VANESSA’S VAEKARIA BOOK 2 (ISADORA, ANG HULING TUNAY NA BIRHEN NG LAMIA): A POPULAR CLASSIC AND A GOLD-MINE IN THE MAKING

 

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

If you have been following my blog, you know I was pleasantly surprised by the first book in Vanessa’s Vaekaria series (Andrei, Ang Itinakwil Na Anak Ng Tenon), and was curious about its forthcoming installments.  Well, here at last is Book Two, and I must say I am more than pleasantly surprised by this book.  In fact, I am absolutely bowled over by it and I just love, love, LOVE this book!  Move over, Harry Potter and Mortal Instruments … for here is Vaekaria … and guess what?  It’s Proudly Philippine-Made!

Vanessa’s wonderful second book is the story of Isadora, a wizard of heavenly beauty and brains.  She disguises herself as a “love slave” in a brothel called “Talutot” in order to get close to (and eliminate) the warrior Vaekarian champions and thus save Yorgos, her childhood friend and secret love.  It is on this mission that she meets a warrior named Pyrros.  Isadora is supposed to hate Pyrros, but for some reason, Pyrros reminds her of someone very important in her life … soon, Isadora finds herself falling for Pyrros … but Pyrros is a criminal!  Pyrros wants to kill Yorgos!  What must she do?

Many Filipino readers are turned off by the prospect of reading books in Filipino because they have the impression that books in Filipino are either (1) Trashy, or (2) Heavy and boring as hell.  Well, this book is well-made and extremely entertaining … definitely worth your money from the very first down to the very last page.

I don’t think I have come across an original book in Filipino that is as funny and entertaining as this one.  I was laughing out loud by the time I made it to the second page, and the laughs just kept on coming.  The characters are very lovable and entertaining, including some of Vanessa’s side characters (you just have to love Isadora’s pet frog and its special, er, “ability”!).  The story advances along quite smoothly and quickly, there’s never a dull moment, and there are really surprise twists that are just very entertaining.  Of course, keep in mind that this book wasn’t written to change the world … but this book does deliver and gives its reader a hell of a good time. 

In fact, this gem of a book is such a wonderful read that I wish the publisher would consider translating this book into English and exporting it … give the global reading market a sampling of popular Filipino fiction!  I do believe it has the potential of doing very well in the international market.  I also think the networks or the producers would be fools not to bring this story to life in a movie (an MMFF entry, at least!) or a telenovela.  If there’s anything that can revive the love of Filipinos for the fantaserye trend, I believe this book is  it.  Why, I can already imagine the actors and actresses who could bring life to this story! 

I really have to congratulate Vanessa for coming up with such an entertaining and memorable book … and yes, I can’t wait for Book Three to come out!

RATING:  5

VANESSA’S VAEKARIA BOOK 1 (ANDREI, ANG ITINAKWIL NA ANAK NG TENON): ROMANCE-FANTASY, PINOY-STYLE

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

To be honest, I really wish writers would stop writing about creatures --- I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s fed up with all these stories featuring wizards, warlocks, elves, vampires and other mythical beings … but then, I came across THIS book in a Precious Pages bookstore and my curiosity was piqued.  It’s an epic story written by Vanessa, one of Precious Pages Corporation’s romance writers and I just had to see for myself if this very thick book was worth my time and money. 

In the first book of her series, Vanessa introduces us to the world of Vaekaria, and its inhabitants.  Vaekaria consists of five states or territories, each with its own kind of magical powers and creatures.  Vaekaria was sealed off hundreds of years ago, and its inhabitants cannot cross to the world of human beings (Nador Theal) without losing their powers.  On the other hand, mortal beings cannot enter Vaekaria without being accompanied by one of its magical residents.

Alexandra, a wizard of sorts, enters the mortal world together with her beautiful, beki friend, Venus, for a special mission.  She has to bring back Andrei, a gorgeous, womanizing rock star who’s actually a vampire, into her world so he can save her fiancé, Yorgos, who has been imprisoned for many, many years.  At first, Alexandra hates Andrei’s guts (she hates ALL vampires, for one thing); but she finds herself drawn to him.  Pretty soon, Alexandra is in love with Andrei … but she’s supposed to marry Yorgos!

