Reviews

Manila Noir by Kajo Baldisimo, Marianne Villanueva, Angelo R. Lacuesta, Gina Apostol, Rosario Cruz-Lucero, José Y. Dalisay Jr., Eric Gamalinda, Jessica Hagedorn, Budjette Tan, R. Zamora Linmark, Jonas Vitman, Lourd Ernest H. de Veyra, Lysley Tenorio, F.H. Batacan, Sabina Murray

sofiavelasco's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jelina's review against another edition

4.0

Jessica Hagedorn in her introduction promises that there will be no happy endings to be found here. But what makes a happy ending? Survival? Money? Being at peace with ones desperate circumstance? Clawing through life like the smell of second hand smoke on a busted up couch. The characters featured are shock-proof dealing with murder and mutilation alike with somber nods and quick limbs. Their stories are various degrees of tension with an atmosphere of urban and moral decay. A dirty get-away book for the staccato hearted.

darlingbudsofrae's review against another edition

4.0

Manila Noir is a fantastic collection of cynically gruesome stories, and I am so happy to have read this book. The stories are twistedly dark and intriguing tales of crimes with strong and often times surprising endings. Hence, the noir in the title. I've been to Manila a couple of times during the holidays, and this book while ghastly made me miss the place. Manila is the city of dreams- big infrastructures, buzzling crowds and cars, it feels freeing to just frolic along the streets and visit historical landmarks. It also only takes a day to see the much dull and depressing side of the city- the people clutching their bags and belongings heavily, the distrustful looks to others when one comes to close or accidentally brushes one’s shoulders, the ragged children begging for alms on the street, the exchange of crude language on the stalls, etc. I was honestly so surprised at how reminiscent it is of the place and how well it captures the atmosphere demanded of the stories. This, of course, wasn’t a perfect book- I am not a fan of a select number of stories and there were a few technicalities in terms of structure and writing but honestly? This is such a solid anthology, definite kudos to the authors!

learnthuman's review against another edition

5.0

Being a city full of mystery, hardship and superstition, Manila is definitely a great location for Noir-esque narratives and crime-filled drama. The collection is subdivided into three main themes: Us Against Them, Black Pearl of the Orient, and They Live by Night and features multiple noteworthy stories. Among my favourites include 'Aviary' which tells the tale of a group of poor youths infiltrating GreenBelt Mall, whose management had officially banned "the poor" from entering. There's also 'Broken Glass' featuring mysterious gossip about a murder that occurred in an upperclass suburban community, told through the lenses of a little girl. Last but not least is 'Trese: Thirteen Stations' which is a gorgeously Komiks-esque graphic short story which is essentially Filipino lower mythology meets the classic Noir Private 'I' motif.

teachergabi's review against another edition

5.0

It's one of those oh-my-gosh-it-was-so-good-but-I-will-never-read-it-again-because-it's-so-depressing books.

Filipino authors write so well. This book is a showcase of Filipino virtuosity with the pen. Writing with a second language, at that.

A must-read! Very fitting for BUWAN NG WIKA :)

inilalahad's review

adventurous challenging dark funny informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

axmed's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

evllhag's review against another edition

3.0

it’s a noir for me

cwerber's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

mariaellabetos's review against another edition

4.0

Perfect for the Buwan ng Wika. Perfect feel of the pause, being at standstill, only hearing the hums of the feet, the buses, trains and of speeding life - escaping from the harsh realities of it.

What a goodread.