By: 恵理花 (Eri)
In April 23, 2017, my bookworm friend and I went to Book Fiesta held at Quezon Memorial Circle. It’s our second book event experience this year and we were so happy. We had the chance to meet my friend’s former colleagues, a number of acquaintances and of course Ms. KB of bookbed.org.
Admittedly, I am a book hoarder. Wherever I go, I buy at least one (1) book. Each purchases reminds me of the place, the people I met and the emotions that I felt during that point in time.
Tragic Theater and Tomb Keeper. Despite not knowing anything about these books, I bought them. No. The cover did not get me. At that time, I thought that I just wanted to expose myself more to local reads.
Tragic Theater:
1.) I was not aware that this novel has already been made into a film. I learned about it after seeing the picture of Andi Eigenman (Filipino Actress) on the book cover. I immediately googled it and got a little bit disappointed after reading the movie and book reviews. This is the reason why I avoid checking goodreads.com and IMDB before I read a book and watch a movie.
2.) I had an “okay” reading time. I actually read it in a day (less than 8 hours). I appreciate the effort of the author to scare his readers (I believe this is one of his goal, right?). As a fan of gory books, suspense and thriller, I was not thrilled at all; although, I admit, it somehow entertained me because I like reading about exorcism.
3.) The book made me ask the following questions:
- Are devils real?
- What is their reason for possessing the body of the living?
- What is the connection of Latin Language with Exorcism? Is this the only language that could disperse the Devil?
4.) The ending made me asked for more, so I immediately read “Tomb Keeper”.
“Someone going through an emotional crisis needs a constant listener.”
Tomb Keeper:
1.) I enjoyed reading the flashbacks because it was like reading history. It reminded me of the diaries I used to see in local antique shops and in secluded second bookstores.
2.) I like Tomb Keeper better than The Tragic Theater. It has more mysteries and twists.
3.) It also triggered my curiosity about the history of Manila Film Center, particularly the mystery of the tragedy that envelops it.. I wonder if there are really ghosts in the building.
“Even the slightest clue may spell the difference between success and failures.”
Some Comments:
- English translation of the entire dialogues written in Tagalog annoyed me. In my opinion, it would have been better if the author decided on which language to use.
- Prayers used in exorcisms were written completely on the pages, which ate up space of the book.
- Latin sentences were not translated. I had to use google translate.
- Rape in literature is very common. Check out 120 Days of Sodom by The Marquis De Sade. I have read quite a number of books where women are raped victims including Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
Would I recommend these books? If you want to read something light, yes. If you have high standards for thriller and suspense, no. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading them simply because I LOVE READING.
PS: Here are the books I bought in Book Fiesta
Thank you for reading!
AKI LOST IN WORDS 