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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Manila Noir is my fourth experience with the intriguing noir short story series published by Akashic Books (following Boston Noir, Mexico City Noir, and Long Island Noir), a series now numbering something like fifty-six titles. Much like the first three collections I read, Manila Noir is a bit of a mixed bag. When it is good it is very, very good. The good news is that when it is "bad," the stories only sink to the level of mediocrity, not to awfulness.
The fourteen stories in the collection were written (in English) by writers, several of which now live in the United States, who were born in the Philippines. It also includes an excellent introduction to set the mood for what is to follow, one that clearly defines the elements of Manila-style noir that give the Filipino version of the genre a special edge. Also from the introduction, I particularly like editor Jessica Hagedorn's list of what she calls “the noir essentials:”
"…alienated and desperate characters, terse dialogue, sudden violence, betrayals left and right. And of course, there's plenty of mordant humor. And of course, there are no happy endings."
Three of the short stories particularly stand out in my memory. The first of these, by Rosario Cruz-Lucero, is an atmospheric gem entitled "A Human Right" that involves Manila death squads, childhood friends, and family loyalty that will stay with me for a long time because it considers so many questions in only seventeen pages. This is the stuff of the best coming-of-age novels.
"Comforter of the Afflicted," by F.H. Batacan (a woman who worked for Philippine intelligence for several years) is the tragic story of a woman who died, almost anonymously, in the service of others. I am particularly taken with the story's central character, an elderly priest who lends his investigative skills to an overburdened police department that depends greatly on Father Saenz's help. I believe that this priest is one of two Jesuits featured in the author's 2002 novel, Smaller and Smaller Circles, a book I am now looking to add to my To-Be-Read stack.
The third story I want to mention is Sabina Murry's (yes, if you are wondering, the collection does include stories by male authors) "Broken Glass." This is the story of a little girl who, while visiting her rich aunt, makes a grisly discovery in the walled home's lush garden. It is a highly atmospheric story that explores the relationship between Manila's rich and those who depend on them for their own survival. It is also a coming-of-age story of sorts in which a bright little girl learns a lot about the world she lives in.
Bottom Line: This is a worthy addition to a thriving series that seems to have no end (the publisher already has announced an additional fifteen titles in the works). I will, I hope, be reading more of them. If noir-styled fiction is to your liking, this just might be the series you were hoping to find.
Rated at: 3.5
The fourteen stories in the collection were written (in English) by writers, several of which now live in the United States, who were born in the Philippines. It also includes an excellent introduction to set the mood for what is to follow, one that clearly defines the elements of Manila-style noir that give the Filipino version of the genre a special edge. Also from the introduction, I particularly like editor Jessica Hagedorn's list of what she calls “the noir essentials:”
"…alienated and desperate characters, terse dialogue, sudden violence, betrayals left and right. And of course, there's plenty of mordant humor. And of course, there are no happy endings."
Three of the short stories particularly stand out in my memory. The first of these, by Rosario Cruz-Lucero, is an atmospheric gem entitled "A Human Right" that involves Manila death squads, childhood friends, and family loyalty that will stay with me for a long time because it considers so many questions in only seventeen pages. This is the stuff of the best coming-of-age novels.
"Comforter of the Afflicted," by F.H. Batacan (a woman who worked for Philippine intelligence for several years) is the tragic story of a woman who died, almost anonymously, in the service of others. I am particularly taken with the story's central character, an elderly priest who lends his investigative skills to an overburdened police department that depends greatly on Father Saenz's help. I believe that this priest is one of two Jesuits featured in the author's 2002 novel, Smaller and Smaller Circles, a book I am now looking to add to my To-Be-Read stack.
The third story I want to mention is Sabina Murry's (yes, if you are wondering, the collection does include stories by male authors) "Broken Glass." This is the story of a little girl who, while visiting her rich aunt, makes a grisly discovery in the walled home's lush garden. It is a highly atmospheric story that explores the relationship between Manila's rich and those who depend on them for their own survival. It is also a coming-of-age story of sorts in which a bright little girl learns a lot about the world she lives in.
Bottom Line: This is a worthy addition to a thriving series that seems to have no end (the publisher already has announced an additional fifteen titles in the works). I will, I hope, be reading more of them. If noir-styled fiction is to your liking, this just might be the series you were hoping to find.
Rated at: 3.5
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Some stories are much better than others, but a pretty good collection over-all.
Some favorites:
"A Human Right" by Rosario Cruz-Lucero
"Satan Has Already Bought You" by Lourd de Veyra
"Cariño Brutal" by R. Zamora Linmark
Some favorites:
"A Human Right" by Rosario Cruz-Lucero
"Satan Has Already Bought You" by Lourd de Veyra
"Cariño Brutal" by R. Zamora Linmark
This was pretty good overall. The first story is probably my favorite. I also really enjoyed Comforter of the Afflicted. I didn’t read the last one because I lost interest. I also didn’t read the comic one because I read this as a library ebook and it wasn’t very readable.
I enjoyed reading stories set in a different place and cultural context but which were still very accessible I thought. Themes of poverty, sexual exploitation, and abuse abound, though, so they are dark reads. To be expected with noir!
I enjoyed reading stories set in a different place and cultural context but which were still very accessible I thought. Themes of poverty, sexual exploitation, and abuse abound, though, so they are dark reads. To be expected with noir!
this is what happens when people who grew up rich and abroad wrote Philippine setting; it's out of reach so white so not pinoy. it's lacking grit mapapasabi ka na lang talaga ng "anlayo mehn!"
wow a human right may have lacked noir but it's definitely a love story for me!
Why is broken glass even here?!
And I was planning to read the gun dealer's daughter after this but the unintended aspires to be many things and just fell flat #sad
I enjoyed reading the book because of the short story-format but the stories are not what I expected from the word noir
wow a human right may have lacked noir but it's definitely a love story for me!
Why is broken glass even here?!
And I was planning to read the gun dealer's daughter after this but the unintended aspires to be many things and just fell flat #sad
I enjoyed reading the book because of the short story-format but the stories are not what I expected from the word noir
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A collection with more misses than hits. Each of the stories are engaging in their own right, though fall short of actually articulating the brutality of the region. Only "A Human Right" and "The Professor's Wife" seem to establish—and execute—this atmosphere well. Majority of the stories hinge less on the power relations that propagate these conditions, framing the conflicts as individual character shortcomings—a fundamental flaw in a genre where setting and atmosphere should take precedence. Instead many of the stories rely, or even indulge, on brutalizing its characters as some form of narrative compensation.
At the very least, the stories stop short of being overtly cruel. There's that!
2.5/5
At the very least, the stories stop short of being overtly cruel. There's that!
2.5/5