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A review by jayal
A Field Guide to the Roads of Manila and Other Stories by Dean Francis Alfar, Andrew Drilon
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? N/A
4.0
📖: A Field Guide to the Roads of Manila and Other Stories (2015)
🖋️: Dean Francis Alfar
1. A Field Guide to the Roads of Manila
Loved the lore behind the famous streets of Metro Manila and how each became a sentient being with their personality derived from the culture of its inhabitants. The ending was a little bit too fast for me, though.
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
2. Ohkti
Arabic for 'sister'. It is a touching story about two orphaned sisters. One who found love and deceit, the other who feared love because of what happened to her sister.
"This is a love story, but it has nothing to do with a man. You had no father because a father means someone who stays to be a father, and the man who helped to make you was anything but that."
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
3. The New Daughter
A woodworker who built his children out of wood. All the boys he built had grown and left him, and now all he wants is a daughter. The ending reveals that he, in fact, is neither ready nor fit to father a little girl.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
4. Things
A self-aware woman is being hunted and punished by her lover's dead wife. My only question is, why is the woman the only one being punished?
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
5. Godfathers
A speculative epistolary about two men claiming to be the godfathers of a girl, promising to provide protection to their goddaughter after the death of her parents. The girl's silence brings about the true intentions of her 'godfathers.'
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
6. Noted On An Ascent
Confusing read.
🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑
7. The Girl With The Gun
Is this free verse poetry? If it was a poem, then I'm not a fan of how the narrative poem was executed. It's not poetic and engaging enough for me. The story would've come out better if it was written normally, though.
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
8. Float
The imagery reminds me of Disney Pixar's 'Soul.'
🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
9. Brother & Sister
It has the vibes of Hansel and Gretel, but the children are zombified. The story almost became my favorite in the whole collection until I read the last two paragraphs. I feel like there should've been more to that ending.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
10. Steps
A Cinderella-inspired story, written from the perspective of the STEPmother. First, you find it sweet and warm, then wholesome, then fulfilling, then speculative, then anticipative, then disturbing, and then utterly shocking. It's still a story about love; no one died.
"Are you here to be my mother?" She asked.
This question took you by surprise, and so did your quick reply.
"Of course not. She is dead. I can never be her."
AND OOOOOH boy, she, indeed, was not THERE to be Cinderella's mother.
This is, by far, the CRAZIEST Cinderella story adaptation I have ever read.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
11. City Cross
I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen. Reading this piece feels like it's nonfiction, a memoir to be specific. I enjoyed reading through the imagery of Metro Manila. The pacing is natural and very engaging to read.
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
12. Dai vidas du'l grandu investigadores: El Caso du'l Toro Perduto (From The Lives of the Great Detectives: The Case of the Missing Bull)
When the bull speaks, does it spit BULLshit or facts?
Also, what an incredibly long title for such a short story. And yes, the translation is even included in the title.
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
13. Glove & Goggles
A steampunk-style short story. It reminds me of Alita: The Battle Angel.
The world-building was appealing, and its flow was reasonable.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
14. Jianghu
Not my cup of tea.
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
15. This Is The Story
It's another one of those stories that reads like a memoir. If this story is dear and personal to the author, I have nothing to say.
However, if this is entirely a work of fiction and is not personally associated with the author, then I must say that the mother was right for never forgiving her husband. The mother sacrificed too much of her life, her womanhood, and her dignity but still never put an ounce of blame and remorse on their child.
The husband is a complete hopeless romantic who never cared about his wife's wellbeing, not a single hint of remorse on the text, he's just a sad sad boy who's abandoned his family because his wife never loved him.
Sex, even inside marriage, without the other party's consent, is rape. Being forced against your will will never be romantic.
The boy you raised with your blood and tears just so he doesn't become like his father, then grows up to be the exact replica of his father, is an absolute nightmare of a reality. It's as if the mother died without ever experiencing the fulfillment of life. A life ruined by men, no redemption for anyone whatsoever. Just a sham of a happy ending for the son that, in reality, wouldn't probably last.
It's a well-written story, I must confess. However, I am not rating this story out of respect whether this is based on reality or not.
------------------------
My Review:
It was a dark and rainy day when I passed by an NBS and decided, hmm, maybe I should check out some books for fun. It wasn't my plan to buy anything that day until my eyes landed on two books, a Nick Joaquin one and this book, a collection of speculative fiction short stories. After reading both books, I must say it was well worth my money.
I am glad to have found this book. I used to read similar pieces as our assigned readings during our CW class. Now, I was able to explore the genre of speculative fiction more. I will most definitely read more of Dean Alfar's works in the future!
