a sharp keenness towards language that is shown throughout the rest of the narrative - poetic and exact at the same time. Some lines are even hypnotic, making me lost in his world. Written as a collection of short prose pieces that can stand alone, I feel, Riverrun is an apt title. It is a gentle coming-of-age story that is highly sensitive. We follow Danny who grows up into a man during the martial law years in the Phillippines. I thought that this was also an insightful read to understand how it was like living under the Marcos regime. Remoto manages to capture the bleak atmosphere, presenting individual events such as the tragedy of the Manila Film Center and the lingering sense of loss that permeates the country.
The exploration of sexuality and what it means like to teenagers is another issue that has been intricately woven into the narrative. I felt those parts were the best - raw and beautifully honest.
“Together we ran in the rain, in the summer of our twelfth year, the year I would leave for the city. Everything seemed to be melting, but not me. Warmth ran through my limbs, flowing like blood in my veins. We ran and ran until we reached the river fringed with weeping willows.
The true beauty of this novel lies in Remoto's ability to discuss the unresolved childhood traumas and memories, while balancing it with humour and an unabashed pride for Filipino culture. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a book to get lost in.
The exploration of sexuality and what it means like to teenagers is another issue that has been intricately woven into the narrative. I felt those parts were the best - raw and beautifully honest.
“Together we ran in the rain, in the summer of our twelfth year, the year I would leave for the city. Everything seemed to be melting, but not me. Warmth ran through my limbs, flowing like blood in my veins. We ran and ran until we reached the river fringed with weeping willows.
The true beauty of this novel lies in Remoto's ability to discuss the unresolved childhood traumas and memories, while balancing it with humour and an unabashed pride for Filipino culture. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a book to get lost in.
More...