Author: Abdon Balde, Jr.
As I mentioned, the book was written in Filipino. If you’re raring to go read a great book in Filipino but you’re not fluent in the language or you don’t have someone to translate for you, then this book is not for you. The storyline hints at symbolism and uses deep Filipino words (which made the book harder for me to understand). I had to reread quite a few sentences to get the meaning.
The plot revolves around the stories of this one guy (who remains unnamed throughout the story) in his work in the construction industry and in different countries. The author speaks in the first person for the primary character; however the author also uses the first person for another person during a dialogue with the primary character. It can get pretty confusing if you’re simply skimming the book and not really trying to understand the nuances of the book. The author imparted several stories about the politico-social situation in the country. Since I studied Political Economy in college, I enjoyed the stories (whether fact or fiction) narrated by the main character. I enjoyed the different style of writing used by the author, although I had to reread some parts of the book so I can really understand it.
I can’t properly “review” the book. It was good enough although it didn’t really excite me the way other books did. Although, to be fair, the fastest book I’ve read that was written in Filipino was Lualhati Bautista’s Gapo, but it’s Lualhati Bautista after all (and I love her works!)
Would I recommend it? Hmmm… if you’re into these kinds of books, yes. If not, perhaps you should choose other Filipino works to your liking.
** Next up is Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles Book 2: Throne of Fire. I might not be able to finish it quickly because we have a youth concert tomorrow, called I Testify! Come watch us at Philam Theater, 7pm, tomorrow, June 11, 2011
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