I'm going to take a Speculative Fiction course next year, I am absolutely looking forward to studying more about this genre of wide variety. Hey, maybe I could try out writing a speculative piece, too!
Overall Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
🖋️: Dean Francis Alfar
1. A Field Guide to the Roads of Manila
Loved the lore behind the famous streets of Metro Manila and how each became a sentient being with their personality derived from the culture of its inhabitants. The ending was a little bit too fast for me, though.
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
2. Ohkti
Arabic for 'sister'. It is a touching story about two orphaned sisters. One who found love and deceit, the other who feared love because of what happened to her sister.
"This is a love story, but it has nothing to do with a man. You had no father because a father means someone who stays to be a father, and the man who helped to make you was anything but that."
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
3. The New Daughter
A woodworker who built his children out of wood. All the boys he built had grown and left him, and now all he wants is a daughter. The ending reveals that he, in fact, is neither ready nor fit to father a little girl.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
4. Things
A self-aware woman is being hunted and punished by her lover's dead wife. My only question is, why is the woman the only one being punished?
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
5. Godfathers
A speculative epistolary about two men claiming to be the godfathers of a girl, promising to provide protection to their goddaughter after the death of her parents. The girl's silence brings about the true intentions of her 'godfathers.'
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
6. Noted On An Ascent
Confusing read.
🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑
7. The Girl With The Gun
Is this free verse poetry? If it was a poem, then I'm not a fan of how the narrative poem was executed. It's not poetic and engaging enough for me. The story would've come out better if it was written normally, though.
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
8. Float
The imagery reminds me of Disney Pixar's 'Soul.'
🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
9. Brother & Sister
It has the vibes of Hansel and Gretel, but the children are zombified. The story almost became my favorite in the whole collection until I read the last two paragraphs. I feel like there should've been more to that ending.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
10. Steps
A Cinderella-inspired story, written from the perspective of the STEPmother. First, you find it sweet and warm, then wholesome, then fulfilling, then speculative, then anticipative, then disturbing, and then utterly shocking. It's still a story about love; no one died.
"Are you here to be my mother?" She asked.
This question took you by surprise, and so did your quick reply.
"Of course not. She is dead. I can never be her."
AND OOOOOH boy, she, indeed, was not THERE to be Cinderella's mother.
This is, by far, the CRAZIEST Cinderella story adaptation I have ever read.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
11. City Cross
I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen. Reading this piece feels like it's nonfiction, a memoir to be specific. I enjoyed reading through the imagery of Metro Manila. The pacing is natural and very engaging to read.
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
12. Dai vidas du'l grandu investigadores: El Caso du'l Toro Perduto (From The Lives of the Great Detectives: The Case of the Missing Bull)
When the bull speaks, does it spit BULLshit or facts?
Also, what an incredibly long title for such a short story. And yes, the translation is even included in the title.
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
13. Glove & Goggles
A steampunk-style short story. It reminds me of Alita: The Battle Angel.
The world-building was appealing, and its flow was reasonable.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
14. Jianghu
Not my cup of tea.
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
15. This Is The Story
It's another one of those stories that reads like a memoir. If this story is dear and personal to the author, I have nothing to say.
However, if this is entirely a work of fiction and is not personally associated with the author, then I must say that the mother was right for never forgiving her husband. The mother sacrificed too much of her life, her womanhood, and her dignity but still never put an ounce of blame and remorse on their child.
The husband is a complete hopeless romantic who never cared about his wife's wellbeing, not a single hint of remorse on the text, he's just a sad sad boy who's abandoned his family because his wife never loved him.
Sex, even inside marriage, without the other party's consent, is rape. Being forced against your will will never be romantic.
The boy you raised with your blood and tears just so he doesn't become like his father, then grows up to be the exact replica of his father, is an absolute nightmare of a reality. It's as if the mother died without ever experiencing the fulfillment of life. A life ruined by men, no redemption for anyone whatsoever. Just a sham of a happy ending for the son that, in reality, wouldn't probably last.
It's a well-written story, I must confess. However, I am not rating this story out of respect whether this is based on reality or not.
------------------------
My Review:
It was a dark and rainy day when I passed by an NBS and decided, hmm, maybe I should check out some books for fun. It wasn't my plan to buy anything that day until my eyes landed on two books, a Nick Joaquin one and this book, a collection of speculative fiction short stories. After reading both books, I must say it was well worth my money.
I am glad to have found this book. I used to read similar pieces as our assigned readings during our CW class. Now, I was able to explore the genre of speculative fiction more. I will most definitely read more of Dean Alfar's works in the future!
I'm going to take a Speculative Fiction course next year, I am absolutely looking forward to studying more about this genre of wide variety. Hey, maybe I could try out writing a speculative piece, too!
Overall Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