What is it about?
This book is in Filipino and it only took me hours to finish the entire story (while waiting for the stupid security update to finish). It takes place in the town of Sta. Barbara de Bendita where a super typhoon was said to hit, and to one of the villages under its jurisdiction, Brgy. Magapok, is where Mong (Raymundo Mojica) came back. It was the place where he spent most of his childhood and it also taught him a lot of things (maybe including falling in love). He went back to that place basically for two things—to fulfill his promise to his mom who just passed away and also to cover the super typhoon that’s going to hit the town (he’s a news anchor, by the way).
What I think about it
First of all, typos are prominent in this book, and I’m not sure if this has something to do with the author’s style (the other two books I have of him also had prominent typos). But I don’t have problems with it, to be honest. I was basically dumbfounded by how the story unfolded. The sudden and inexplicable disappearances of the farm animals and even some of the people in the village in the middle of the celebration of the town fiesta could only be seen as a catastrophic phenomenon, or maybe a curse. Sinkholes and tunnels are too scientific, but they’re not exactly missing in the equation. And it wasn’t the reason of the disappearances that left me speechless – it was more of the reason why it was done. And then I’d come to think of it, what if..? Is it… possible? I held on ’till the end, hoping that Mong’s fate, along with the folks of Brgy. Magapok would somehow be justified, but maybe the way the story ended’s the reason why it became a Palanca awardee in the first place.
Tatlong Araw Tatlong Gabi is the kind of book that your Phil Lit professor would require you to read on pop culture (does this even exist?). These were the kinds of books (text book fiction shorts) that you’d find me curled up with when I was in grade school, I kid you not. 😂
Have you read this book? Do you think Mr. Atalia and Bob Ong is somewhat…well, related?
xoxo,
Beth G. ❤