my gripe

I copy/pasted this piece from a blog site which shall remain nameless and posted it initially at the TRW mailing list. Lumang blog na ito, october 2003 pa nakita ko lang sa archives.

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Aagawin Kita Sa Kanya

Sorry, to all you non-Tagalog speaking readers out there, but I had to blog this in:

I was going through Divisoria.com, trying to survey the online shopping playing field in the Philippines, and I clicked into "Precious Hearts Romances". These are romantic novels by Martha Cecilia, the kind that are sold in National Bookstore and hawked in bus stops. The kind that steal foreign movie posters and turn them into watercolor covers. The kind that snooty people (who ride the bus), like you and me, wouldn't be caught dead reading.

Well, here's a synopis of one of those books courtesy of Divisoria.com. Consider being warned:

Si Allana, businesswoman sa gulang na 24. May boyfriend, si Mark. Guwapo, mayaman ay (sic) executive. Simple at tahimik ang relasyon nila at niyayaya na siya nitong pakasal. Bigla ay nauga ang tahimik niyang mundo nang minsang masira ang kotse niya at mapilitan siyang mag-jeep. Ang driver ng jeep, si Rafael, na sa imahinasyon ng dalaga ay lookp-alike ni Lorenzo Llamas.

Si Rafel (sic) na kung tumitig ay matutunaw kahit batong-buhay! Ipagpapalit ba niya si Mark kay Rafael na sa alip na modelong kotse ay jeep ang minamaneho, at sa halip na attache case ay tool box ang dala-dala?

1. Why would Lorenzo Friggin Llamas be the hunk standard-bearer among Filipino jeepney drivers? Someone give me an answer before I put a bullet in my head.

2. Makukuha kaya si Allana sa isang tingin?

3. Akin na lang si Mark.

It seems to me, after going through the other synopsis (out of investigative curiousity, clearly nothing pleasant came out of this exercise), that there are two predominant themes: some of the novels are about a Filipina on the verge of committing an act of duplicity, deceit or romantic treachery; the others, about finding true love in a most unlikely situation. Gee, I guess it's true that Filipinasnever experience unrequited love (only the men do).

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My take,
lahat tayo entitled sa sarili nating mga opinyon at wala namang masama kung ilalahad natin iyon. ang hindi ko lang naibigan ay kung bakit negatibo pa din ang pananaw ng karamihan sa mg isinusulat natin. kung alam lang sana nila ang hirap na dinaranas natin sa pagbuo ng isang nobela! aba, hindi yata biro ang magsulat ng 100 pages!!

nakaka-frustrate hindi ba? despite all our effort, despite our blood sweat and tears ay ganyan pa ang feedback na makukuha natin bilang kapalit. kailan kaya magbabago ang tingin nila sa genre natin? kailan kaya aangat ang imahe ng romance fiction sa bansa? sabi ng may-ari ng blog "there are two predominant themes" daw. hindi ba niya nauunawaan na kaya nga isang genre ang romance fiction ay dahil may
hulmahan tayong sinusonod? kudos to us dahil sa kabila ng kahon natin, we still
manage to be creative.

you could say im a half empty kind of person (as in, is the glass half full or half empty) alam ko namang marami din ang nasisiyahan sa mga likha natin. but still... iba pa din kasi kapag negatibo, tumitimo talaga sa pagkatao.

buti na lang at mas marami ang nasisiyahan kaysa hindi sa mga libro natin. malinaw na halimbawa na mga komento ng nakabasa ng nasabing blog na k-in-opy past ko din sa ibaba. isa lang ang negatibo, all the rest ay pabor kay MC save for one na hindi ko maintindihan... speaking of MC, kawawa naman sya, wala siyang kamalay-malay na nililbak na pala ang libro niya

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Pati ba grammar ng Filipino novelists, ganyan na rin? Parang tabloid, ah! Yung kwento, malalayo pa ba yan sa mga kasuka-sukang telenovelas sa TV na twing madadaanan ko sa pag-pindot ng remote eh parating may sumisigaw o nagsasampalan?
Posted by Perfectly Sassy
at October 15, 2003 11:53 AM

Nihao!
I just read this thingie posted 'bout Martha Cecilia and her books. K. M not gonna argue 'bout the grammar 'coz sometimes i get weirded out myself but you have got to try reading some more of her books. Just because you read one and thinks it's bad doesn't necessarily mean that all of her books are. Besides, so you don't like reading tagalog romance pocketbooks but somebody else likes them. And personally, i could be caught dead reading her book. At least Martha Cecilia's and Rose Tan's.
Posted by Just Me at November 10, 2003 02:53 PM

the best na author si Martha Cecilia!walang kokontra!(".)......
Posted by at August 3, 2004 05:01 AM

Ola,
Martha Cecilia is the best author of Romance pocketbooks.. That's why, i already collected all of her works, especially the "Kristine Series" from "Devil's Kiss"-Vol.1 up to "Have you looked into my Heart" -Vol.43... Superb!!!!
Posted by Piscean Girl at September 20, 2004 05:40 AM

i love reading Martha Cecilia's works. i thing they are the best. i've been reading her work since i was in my first year in college and thats 8 years ago. she's the only filipino pocketbook author that i read. i love the works of johanna lindsay and lisa kleypas and others. i collect M.C. works especially the Kristine Series. i all love the fortalejo men. i'll let you in a small secret of mine.

Bernard Fortalejo is my first love, weird? nah its just that M.C. is soooooo good in giving life to her characters that i really fell in love with my beloved Bernard. and that twist in bernard-jewel-diana love triangle, gosh for the first time in my life, i cried over reading a novel. now i have my first boyfriend (and hope he'll be the last) in one way or another he's like a fortalejo. when were talking and he's asking me where do i want to go, i always say that i love to take a vacation at Paso de Blas, Palawan and stay at Kristine Hotel. i didn't know he tried to save up for my dream vacation and tried to find the hotel to ask for room accomodations, you just know how touched i was for his gesture, and how dumbfounded he was when i told him about Paso de Blas and we always laugh about it when we reminisce about it
Posted by Yui at October 4, 2004 11:33 AM

wheew!
Its good i found this website! I red Martha Cecilia's "Someday my Prince" and the guy always enter my mind. It was written there that prince is your son's schoolmate when he was in high school. Can I know what school is it?
Posted by ehna at October 10, 2004 06:04 AM

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