Stranded Star

This story was a refreshing change from the usual Filipino fantasy stories I come across which usually involve engkantadas, forbidden lovers, a moral lesson and a newly formed object at the end. 

Though the story seemed to me a Filipino version of Stardust, I liked it nonetheless. I admired the story's subtle message about honesty and about how there's more to life than just beauty. Nova was a likable character with her depth, frankness and her good grasp on reality. She combined the beauty and brilliance of a star with the diligence and "realness" of a Filipino man.

Kwaidan (Movie)

A Japanese "ghost story" anthology, Kwaidan is a horror movie of the unconventional kind. While I have been used to shockers and screamers like The Ring, The Grudge and The Eye, Kwaidan goes for the more subtle, eerie approach.

The horror scenes don't just spring on you. All throughout each episode you get the feel that something is kinda off, though you can't quite put your finger to it. The setting and the music are all very efficient at creating an unsettling atmosphere and the storylines are not your usual wronged-woman-lusting-for-revenge-takes-advantage-of-modern-technology plot.

Not my usual cup of tea, but good nonetheless.

Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot

First off, I love the title.

Moving on. Initially, the husband really annoyed me by his petty jealousies. He's the type of insecure person I really just want to tell, "You deserve all the emotional torment you're going through." I mean who climbs a tree while stalking their wives??

However, in the course of the story, when the husband started to, err, talk, or rather, expound on his meager parrot vocabulary, I found my sympathies gradually going out to him. When you see both sides of a picture, only then will you realize how much you've missed and how shortsighted you'd been. While his behavior was still out of line and irrational, I am more sympathetic towards him now. His feelings for his wife, were, in fact touching and I felt a bit sad that he never had the chance to tell her how he felt, and how much he loved her. (Yes, I am a sucker for those eloquent professions of love with that non-conventional Pablo Neruda feel)

A Clockwork Orange

Alex reminds me of a younger, more Russian-speaking Hannibal Lecter. A smooth talker and appreciative of music, with a bit of an IQ to boot, Alex is not your typical goon. He has quite an unorthodox hobby which he deeply enjoys: robbing, raping and just altogether abusing people. In the course of the story, he is arrested and subjected to this "Ludovico treatment" where his mind and body are trained to reject violence. It is inhumane and here I am conflicted with that question of choosing the lesser of two evils.

While Alex did do a lot of horrible things, did he really deserve the punishment he was subjected to? A part of me wants to scream yes at the same time thrusting my fist in the air for added emphasis. A part of me wants to *hesitantly* say, "Maybeee not....." 

The book was a bit disturbing, but held a lot of truths as well. 

Metamorphosis

To be honest, I did not like Metamorphosis all that much. Yes, I know it's some kind of literary masterpiece but I just hated the thought of waking up a giant bug or cockroach. Talk about hassle.

While I appreciate the fact that the story is rich in symbolism about acceptance and the individual, I wasn't a big fan of the plot itself. I got a bit irritated at Gregor by how he was trying to be this martyr, even when he was already a bug. I mean, he could have just up and jumped out the window and been all "Gregor: Bug in the City" instead of wallowing in his own goo of self-pity in his bodega-slash-room. His IQ seemed to drop a few points every day (Well, yes, he is a bug), like that time he insisted on going out of his room when his sister was playing the violin, even if there were lodgers outside.

I know, it was probably not his fault..But the whole thing just really bugged me. Pun intended.

P.S. This does not mean, however, that the family was right to treat him like dirt. They were such jerks!

Getting Better

One of the stories I liked most in our Lit selections (well, I am a girl), it is quick, engaging and entertaining. A pioneer in the Chick Lit category, Getting Better is written in the second person POV, something that is a bit difficult to sustain, as well as slightly less common. Sering does it however, in the clever form of a self-help book. While it follows the typical Chick Lit formula (we all know what that is), what I liked most about the story is the language and its style. It is very Pinoy and very modern--quirky, funny, sarcastic, and sometimes even all three. What is good about it is that it is about the Filipina and aside from being entertained, people can actually relate to it.
Also, as was mentioned in class, the story doesn't really dwell on the characters' physical traits. There is more focus on their lives than there is on their looks or on their Balenciaga/Prada fetishes. I feel this makes the story more real because honestly, it is just so hard to relate to a Western girl with sparkling hazel eyes, lush brown hair, a red heart-shaped mouth, a size 2 body and a Chanel bag draped over her arm.

The Bicycle Thief (Movie)

Revolving mainly around a man's wild-goose chase over the city in search of his bicycle, the first thought that entered my mind was: Does the end justify the means?
Antonio, a poor man, goes all over the city with his son to recover the bicycle vital for his job. In the process, he does a lot of things mainly out of instinct and impulse, things that he will most likely regret. He causes chaos and uproar, harasses a man, picks a fight with a whole community of people by falsely accusing one of them, steals a bicycle and worst, hits his son. He seems to be like an animal in a corner, no longer thinking but relying on instinct alone. I can't help but feel sorry for him, though. I see that he does those things because he is driven by desperation to find the thing that will provide him the opportunity to have a better life.