Vaekaria is a typical Pinoy romance that rides on the currently popular trend of mythical/magical creatures and other worlds/dimensions in fiction.  To be honest, I expected to be bored to tears by this book (I have reached my saturation point when it comes to reading about magical creatures and kingdoms, and The Lord of the Rings gave me a headache), but this book was surprisingly entertaining, owing largely to its Pinoy touch.  I especially enjoyed reading the antics of Alexandra’s beki friend, Venus, who almost stole the show from Vanessa’s main characters, with her laugh-out-loud quotable quotes and antics.  Between the Mortal Instruments series and this book, I think I had more fun reading this.

I wonder what happens in Book 2 …

RATING:  4

PRECIOUS PAGES CORPORATION’S GRAND FANS’ DAY: A LOOK INSIDE THE HEART OF A COMPANY AND ITS ROMANTIC-TO-THE-MAX FANBASE

 

VIEW FROM THE ENTRANCE

I went to SM North Edsa last May 17 to do some window-shopping.  I parked my car on the fifth floor of the Main building and was on my way to Book Sale when I heard all this loud, wild screaming .  When I say loud, I mean LOUD!  Loud enough for the screams to be heard from the fourth floor.  I was curious as to what was going on, so I went to the source of all the screaming.  It turns out the screaming was coming from the third floor.  Hundreds of fans --- most of them female --- had come to celebrate this event called the Grand Fans’ Day, which was organized in their honor by the local publishing house, Precious Pages Corporation.

A number of SM’s security guards milled around to make the area was a safe place for the fans to enjoy their special day.  When I arrived, the fans were cheering for some of their peers, who were trying to out-act and out-emote each other, quoting lines from books made by their favorite romance authors.  I couldn’t help but laugh, yell and clap along with the fans, who really seemed to be having so much fun.  Their enthusiasm and enjoyment were really infectious, and I observed that even the people who were just passing by couldn’t help but also smile at what was going on.

I think the winner(s) of that game were given Precious Pages gift certificates.  I also saw raffle prizes being given out, while the fans enjoyed the snacks Precious Pages handed out. 

There were a number of audio-visual presentations during the program, which included a presentation/contest called “Who’s the Biggest PHR Fan?”  Wow.  I’ve always known that Pinoys were romantics at heart, but I didn’t know just how romantic they  were.  Turns out there are actually Pinoys out there who collect Precious Pages' romance books.  And when I say collect, I mean, COLLECT by the hundreds and thousands!  

FANS IN "BEST ACTRESS" MODE AS THEY "ACT OUT" QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM POPULAR PRECIOUS HEARTS ROMANCES

If I’m not mistaken, this lady who won the “Biggest PHR Fan” contest was this lady who had more than a thousand Precious Hearts romances in her collection.  Wow.  That’s a lot of money to be spent on romance!  I think she was gifted by an I-Pad2 by the company president, Segundo Matias, Jr. 

There were people who volunteered to display their musical talent during the event, such as the Eugenio Lopez, Sr. Foundation Rondalla (I hope I got the group’s name right), and two ladies/fans (one sang while one played the guitar).  These numbers were given a polite, grateful reception by the fans … but if you want to know what the word “WILD” means, you should have seen the fans’ reaction when this video flashed on screen.  It was a teaser of sorts to announce this line of fragrances (called Stallion), which I understand is based on the names of popular Precious Pages characters/heroines.  The screams were definitely louder this time, and you should have seen how these fans scrambled for a vial sample of these fragrances.  You’d think they were scrambling for gold!  I was almost afraid a stampede would occur, the fans were that enthusiastic.  

THE EUGENIO LOPEZ, SR. FOUNDATION RONDALLA

YES, PRECIOUS HEARTS FANS CAN SING, TOO!

But if you really want to know what “WILD!” sounds and looks like, then you should have seen what happened when a number of the Precious Hearts romance writers came onstage.  The fans were screaming so loudly for their favorite authors, you’d think they were screaming for artistas!  I didn’t know these writers were so popular.

The Precious Hearts romance writers that I saw was a bunch of very young women (probably in their twenties to thirties), who all looked very average, except that the people screamed upon seeing them.  If the fans took the time to see them, it was obvious these writers took their time to look their best for their fans.  They were well-dressed, well-mannered, somewhat overwhelmed but very, very delighted at the show of support for their work.

When it was time for the “Meet and Greet,” you’d swear it was Election Day all over again, given the number of people that scrambled in line so they could meet their favorite authors and have their books autographed by them (come to think of it, there was no line, just a sea of people!).  Meanwhile, the other younger/less senior writers milled around and chatted with the other fans, signed the books the fans had brought and had their pictures taken with them.  

