Scan barcode
A review by earlapvaldez
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
5.0
What is it like to enter into the darkest alleys and corners of the Manila, the city of the great and the wretched alike?
This is the question that was answered by this book through a series of stories and fictional accounts of the life of Manila. And as a Manileno, I am glad that this collection of noir fiction has come up, which more or less reflect what it's like to see what has not been noticed: individual lives caught in tension with the big space where they belong, with the world that has been left unexploreed and yet contains more mysteries than we ever think it to be. Furthermore, what astounds me is that they do deliver snapshots that tell of the realities of this big city, one that perhaps demands a response for us, even to the level of listening and being aware of them.
This is a great book for one who does a "philosophy of the city" through the eyes of literary fiction, for it allows one to think along the fringes of outer and inner urban life, those which were left unnoticed and yet creates much impact and significance for the urbanite. This reminds us that Manila is not just about the jobs and the buildings of Makati, or of the businesses and schools along Quezon City. Rather, it is about the struggles of the poor and underprivileged, the persecuted, and the never-heard-of people who struggle to find life in the city, but rather finds something unexpectedly terrible and unfortunate.
Also, if a literature teacher can read this, I ask that you make this part of your required readings. All the stories here are nothing short of fantastic and can indeed provide the rather privileged with a glimpse of the city that they are not able to witness in their everyday life.
This is the question that was answered by this book through a series of stories and fictional accounts of the life of Manila. And as a Manileno, I am glad that this collection of noir fiction has come up, which more or less reflect what it's like to see what has not been noticed: individual lives caught in tension with the big space where they belong, with the world that has been left unexploreed and yet contains more mysteries than we ever think it to be. Furthermore, what astounds me is that they do deliver snapshots that tell of the realities of this big city, one that perhaps demands a response for us, even to the level of listening and being aware of them.
This is a great book for one who does a "philosophy of the city" through the eyes of literary fiction, for it allows one to think along the fringes of outer and inner urban life, those which were left unnoticed and yet creates much impact and significance for the urbanite. This reminds us that Manila is not just about the jobs and the buildings of Makati, or of the businesses and schools along Quezon City. Rather, it is about the struggles of the poor and underprivileged, the persecuted, and the never-heard-of people who struggle to find life in the city, but rather finds something unexpectedly terrible and unfortunate.
Also, if a literature teacher can read this, I ask that you make this part of your required readings. All the stories here are nothing short of fantastic and can indeed provide the rather privileged with a glimpse of the city that they are not able to witness in their everyday life.