Brown River, White Ocean: An Anthology of Twentieth-Century Philippine Literature in English [Paperback]

Luis H. Francia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1993

The 31 short stories and 108 poems in this anthology represent a literary history of English writing in the Philippines, from its introduction at the turn of the century to the present. These works belong to the river of Philippine literary tradition, which includes, among others, literatures in Tagalog, Visayan, Spanish, and Ilokano. The works here contain images drawn from different social strata, different time periods, different locales. They represent the spectrum of contemporary Philippine society -- business people, doctors, soldiers, farmers, workers, slum dwellers, immigrants, artists, students. The themes are both modem and timeless -- incest, the burdens of tradition, the horrors of tyranny, exile, love. And the voices are familiar and yet touched with strangeness. In this anthology, from the earliest story, "Dead Stars, " by Paz Marquez Benitez, to Manuel Ortega Abis's recent poem "Strike, " the manifest culture is distinctly and uniquely Filipino.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (July 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813519993
• ISBN-13: 978-0813519999
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great collection of short stories and poems..., May 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brown River, White Ocean: An Anthology of Twentieth-Century Philippine Literature in English (Paperback)

I was introduced to this anthology in my Filipino-American Literature class, and was stunned by what I found. For a person who has never read literature by Filipinos, I can tell you that this anthology presents many different styles of writing (literary devices, plot construction, etc) and will keep you coming back for more. The writers and poets are all so intelligent and creative, so much so that you'll want to find more of their work, that is after you've devoured this anthology! Every Filipino-American can find truth in the clashing of the (two, maybe more!) cultures, and in "Brown River, White Ocean," the struggles with identity are cleverly addressed and written. This is not only a book for Filipino-Americans, but for everybody. Come learn!

5.0 out of 5 stars Brown River, White Ocean, May 11, 2011

By 

rufina jordan (NORMAN, OK, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brown River, White Ocean: An Anthology of Twentieth-Century Philippine Literature in English (Paperback)

An excellent collection of 20th century Philippine literature in English. A good reading for every Filipino and a must for Filipino-Americans and a very interesting reading for those who are interested in Philippine life and culture.