ONE OF PRECIOUS PAGES CORPORATION'S NEWEST ROMANCE AUTHORS

 

THE LAST DAY OF FILING INCOME TAX RETURNS?  NO.  ELECTION DAY?  NO.  FANS LINING UP TO MEET THEIR FAVORITE PRECIOUS HEARTS ROMANCES AUTHORS?  YES!

I also noticed that their host, a young, attractive, charming guy was also receiving his fair share of attention.  He apparently had a fan base of his own, given the way the people reacted to him --- asking for his Facebook account details so they could connect to his network, asking for his autograph, having their pictures taken with him, kissing him … well, if he’s not an artista, I won’t be surprised if he becomes one pretty soon, given the way the people responded to him!  

 

THE HOST, WHO CAPTURED THE FANS' HEARTS THAT DAY --- WHAT A NICE GUY!

It was at this point that I went on my way to do what I had planned on doing.  Well, guess what?  I made my way to the parking lot and passed the same area an hour or two later and the lines had actually grown LONGER!  (I wonder what time they finished).

I was really impressed by Precious Pages’ grand gesture of love to its fans.  You don’t see many companies doing that, thanking their readers for their support.  I also noticed the show of unity among its employees.  Each one of them wore a black Precious Pages Corporation shirt;  even its president, who was so low-key and unassuming, you wouldn’t think he was the president until he was called to the stage.  You don’t get to see many presidents like that!  And he and the employees all looked like they thoroughly enjoyed seeing the happiness on their readers’ faces. How cool is that?

Perhaps, the company could consider having more than one designated area for the Meet and Greet the next time it holds such an event, so the fans won’t be converging in one tiny area (and looking like a bunch of voters in a tiny precinct at the peak hour of elections).  I think it was great that the other writers milled around and chatted with their fans.  Maybe the senior writers could also do that for their fans.  And if the company wants to give out samples of their products, maybe they can do that as the fans enter the venue, right before the program starts.  That way, there wouldn’t be a near-stampede, and everyone would focus more on the program. 

While I’ll never totally understand why people would go gaga at the sight of fragrance samples, or scream at writers as if they were celebrities, I know passion and enthusiasm when I see it.  And passion and enthusiasm were in abundance that day, in each of those fans, in those writers, and the people of Precious Pages Corporation. 

Just like love and romance, the books Precious Pages Corporation is known for, that event brought a smile to my face and made me laugh, and I know many passersby had the same experience.  All in all, the Precious Pages’ Grand Fans’ Day was an afternoon of fun, of romance, and gratitude.  Now if only every day were just like that …

THE FILIPINO TRANSLATION OF “FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY”: SURPRISE! THE TRANSLATION IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN THE BOOK!

RATING GUIDE:

                       

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

Last year, a Philippine publishing house, Precious Pages Corporation, published its first-ever translation of a popular novel, that of Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight.  This bold move caused quite a stir, and a number of book lovers (like yours truly) asked many questions, such as the following:  Will the translation be any good?  Will book readers accept the idea of translating popular novels?  What book(s) will be translated next?  Will it be (GASP!) Fifty Shades Of Gray?

Apparently, Precious Pages Corporation’s decision to make translations of popular novels available to the public has been a very good one.  Even though the Filipino translation of Twilight received mixed reviews, Precious Pages has soldiered on in its vision to give the reading public a wider variety of popular material in Filipino.  In the last few months, it has released the translations of other titles, such as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Catching Fire (The translations are selling well, I guess). And just recently, it has released the long-awaited (or long-dreaded) Filipino translation of EL James’ Fifty Shades Of Gray. 

If you have read my book reviews of EL James’ Fifty Shades trilogy, it would be obvious that I’m not really a fan of this book series.  But since I am a new convert to reading Filipino translations, I got a copy of the Filipino translation of Fifty Shades and got ready to … what’s the right word … oh, yes.  Puke.   

Imagine my surprise when I finished reading the translation  without feeling any urge to run into the bathroom and vomit my guts out.  In fact, it took me a much shorter time to finish reading it (as opposed to its English original, which was almost an intolerable chore to read).  What do you know?  Believe it or not, the translation is actually better than the book.  Surprised?  Well, I am, considering how bad the source book is.

