Love in its different forms

Name: Joanna Marie L. Lagan Section: 2POL1 Date: 10/06/21 Literary Work: Si by Bob Ong  (2014)  Source of tweet: https://twitter.com/cathyymaee/status/1414555954952106002

It may be a little bit disappointing to say that for a Political Science student, I have got to admit, I do not really read books that much but when I do, then perhaps I really find that book very interesting and unique. So much so that I am willing to reread it again and again without getting any feeling of exhaustion or losing interest. Sure we can say a lot of books are great and unique in their own way but how would one know if a certain book is beyond astounding? For me, it is when that book was able to attract not just the book lovers but more especially those who do not read much or would rather do other things instead.  The overwhelming feeling of joy as if I have found a treasure in that book, that is exactly how I felt when I discovered Bob Ong’s “Si”. 

Just to give a little bit of my own introduction to this author, Bob Ong is, for me, one of the great Filipino writers who is mostly known for his comedic literary works. He’s been writing for over a decade now and as of now,  it’s still a mystery as to who he really is and his identity is still barricaded  with anonymity. However, this did not really cease him from becoming a bestselling author whenever he published a book. The similarities in his works is that they mostly cover a slice of life of a typical Filipino, mirroring the reality and experiences of common folks. 

Of all Bob Ong’s works that I am familiar with, Si is the most memorable one to me. For some reason this literary work of his appears to be distinctive and different from his usual literary works which always have comedic style but this one is different. Would it be a little bit ironic if I say the book talks about love but it’s not a romantic novel? But that is not the only thing in the book that makes its uniqueness very apparent. For some reason it was mind blowing for me that Bob Ong was able to expand his creativity in his style of writing in this novel wherein he utilized a backward storytelling technique which I do not usually see in many novels particularly the popular ones. This writing technique made me feel like I was in the memoir, slowly going back from the future to the past where it all began as I continuously flipped through the pages but at the same time, moving forward as I began to understand the story better little by little about what happened in the past instead of finding out what was going to happen. 

Remember when I said it’s a little bit ironic how it talks about love but it’s not a romantic novel? Well It’s because It tackles love in its different forms and how people experience these in their lifetime, a reversed storytelling of a life well-lived and full of love. The overall structure of the story, the detailed explanation supplemented by deep Tagalog expressions and idioms made me realize how Philippine literature can be extremely remarkable and this would make a great world literature. It also shows the Filipino culture in the World War II era where the historical events in this book include the Japanese occupation and the EDSA Revolution not to mention its wide utilization of vernacular words that makes you feel like you’re really living in that particular event in the past, or at least that’s how I felt. It was beautifully written with the tragic and bittersweet that life can possibly give to any person. 

The purpose of this book is perhaps to remind us of who we are and who we were as Filipinos and how each generation defines love. And it may also help us in our real life situation by improving our mindset especially when we are in a dreadful state of our lives. The most important thing for me that this book was able to give is that it greatly contributes to the promotion of Philippine Literature by making us appreciate its beauty as well as its remarkable way of  depicting the story from the past without losing not even a bit of interest. It’s unmeasured creativity and unique way of storytelling, its detailed explanation of the events, and how it impacts the readers is what makes this book a masterpiece.