of books and bookstores ( submitted by SS )

F. SIONIL JOSE: PRIDE OF ROSALES, PANGASINAN

I always have a  high admiration for Artists. Without them, life on planet earth would be dry and dreary. That’s why whenever and wherever I have the chance, I pay my respects to them in my own simple way.

One such artist who often received my simple tribute consisting of a short glimpse and a brief memory (as a passenger on board a Padre Faura-bound jeepney coming from San Andres Bukid) is F. Sionil Jose. The object of this tribute was his own bookstore (Solidaridad Book Shop) in Ermita, Manila which was close to Malate where I used to reside. I will always remember the the series of novels and short stories depicting the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society.

Here are some of the praises given to this  citizen from Rosales, Pangasinan:

"... the foremost Filipno novelist in English... his novels deserve a much wider readership than the Philippines can offer. His major work, the Rosales saga, can be read as an allegory for the Filipino in search of an identity..." - Ian Buruma, The New York Review of Books" Sionil Jose writes English prose with a passion that, at its best moments, transcends the immediate scene. (He) is a masterful short story writer..." - Christine Chapman, International Herald Tribune, Paris

" ...America has no counterpart to Jose - no one who is simultaneously a prolific novelist, a social and political organizer, and a small scale entrepreneur...Jose's identity has equiped him to be fully sensitive to the nation's miseries without succumbing, like many of his characters to corruption or despair...- James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly"...The reader of his well crafted stories will learn more about the Philippines, its people and its concerns than from any journalistic account or from a holiday trip there. Jose's books takes us to the heart of the Filipino mind and soul, to the strengths and weaknesses of its men, women, and culture. - Lynne Bundesen, Los Angeles Times

While on vacation in Manila last April 9, I decided to give more than what I used to do; venture inside the store. On finding two young salesladies inside, I asked them if they speak Ilocano or Pangasinan. Both of them said neither as it turned out they were not from Pangasinan. To my request, they allowed me to take pictures. The photo above shows books displayed in a showcase inside.

Here are some of the photos I took outside and inside the store:

"Solidaridad Book Shop" on the way to Mabini St., Ermita. A short distance to the left is where Macario Adriatico St. begins.

 

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From Vic:

So SS, what title (s) did you buy while you were there?

Collecting Philippine books is also one of my passions: I always find  good titles from  second hand book stores. A few are gifts from friends who took holidays in Manila..

Here are a few titles from my Filipiniana library:

IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES-A gripping account of the kidnapping of American missionaries and their year of terror in the Philippine jungle.

 

FOUR DAYS OF COURAGE by Bryan Johnson-The untold story of the Fall of Marcos..

CRISIS IN THE PHILIPPINES ( Edited by John Bresnan )

THE SOCIAL CANCER by Jose Rizal, translated from Spanish by Charles Derbyshire . "This is the novel that started it all," if I am allowed to use a hype popular in promoting the sale of contemporary books. A few Filipino movies were based on this book, the earliest I remember was a black and white film directed by Gerry de Leon ( the grandfather of Christopher de Leon ) . If my memory does not fail me, the actor who played Jose Rizal was Danilo Santos.

THE FIRST FILIPINO - A biography of Jose Rizal by Leon Ma. Guerrero. A copy of this book was given to me by Louena Cruz Untinen, a kind neighbour in Dixon Rd. who visited Manila a few summers ago.

--vic costes