Thanks to the sensible and careful efforts of Precious Pages’ translation and editing team, the Filipino translation of Fifty Shades Of Gray is a much smoother and quicker read.  I was sooooo glad that the team minimized the number of times I had to read about the color of Christian Gray’s eyes, or the shape of Christian’s fingers, or Ana’s lip-biting, enticing ways.  I mean, hey, the book readers aren’t idiots (well, most of us aren’t).  You don’t need to tell us a hundred times that Christian’s eyes are gray before we realize that they ARE gray.   I mean, come on!

In the original book, Ana sounded like a British woman desperately trying to sound like a young American girl.  In the translation, Ana’s voice is very young and Pinay.  She also sounds more “normal” compared to the original Ana, whose capacity for vulgarity came in stages (it took her a huge dose of Christian Gray before her swearing progressed from “Holy crap” to “Holy fuck”).  In the translation, there are no such levels and distinctions, and we know exactly how Ana feels the moment she goes “Putang ina!”

Wow.  Ang lutong ng mura, parang chicharon!

This “direct approach” is also applied to the book’s abundant sex scenes.  Instead of using euphemisms for body parts or sexual terms (the kinds we read about in those seedy underground tabloid columns or magazines), the translating and editing team calls a spade a spade.  Walang preno.  Breasts are not mountains but suso, the clitoris is not a gem but tinggil, and so on and so forth.  I don’t know if that approach would raise the nausea factor for other book readers, but that approach worked well for me.  I probably would have rolled my eyes or snickered had I found any of the euphemisms being used in the translated version.

I also discovered something surprising about reading translations.  If you have read any of my previous posts, you would know that I am a recent convert to reading translations.  I just enjoy reading books in their original form and reading their translated versions.  So far, I have talked about the surprising things that happen when one reads a Filipino translation.  In my experience, a translation is easier to read.  It takes less time, the words are processed by the brain much quicker and much more smoothly, the details are more vivid.  I also experienced this while reading the translation of Fifty Shades, but what’s surprising is, I liked Christian Gray MORE when I read the translation.  He was a dangerous asshole in the original, but he morphed into an almost-normal guy with many issues when I read the Filipino version.  Ana, meanwhile, became younger, natural-sounding and more like your average Pinay … and believe it or not, the sex scenes became less gag-worthy and more acceptable.  Steamy, even.  I’m not kidding.

While I will never consider the English Fifty Shades trilogy as something I might want in my book collection, the Filipino Fifty Shades is a very sharp, accurate, readable and (dare I say this) enjoyable translation to read.  Much, much better than the original.

RATING:  4 1/2

               

           

MARICAR DIZON’S “THE INFAMOUS BIKER’S CLUB” SERIES: PROOF THAT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT (WELL, ALMOST) …

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

“The Infamous Biker’s Club” series consists of five books, whose stories range from your everyday, garden variety romance, to that which deal with slightly more serious matter, such as death and moving on.  

The book “Love Coach” is the story of Angelique, a sheltered, manang-ish girl who meets bad boy kuno Aio after she is dumped by James, the user-friendly object of her affection.  Aio who can handle makeup brushes as well as a bike (no, he’s not a parlorista, and yes, he’s straight!) not only gives Angelique a makeover that turns her into a drool-worthy babe, but also volunteers to be her pretend boyfriend so she can exact her revenge upon James.  Angelique eventually falls in love with Aio, but can Aio truly fall in love with someone like her?

 

The second book, “The Rugged Knight,” is the story of Ria, a sheltered, lonely girl, who begins to stand up for herself after she meets Greg, another biker boy.  But Greg is nothing at all like what her upper crust family wants for her.  Worse, they want to marry her off to someone else!

 “The Troublemaker” is the story of Sissy, a working student, whose thoughts of love (and lust) are awakened for the first time when she meets Jet, a rich kid and rebellious biker boy.  Jet has a huge chip in his shoulder in the form of his brother, Jordan.  Jet can’t stand being compared to Jordan and so rebels at every opportunity.  He continues evading his responsibilities as a grown-up and as a member of his family until … surprise, surprise!  He learns that Jordan is actually engaged to be married to Sissy!

“The Lone Wolf” is the story of Carrie, a beautiful lady who can actually get any boy she wants.  But then, Carrie only has eyes for Martin, who has shut himself off from love after the death of his first girlfriend and only love, Camille.  Can Carrie make Martin fall in love again?

