rubiscodisco's review against another edition
3.0
I actually liked this book. As a crime novel, I feel that it functioned really well in the elements that matter a lot: It had a good plot, the pacing did not drag at all after the arrival of the main characters. It is very good at portraying the difficulty of conducting an investigation in the corrupt infrastructure of the Philippine bureaucracy, and the conditions that the urban poor of Metro Manila have to face daily. The setting was done by somebody with a good familiarity of the city, so somebody who lives in Quezon City will feel very much at home with the landmarks mentioned.
SPOILERS AHEAD
This is going to be super nitpicky, but I'm a bit dissatisfied with the characterization and narration in the book. Some scenes, when the author drives home a point, say that the mood of the room is this way, or that a character is holding such an attitude, or that somebody must be viewed as heroic, it is done with a heavy hand - it gets implied three or four times in the text just to make the reader get it.
I'm also just a bit miffed by coding one of the characters as gay and effete to further reinforce the fact that the character is flawed. Flamboyantly colored hair, shiny manicured nails, these details are portrayed as affectation and a reflection of the person's vanity - but it also slides the character into the territory of being coded gay. In fact, in the end, when that character is shown at the peak of their efficiency and finally becoming heroic, it is telegraphed in the fact that they lose their care for these things. I might just be reading too much into it but it's a bit unsettling.
Perhaps my biggest critique of the book is on the matter of its perspective. Smaller and smaller circles was first published in 2002 as a novella by the University of the Philippines Press before it was rewritten and published as a full length novel in New York by Soho in 2015. I read the 2015 version and not the 2002 novella, and I would love to read the 2002 novella to compare.
In the 2015 version, the main characters listen to R.E.M., studied and work in Ateneo, and have studied abroad. They are the eyes through which the reader sees the events of this book, and they are palpably western. This is not a bad thing in itself certainly, especially in the 2015 book sold for western readers, but it does make me wonder how different the novella was and whether it had the same lens. I feel like the author doesn't sufficiently address the tension of this: investigators of a western, affluent background rooting around in the dumpsites of Payatas. The poverty is well shown, but the clash and contrast of the two cultures I'd have liked to see more.
Every novel has themes that it tackles: nationhood, gender, good and evil. Something. In this book the author writes about justice, corruption, the defenselessnes of the weak, and poverty - but there is something missing in how they write about class and elitism. The poor and the rich are there, and the characters have to navigate among both worlds, so in a way it is addressed. But then the main characters, and the "good guy" supporting characters live in an ivory tower. Atenista. All educated abroad. Saenz doesn't even like to listen to Mozart, presumably because such an operatic taste is too common, and prefers the more arcane pieces of Bach. Joanna is introduced as an essentially virtuous character and then her French degree is triumphantly mentioned. When the two meet, the two Filipinos speak in French. This is the sort of thing should clash with the environment of common old Quezon City, but it's never addressed. This might be something that would go over the head of a western reader, but to this Filipino reader, at least, the books seems too unaware of its own elitism.
SPOILERS AHEAD
This is going to be super nitpicky, but I'm a bit dissatisfied with the characterization and narration in the book. Some scenes, when the author drives home a point, say that the mood of the room is this way, or that a character is holding such an attitude, or that somebody must be viewed as heroic, it is done with a heavy hand - it gets implied three or four times in the text just to make the reader get it.
I'm also just a bit miffed by coding one of the characters as gay and effete to further reinforce the fact that the character is flawed. Flamboyantly colored hair, shiny manicured nails, these details are portrayed as affectation and a reflection of the person's vanity - but it also slides the character into the territory of being coded gay. In fact, in the end, when that character is shown at the peak of their efficiency and finally becoming heroic, it is telegraphed in the fact that they lose their care for these things. I might just be reading too much into it but it's a bit unsettling.
Perhaps my biggest critique of the book is on the matter of its perspective. Smaller and smaller circles was first published in 2002 as a novella by the University of the Philippines Press before it was rewritten and published as a full length novel in New York by Soho in 2015. I read the 2015 version and not the 2002 novella, and I would love to read the 2002 novella to compare.
In the 2015 version, the main characters listen to R.E.M., studied and work in Ateneo, and have studied abroad. They are the eyes through which the reader sees the events of this book, and they are palpably western. This is not a bad thing in itself certainly, especially in the 2015 book sold for western readers, but it does make me wonder how different the novella was and whether it had the same lens. I feel like the author doesn't sufficiently address the tension of this: investigators of a western, affluent background rooting around in the dumpsites of Payatas. The poverty is well shown, but the clash and contrast of the two cultures I'd have liked to see more.
Every novel has themes that it tackles: nationhood, gender, good and evil. Something. In this book the author writes about justice, corruption, the defenselessnes of the weak, and poverty - but there is something missing in how they write about class and elitism. The poor and the rich are there, and the characters have to navigate among both worlds, so in a way it is addressed. But then the main characters, and the "good guy" supporting characters live in an ivory tower. Atenista. All educated abroad. Saenz doesn't even like to listen to Mozart, presumably because such an operatic taste is too common, and prefers the more arcane pieces of Bach. Joanna is introduced as an essentially virtuous character and then her French degree is triumphantly mentioned. When the two meet, the two Filipinos speak in French. This is the sort of thing should clash with the environment of common old Quezon City, but it's never addressed. This might be something that would go over the head of a western reader, but to this Filipino reader, at least, the books seems too unaware of its own elitism.
t0t0roo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
readivine's review against another edition
4.0
This was engaging and disturbing and quite relevant. I feel like I'm not well equipped to review this right now but this was definitely a great read!
nkz21752's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
haechans's review against another edition
4.0
My reading hours are at night and every time I turn a page, I feel like someone’s gonna come inside my room and slice open my face.
I felt kind of disappointed with what happened to Alex. Felt like it was rushed. The whole book was so good though.
I felt kind of disappointed with what happened to Alex. Felt like it was rushed. The whole book was so good though.
benorolfo's review against another edition
4.0
It is gratifying that my first experience with the genre was with this national landmark. At the heart of Batacan's work is a detailed autopsy of not just mysterious serial killings but also of Philippine society and the regressive system that gnaws at crime and the country. A thrilling must-read!
coolgirlsread's review against another edition
3.75
the ending felt lacking for some reason, otherwise it would've been a 5-star read. very eerie and emotional and eye-opening
iamnotkieltho's review against another edition
5.0
Can't go wrong with PH Lit. They never dissapoint. I could see why there was a lot of comparison between the film and the book. But in my preference, they were both excellent in their own way of story telling. It showcases a lot of issues that even now is still evident and prominent. Despite it published around the year 2002, the book is sensational for its timely elements.
zaisgraph's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Absolutely gripping and captivating. Pretty straightforward. Apart from being entertaining, this book says alot of things and says them well. Do I feel that the main themes of corruption and the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church are overused? Yes. Did Miss Batacan handle these well? Also yes! She was not absolutely antagonistic in her POV. Kinda refreshing tbh.
Some of the characters have random motivations that sorta go nowhere. It also feels that she (the author) struggled to create particularly good red herrings. Smaller and Smaller Circles reminded me of a Karin Slaughter procedural, but yeahh this one is better (than the few I've read... keep writing girl!)
Some of the characters have random motivations that sorta go nowhere. It also feels that she (the author) struggled to create particularly good red herrings. Smaller and Smaller Circles reminded me of a Karin Slaughter procedural, but yeahh this one is better (than the few I've read... keep writing girl!)