A review by random_spider
DUGO SA BUKANG-LIWAWAY/ BLEEDING SUN. by ROGELIO. SICAT

dark emotional informative inspiring sad fast-paced

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

3.5

Bleeding Sun — I mean, epic translated title, right? Should accurately be Bloody Dawn but I guess this still works.

Don't be fooled by my rating. This piece of significant literature is considered as a 20th century Filipino classic that had opened the eyes of many towards the gritty realities of our poor farmers. Now I wonder, why weren't we reading this at highschool?

------Stat Score------

Plot/Content: 6/10
Characters/POVs: 7/10
Prose/Style: 5/10
Themes/Messages: 9/10
Enjoyability/Impact: 7/10

OVERALL RATING: 7/10 (Good)

"Seasons change but the peasants' way of life never improves. We are both children of farmers, Simon. We can never deny our roots."

Synopsis and/or Premise:
Born during a thunderstorm, Simon was birthed by his dying mother. With all the responsibilities and grief, Tano isolates himself on the farm to raise his son. Comes next is a family saga about a farmer-son struggle in life under some disadvantageous system.

The Good and The Bad:
Out of the two protagonists, I can't determine who was more compelling than the other. They're both written competently as each contributed to the narrative in their own ways.

A.) Tano was a realistic representation of a farmer during the mid-1900s Philippines. A poor single father stigmatized by his community; he lived a hermit lifestyle to prove everyone (including himself) that he got what it takes to be a parent. He became a restless automated individual, blinded by his own ideology 😞. It's even more depressing if we factor the merciless societal structure, beating him to bone and dust. He's a flawed, tragic character, further proving how he's almost a tangible person.

B.) Simon's role was to be an observer at first 👀, witnessing his father being ruined while doing what he can to save his son from the same fate. You could feel his desperate intent to help his father against the inevitable, but was unable to (mostly by his father denying him.) The turning point occurred at halfway, where he was still subjected to the cruel system. Filled with grudge and vengeance, he had some character growth towards the end that solidified him as a heroic person.

Both culminating into a brief yet meaningful tale about the raw life struggles of these individuals.

Another thing that I love about this novella (a short novel at most) was that it acted as a window to the past by combining Historical Fiction with Realism. San Roque, the town in story, was inspired by the author's hometown (San Isidro.) This book served as a social commentary 🗣️, jabbing on the prevalent feudal system and classism. YES, YOU READ IT RIGHT! Something that existed centuries ago during medieval Europe was still being practiced here in Philippines just until a few decades ago. It revealed to everyone how unfair the system was (especially for poverty-stricken farmers) as it influenced trade, education, justice, politics, etc. This book was an eye-opening critique to the ignorance of the high class.

It wouldn't be fair if I only commend this book, as it's my role to point out any issues with it. Despite being important, it wasn't perfect:

1. Short 🤏 - I understand if you consider this not a problem. The book itself wasn't lengthy, only 120 pages or so. I don't even know if it's considered as a novella or a short novel. Nothing wrong with that...but because of this, events just happened quickly before proceeding to the next one. There's no time to pause and letting them mature to fullest. The ending even felt awkwardly cut, depriving of a deserved resolution. Even being written for a cause, it should have cared more on its structure.

2. Repetitiveness 🔁 - The prose had this tendency to repeat sentences that conveyed already delivered messages. Like, how often do I need to hear 'it's going to rain' at the start of the book, or 'Im getting old' in the middle. It's just inefficient/redundant.

3. Out of the Blue 🔵 - Yeah, some events just appeared random. Most recognizable was the inclusion of World War 2 in the narrative. I get that it's historically accurate but the way it was written felt like it belonged to another book (especially considering how Simon wasn't even the focus during the span of those pages.) There were a few minor ones scattered all throughout, but I guess you could interpret them as akin to real life.

Final Thoughts:
Bleeding Sun (Dugo sa Bukang-Liwayway) by Rogelio Sicat (and translated by his daughter, Ma. Aurora Sicat) is a Philippine classic about the plight of a 20th century Filipino farmer. The author was dedicated to writing literature in Filipino language, so I'm surprised how his daughter decided to translate it in English. Trading authenticity for accessibility, I guess? One thing I found odd was how the book glorified education, though it made sense for its time. Anyways, if you're not a fan of trauma and suffering you may put this down fast. It deserved to express them rightfully so.

I only read this translated version. If you're curious why I didn't take on the original before, it's because reading Filipino texts was just a pain in the ass for me 😅.

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Links to my ratings and reviews:
Goodreads reviews
The StoryGraph