 

The last book, “The Untamed Cupid,” is the story of Janis, a rich, beautiful bitch of a travel blogger who also happens to be the black sheep in her family.  But there’s a hidden, more real side to Janis, and it’s a side that she displays to no one, until she meets Yuuji, the kind, gentle and sensitive biker boy (who’s as good with a pastry brush as well as his bike).  Janis wants him, but how can she win him over?  Yuuji refuses to have anything to do with her, not after the way she broke his heart years ago.

In “The Untamed Cupid,” Maricar writes, “As a writer, I know na baguhan pa lang talaga ako. As in, there are times when I don’t feel confident about my work. I know it’s so newbie. Pero ang pakonsuwelo ko sa sarili ko at ipapalusot ko na rin sa mga nakabasa na ng gawa ko: I believe I can do so much better next time. Kailangan lang ng practice at lakas ng loob na sumubok ng bago. Tunog palusot talaga, `no? Pero seryoso, susubukan ko talaga. ^^ “

This book series does reflect Maricar Dizon’s “newbie-ness”.  The first three books in the series are pretty ordinary and not really that well-written.  If these books were cake, they’d what I would call a little “hilaw,” for other than the “kilig” factor, there’s nothing much in the areas of story and character development. 

I am also slightly disturbed by a couple of the heroines’ willingness to sleep with their hunky heroes that quickly, despite the fact that they really don’t know much about them.  Call me conservative (which I am, in a way), but I just think authors need to be more conscious of their power to influence their readers.  While I do understand that the times are different now, and that pre-marital sex seems to be more of the norm rather than the exception, I still believe that pre-marital sex needs to be discussed in a more mature and responsible way.  Sure, the “first time” can be a romantic experience, but there are consequences to unprotected sex and having sex with someone you barely know and just idealize in your head.  Just look at the ballooning figure of teenage pregnancies out there, or the spread of HIV-AIDS.  Even though romances are escapist fare, I just think authors can be a little more aware of their power to influence their readers.  If they’re going to have their characters engage in pre-marital sex, then maybe, they could at least make it safe sex?  And show the consequences.  Because there ARE consequences to unprotected sex and sex with someone you barely know. 

But Maricar’s effort at improving her craft does show in the last two books, “The Lone Wolf” and especially “The Untamed Cupid”.  In these books, Maricar is at last able to create characters with some form of depth to them. 

“The Untamed Cupid” is actually quite an entertaining read.  The heroine, Janis, is actually quite complex, and it’s only due to Maricar’s efforts that she succeeds in becoming a sympathetic character, even though she’s a bitch in heels.  There’s also lots of “kilig” in this book, and the hero, Yuuji, is someone any girl can fall in love with.  Kudos to Maricar Dizon for not giving up on her craft!  I’d be interested in seeing how her writing improves in the future.

Overall, the series’ quality is pretty uneven (like I said, only the last two books are good), but it’s a good showcase of what happens if an author keeps on writing.  As they say, practice makes perfect.  Maybe Maricar is on her way to “perfect,” if she just continues to be humble, writes books the best way she can, and tries new things.  As I said about Luna King’s books in a separate blog entry, “safe” and “generic” are not the ways to go if you want to be remembered as an author.  I think that Maricar knows that, and it shows in her work.

RATING:  3 (series) / 5 (“The Untamed Cupid”)

THE FILIPINO TRANSLATION OF DANIELLE STEELE’S FINE THINGS: AMAZINGLY PINOY

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

Precious Pages Corporation has come up with another Filipino translation.  This time, the publishing house has come up with the Filipino version of Danielle Steele’s “Fine Things”.

The Filipino edition of “Fine Things” is given a modern, contemporary feel by author Dawn Igloria, one of the popular romance writers in Precious Pages’ roster of talents.  Although her translation of the original doesn’t seem 100 percent plakado (Danielle Steele’s voice appears to be mixed in with Dawn Igloria’s at some points),  Dawn Igloria manages to come up with a story that’s very easy to read and sounds very, very Pinoy.  In fact, it’s so Pinoy that one almost forgets it’s a translation!

While I personally feel that I like the original better than the translation, the Filipino translation of “Fine Things” is still enjoyable reading fare for anyone out there who wishes to read about romances that are not all about being cute and kilig, and actually have some depth and substance to them.

RATING:  4

ANGEL BAUTISTA’S “MINE TO KEEP”: EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND SHOT AT LOVE … EVEN BITCHES

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

Precious Pages romance novelist Angel Bautista comes up with another story of “love and second chances” with her book, “Mine To Keep”. 

