Manila Noir (Akashic Noir)

I rated each story and the average came up to 2.5, and I am rounding it down to 2.I thought I'd try this genre but it's not just for me. Too dark, too cynical, too noir for my taste.Some of the stories I liked: Aviary; The Professor's Wife; Norma From Norman; Comforter of the Afflicted - to this one I gave 5 perfect stars.These are the ones I totally went "bleh!!!" - After Midnight; Cariño Brutal; Trese; Darling, You Can Count On Me; and the story I least liked: The Unintended. The author has got a flair for words, lots of it actually, but it did not translate to a good story. I got totally lost. For a while, I wanted it to end already, and when it did, it was so abrupt it was like I came out of a trance without having a recollection of what happened.One thing for sure, I'm not picking up noir again.

I am a Jessica Hagedorn fan. This book did not disappoint. Easy reading and good writing. My favorites are:Satan has already bought youTrese:Thirteen stationsCarino BrutalComforter of the afflictedThe Professor's wifeDarling you can count on meNorma from Norman

It's interesting to see this tangle of various plots and circumstances through the eyes of so many people - deep and psychological stuff

Multiple writers in this short story collection. I've read several of the city 'Noir' series and was particularly impressed with F. H. Batacan's story in the Manila collection. Jessica Hagedorn pulled together a varied and interesting collection that represents much of modern Manila.

Awesome book. Captures the noir mood perfectly.

Just Ok

Great book!

These stories capture aspects of life beyond the tourist spots in Manila. They portray humanity as it really exists with its flaws and at times grace.

If judged individually, all the stories in this book are fairly well written. However, some of them do repeat the usual noir theme of slums and crime, rich spoiled kids as victims, the marginalized as victims, etc. The stories often get too obvious; unsatisfying for a reader looking for something unique, exciting and new. There's also the factor of using vernaculars that are peculiar to the Filipino language. An outsider (who isn't familiar with the language) reading the story would just get confused (e.g., using a word like "promdi" without explanation), the delight of the story lost in incomprehension.Fortunately, there's a way around this problem. Try not to read this from one story to the next. Mix it up. Start with the last story or the middle story. The theme changes enough for it to be an exiting read. Also, try not to read the book all in one seating. Spread it out. Digest the story before proceeding to the next one. Appreciate the subtleties contained within each of them. Try to have a dictionary handy (Gina Apostol's story is riddled with obscure words). Enjoy!