elingunnar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
levi_masuli's review against another edition
3.0
Ilustrado is the perfect hearty meal for the sophisticated literati. It employs a wide array of cute literary techniques and displays wide knowledge on a many issues especially the Philippine political situation, the state of Philippine literature/ writers, internal struggles, to mention a few. However, despite its overtly high artistic ambitions, I find its open-ended diagnosis of Philippine society lacking. The 'empty box'which supposedly contains Crispin Salvador's magnum opus symbolizes less of a bleak commentary on the ills of society and more of an allegory to the novel's subservience to the post-structuralist/ post-modernist defeatism. Like the titular protagonist Miguel Syjuco, the novel is confused and rendered immobile to act with commitment-- a symptom of the Cold War-era incredulity towards grand systemic struggles, and therefore lacks the subversive power of an authentically radical literature. It is no wonder that the novel is popular among the circles of the politically-hesitant literati.
jenlabrador's review against another edition
3.0
I think if someone read this and did not have any ties or familiarity with Filipino culture this book would be 1-2 stars. Knowing things about Filipinos, the cons of this book (a sense of fragmentation, cumbersome and pretentious wording) made sense in the greater whole of what it was trying to achieve i.e. questions about identity and nationalism. As a Filipina-American I did get more insight into the Philippines and its current culture, thus the 3 stars. However, the read itself was not very enjoyable. I mildly enjoyed it while reading, but when I put it down for breaks, I was not really compelled to go back and read it again.
earlapvaldez's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
matthijsgardeniers's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gellyreads's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I realize that books where you have to piece things together and you don’t have one clear, cohesive narrative aren’t for me. I also don’t know how much of the lack of background info was an issue to understanding (I picked this up hoping to learn more, even though it was fiction). I also acknowledge that I know I need to speed-read when I realize I can’t connect with a book if I decide to not DNF it.
But. Wow. This was tough. I have no idea who Sadie was with. I struggled with the constant POV changed and the lack of dialogue tags. This was just not for me at all. I would love for someone to explain this book to me in a patient way, because I want to get it.
But. Wow. This was tough. I have no idea who Sadie was with. I struggled with the constant POV changed and the lack of dialogue tags. This was just not for me at all. I would love for someone to explain this book to me in a patient way, because I want to get it.
gfarinas's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
adambwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Was certain I’d give this one a three because of what felt like tortured and convoluted (too precious?) stylistics, and the homophobia, but the last chapter and epilogue were redeeming and the rest of the book is definitely a raw and wide view of the Philippines, its history, politics, and people. The core theme turns out to be a question of art and life, and time, which made sense, in the end. Maybe I call it a 3.5?