“Mine To Keep” is the story of Mischa, who’s actually a friend of Erin, the heroine in Bautista’s other novel, “Once A Princess”.  In her introduction, Bautista talks about Mischa not being her typical heroine.  I’d dare say that Mischa isn’t anyone’s typical heroine.  Honestly, Mischa is the kind of girl you’d like to hate, not just on paper, but also in real life.  She’s beautiful on the outside, but her selfish, scheming, manipulative ways drive her to do something totally despicable.  She cooks up a scheme to convince her unrequited love, the gorgeous-IT-boy-with-the-conscience-and-the-heart-of-gold, Keith, that he got her pregnant, so they can get married.  Diabolical!

At first, I wanted to rip this book to shreds or have my dog pee on it out of sheer disgust.  Thankfully, though, Angel Bautista manages to come up with a reasonable explanation to explain Mischa’s behavior.  She also manages to change Mischa and give her a heart as well as a conscience, that I actually found myself rooting for her (just a little!) to have a happy ending.  Only with the help of Angel Bautista’s talent at crafting flawed but sympathetic characters did I find myself wanting Mischa and Keith to get back together.  In real life, had Keith left Mischa, I probably would have said, “Buti nga sa ‘yo, impaktita!”

Just like her other book, “Once A Princess,” “Mine To Keep” is a deep, well-thought-out-and-crafted book that will make you think about your own lost love(s), and broaden your views about love. 

What is love, anyway?  And when is love LOVE?  Is it still love, even if hurts?  Those were just some questions that I asked myself after reading this book.  I’m pretty sure this book will also leave you with some thoughts to ponder, as well.

RATING:  5

TAGALOG TRANSLATION OF L.J. SMITH’S THE AWAKENING (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 1): GOOD TRANSLATION, BAD BOOK

RATING GUIDE:

 

5 – A keeper!   

4 – Very good

3 –  Passable

2 –  I’d rather read a telephone book

1 – An absolute bomb.  Read at your own risk!

L.J. Smith’s The Awakening is the first installment in her book series called The Vampire Diaries.  Although her book series originally came out in the early 1990’s, it has remained highly popular through the years and has even been the take-off point for the supernatural teen drama series starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. 

The Awakening is told primarily from the point of view of Elena, the campus beauty, whose only problems initially appear to be fending off the attention of all her male admirers and defending her status as the “it” girl from her once-friend-now-frenemy Caroline.  But soon, she faces the biggest problem EVER.  Stefan, the new boy in school with the drop-dead dark, gorgeous looks, appears to be immune to her feminine charms.  It’s the first time she’s been rejected by any man … GASP!  What must she do to reverse that situation?

Elena decides she wants Stefan, so she cooks up a scheme to have him.  She enlists the help of her minions, er, friends, which includes her best friend, Matt, the financially-strapped jock with the heart of gold, to get Stefan to notice her.  Incidentally, Matt is also one of the many, many boys Elena has dumped, even though Elena considers him her first love.

To her horror, Elena’s schemes don’t appear to work on Stefan.  But when strange events begin placing Elena’s life in danger, Stefan shows up to save her.  To her relief, Elena eventually realizes that Stefan actually has the hots for her, too.  He has only been reigning in his feelings for her, because of his angst-ridden past.  However, the happiness is short-lived, for Elena soon finds herself in a dangerous love triangle with Stefan and his evil brother, Damon … who, as it turns out, are both vampires.

Considering the decade in which it was written and published, it is actually surprising (and scary) that the book appears like it was written this decade, instead of the 1990’s.  The girls on campus are so accustomed to the Mean Girl/Queen Bee culture that they could be characters in a (bad) TV reality show about bitchy women.  The book also touches upon the worldlier, darker issues of teen sex and (attempted) date rape.  This book is definitely nothing like the sweet, innocent teen romances of old, like the Sweet Dreams romances of the 1980’s.

If you’re looking for a book that could positively influence the younger reader, then this book might not be it.  With the exception of Matt, the teenagers in this installment are either dimwitted, horny or shallow.  Elena, the main character in the story, is supposedly so beautiful she’s admired by all women and desired by all men; but her narcissism, shallowness and selfishness just make her so difficult to like.  The way she treats the people around her, even her friends, is just so despicable that you end up not caring about her supposedly angst-ridden past (she lost both of her parents at an early age).  What’s worse is her take on love.  She takes one look at Stefan and BAM, she’s in love!  That’s not love, girl, that’s lust!

