The Samsons: Two Novels The Pretenders and Mass (Modern Library) [Paperback]

F. Sionil Jose (Author)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library | Publication Date: August 29, 2000

With these two passionate, vividly realistic novels, The Pretenders and Mass,
F. Sionil José concludes his epochal Rosales Saga. The five volumes span much of the turbulent modern history of the Philippines, a beautiful and embattled nation once occupied by the Spanish, overrun by the Japanese, and dominated by the United States. The portraits painted in The Samsons, and in the previously published Modern Library paperback editions of Dusk and Don Vicente (containing Tree and My Brother, My Executioner), are vivid renderings of one family from the village of Rosales who contend with the forces of oppression and human nature.

Antonio Samson of The Pretenders is ambitious, educated, and torn by conflicting ideas of revolution. He marries well, which leads to his eventual downfall. In Mass, Pepe Samson, the bastard son of Antonio, is also ambitious, but in different ways. He comes to Manila mainly to satisfy his appetites, and after adventures erotic and economic, finds his life taking a surprising turn. Together, these novels form a portrait of a village and a nation, and conclude one of the masterpieces of Southeast Asian literature.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jos is perhaps the Philippines' most admired living novelist, best known for his Rosales series. The two novels published together here are chronologically the final installments in the saga, following Don Vicente (also comprising two novels, Tree and My Brother, My Executioner) and Dusk. Like certain of Bertolt Brecht's plays, the works elaborate and test a central, popular maxim: every man has his price. In The Pretenders, set in the years after WWII, the man in question is Antonio Samson. Tony travels to the U.S., leaving behind his cousin Emy, who, unbeknownst to him, is pregnant with his son. There, he meets Carmen Villa, the daughter of a rich mestizo industrialist, Don Manuel. When Tony returns to the Philippines, engaged to Carmen, Don Manuel proceeds to show Tony how easy it is to buy people. Tony barely protests: he accepts a position with the Villas and goes along with shady business plans. Don Manuel proves his point when he shows Tony a canceled check made out to a magazine journalist whom Tony regards as a man of integrity. Almost simultaneously, Tony realizes that Carmen has lost respect for him and is having an affair. Pushed too far at last, Tony rebels in the only way left to him. The second novel, Mass, is narrated by Tony's bastard son, Jos , or "Pepe." Raised by Emy in her native village of Cabugawan, Pepe comes to Manila to attend college, living with his aunt on a lower-middle-class street in Manila, in his father's old room. The next-door neighbor is the mistress of Kuya Nick, a gangster who, like Don Manuel, believes wholeheartedly in human corruptibility. Pepe does some drug dealing for Kuya Nick, but the underworld isn't for him. Instead, through his friend Toto he becomes involved with the Brotherhood, a revolutionary group. After he is shaken by two violent events, Pepe finally commits a truly revolutionary act. Jos 's effects may be achieved in broad strokes, but this dark panoramic vision of the Philippines powerfully drives its message home: a society intent only on calculating a man's price is one that ultimately devalues all men. (Aug.)

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The Pretenders and Mass, first published in the Philippines in 1962 and 1979, respectively, are the last two installments of the five-volume "Rosales Saga," which chronicles the peasant uprisings in the Philippines, focusing on the Samson family. The Pretenders tells the story of Antonio Samson, a Harvard Ph.D., who returns to the Philippines and marries into a wealthy industrial family. His growing sense that he has not only been betrayed by his new family but has also betrayed his own people and beliefs lead to suicide. His life and death leave an indelible mark on his wife's family, and she publishes his thesis, which influences the next generation of revolutionaries. Mass is narrated in the first person by Samson's illegitimate son, Jos . Unlike his ambitious father, Jos aspires to nothing but a full stomach. Others who notice his intelligence and charisma have different ideas, however, and he is eventually persuaded to take a leading role in the organization of student protests against the Marcos regime. Unlike his father, he survives to tell the story of his own life, but his father speaks from the grave through his writings. The author offers both an engrossing story of a father and son and a rich portrait of the Filipino people and their struggles to survive the degradation of colonialism and national and corporate greed. All libraries should add these works to their collections.DRebecca Stuhr , Grinnell Coll. Libs., IA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library; 1st edition (August 29, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375752447
• ISBN-13: 978-0375752445
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,086,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the pretenders, March 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Samsons: Two Novels The Pretenders and Mass (Modern Library) (Paperback)

pls give me the novel analysis of the novel of Sionil Jose THE PRETENDERS. The summary of it the setting the plot the theme the characters the summary of each chapter

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insights, but no way out, November 19, 2001

By 

hergen albus (Gustavsburg, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Samsons: Two Novels The Pretenders and Mass (Modern Library) (Paperback)

"There has to be a revolution, and I hope that I will live to see it" is what F. Sionil Jose says about the subject. The two books that comprise The Samsons show why this is so. Antonio Samson, a son of poor parents, whose father is in prison for leading a rebellion against his landlord, goes to the US on a stipend to study. There he writes a book about the illustrados, the landowning class and develops revolutionary ideas how his homecounty has to be changed. Then he meets and marries the daughter of an illustrado, and subsequentially becomes an illustrado himself. It becomes clear that everybody can be corrupted, and as Antonio Samson realizes this, he commits suicide.
Incidentally, the story of Pepe, his illetigimate son, goes otherwise around. Self-centered first, he enters into student politics to make money and be able to eat every day. But when he gets emotionally involved into the movement, he finds out, that his brotherhood is corrupted by the illustrados. After killing one of them, he decides to go to the mountains to fight, as there seems to be no other way.
F. Sionil Jose makes it clear: There can be no just society with the landowning class, the traditionell politicians, and the chances of a revolution by the poor people are rather small, but they only chances there are. Two novels, or a powerful political statement.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MASS, January 13, 2004

By 

Israel N. Garcia (Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Samsons: Two Novels The Pretenders and Mass (Modern Library) (Paperback)

Please can you give me the novel analysis of Sionil Jose's MASS. The summary of it, setting, plot, theme, characters and summary of each chapter. Thanks a lot! in advnace. It's a great help.