Readers interested in Philippine literature may be pleased.  The novel “Scenes from Manila“ from F. Sionil José -  a very well known English-speaking author in the Philippines - is now published also in German language. The novel – with the original title “Mass” - was written by José in 1976 during a educational stay at Paris and could not be published in the Philippines a long time because of its political explosiveness. The novel represents a kind of keystone of the five “Rosales-Books”, in which the author picks up the period of a century in a kind of “Family-Saga”. The period comes to life in the actions of a number of  figures.

“Szenen aus Manila" outlines in his central figure the development a young non-martially born Filipino, who comes in  the seventies to Manila, in order to study there at an inexpensive “examination-mill”.  The central figure appears in the beginning of novel not as dreamy idealist  - like in many other novels  of education -, he presents him- self as selfish opportunist, surprising  his academic environment through his realistic sarcasm. For reasons of money and good meals he deals a short time also with narcotics. Because of his literary and organizational qualifications he gets promoted as head of a students club and becomes later member of a social-revolutionary brotherhood, fighting with publications  and demonstrations for the rights of the underprivileged and suppressed people. The death of a college friend during a fired demonstration and the arrest and torture through the secret police of Marcos-era (in the novel the name of Marcos is mentioned only by the way) leads him finally in opposition to the existing regime and his social order.

The novel has a lot of minor characters.  There are not only several girl friends from different social milieus, which give the novel its emotional-erotic passages.  There exits a father figure in person of Pater Jesse, a idealistic friend of youth with name Toto, the former Huk-leader Ka Lucio as well as the rich patron of the brotherhood and later “mole” Puneta, which is shot down after his betrayal by the main figure of novel.  In these figures the social strained relations in the Philippines are reflected. The dialogues are thrilling and local colors are offered.

It remains to hope, that also other novels and publications of F.S.  José could find German publishers. 

© Copyright W.  Bethge, 1994