But for the Lovers [Paperback]

Wilfrido D. Nolledo (Author), Robert Coover (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1994

In the 25 years since its original publication, But for the Lovers has acquired an underground reputation as one of the most remarkable novels about World War II, doing for the Pacific war theater what Joseph Heller's Catch-22 did for the European one. Set in the Philippines, But for the Lovers depicts the survival of a cross-section of Filipinos during the Japanese Occupation and the American Liberation. The cast is enormous, including an old man who used to wander the countryside entertaining children, a young girl raped by Japanese soldiers, guerrilla messengers bringing word of the coming of the American army, and a Japanese major who views the war as the first step of the liberation of the Asian people from Western civilization. This extraordinary novel is no less remarkable for the power and the beauty of its language than for the exotic and magical world it creates. Ranging from hallucinatory lyricism to documentary realism, from black humor sketches to scenes of horror and degradation, But for the Lovers is a rich and complex exploration of language, history, and mythology. The hardcover edition (Dutton, 1970) was praised by the New York Times Book Review as "stunning"; this is the first paperback edition, for which novelist Robert Coover has written an appreciative foreword.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For his first English novel, this Filipino author received high praise, including that of LJ's reviewer who claimed Nolledo "[has] perfect control of technique, and appears, enviably, to be able to write almost as he pleases" (LJ 11/1/70). The novel is set in Manila during the Japanese occupation as the American invasion is beginning. This remains an "important novel."
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The book shows the Philippines as a land of people struggling for hope, surviving against the tyranny of the Japanese as they await General MacArthur's return. But for the Lovers is a classic story of love, war, and freedom." -- Explanasian Spring 95

"This is a strange, compelling book that has the tortuous complexity and is fraught with the labyrinthine terrors of a dream. . . . -- Publishers Weekly 8-3-70

"[Nolledo's] deliberately disjointed style merges personalities and events into one stunning nightmarewith a momentum all its own, and a built-in, kaleidoscopic continuity." -- Martin Levin, New York Times Book Review 10-15-70

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564780678
• ISBN-13: 978-1564780676
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,080,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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