But if you’re looking for a book with yummy-looking, gorgeous men, then this book might be the one for you.  Stefan has the dark, brooding looks, the designer duds, the fancy car and the angst-ridden background, all the requisites for a fantasy hottie.  His brother Damon might be evil as hell, but based on Smith’s description, is equally gorgeous to make you want him sink his fangs into your neck.  Meanwhile, Matt might not have the money to afford the designer clothes and fancy car, but hey, he’s a jock with a heart of gold.   

Compared to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, The Vampire Diaries appears to be less meandering and innocent.  It’s fast-paced, darker, worldlier.  This probably explains why it has survived the nineties and made it to the present time.  The world inhabited by the characters in The Vampire Diaries is something today’s youth are more used to.  It’s a world that isn’t as safe as it used to be, inhabited by people who are more of a threat or a disappointment than a source of safety and security.

If you’re looking for a literary masterpiece, then this might not be the one for you.  The material is sadly lacking in substance, the characters appear to be shallow and one-dimensional and there’s hardly anyone in this book to latch on to emotionally.  Even the best of translator Vanessa’s translation skills couldn’t save this book from being a huge literary disappointment for me.  In fact, I was so annoyed by this book that I wished I had a stake to put right through the author’s heart!  It was torture to read this book.

But since I am the eternal optimist, I’m willing to give the next installments a try.  Hopefully, Elena would be less irritating and more sympathetic by then, and I would understand the reason behind the vampire brothers’ feud.  I’d like to think that there’s probably a good reason why this book series has survived the test of time.  I’m curious to find out what that reason is.

RATING:  1 ½

THE FILIPINO TRANSLATION OF SUZANNE COLLINS’ “THE HUNGER GAMES”: MORE, MORE, MORE!

I have just finished reading the Filipino Translation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. If I were to describe it in one word, it would be this:  WOW. 

I’m not exactly what you would call a literary expert when it comes to reading/writing in Filipino, but I really loved the Filipino translation of The Hunger Games.  I didn’t care whether it was material I wasn’t used to reading.  I didn’t care that I had to look up some words in the dictionary (like the word “lambak,” which I probably haven’t encountered in ages). 

I have to commend Precious Pages Corporation for coming up with a very good translation of one of my favorite books this year.  I can only imagine how difficult it was for the translator, Janis delos Reyes, to translate such material.  Yet, she managed to come up with a translation that is not only a fairly accurate translation of the material, but also a translation that captures the writing “voice” of Suzanne Collins. 

While this book isn’t exactly light reading fare (at least, for me) --- it IS a challenging book to read --- I loved the way it was translated.  This translation only confirms what I have always believed in my heart, that there’s magic in the written Filipino word. 

The translated prose of Suzanne Collins has a very beautiful, lyrical quality to it.  It’s exactly what I expected, given the excellent quality of the original material. And just like what I experienced when I read the Filipino translation of Twilight, the story became more visually alive and real to me when I read it in Filipino.

Have a Tagalog or Tagalog-English dictionary by your side, if you’re intimidated by heavy Filipino words.  But don’t be afraid to read this book.  And by all means, read more books in Filipino!  I definitely can’t wait to read more books in Filipino.

RATING:  5 

TO TRANSLATE OR NOT TO TRANSLATE ...

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock these past few weeks, you might have heard the splash a Filipino publishing house made when the media finally heard about one of its latest products, the Filipino translation of Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight.  I actually talked about this in one of my earlier blogs (http://thefilipinareader.blogspot.com/2012/07/twilight-filipinotagalog-version.html).

The newly-controversial Filipino publishing house, Precious Pages Corporation, has been in the business for many years now.  I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the company’s books at least once.  The books are these thin, pocketbook romances with the lovebirds logo on the cover.  They’re so popular that I even know of one woman who buys a bunch of these books and rents them out to the women in her neighborhood using the friendly sari-sari store as her “outlet”.  And if you’ve ever found yourself watching ABS-CBN just before the news, you might have come across Precious Hearts Romances, which is essentially a Precious Pages bestseller in telenovela form.

Well, Precious Pages Corporation has decided to tap into a new readers’ market by introducing translated versions of commercial bestsellers, such as Twilight.  Based on interviews with its founder, Segundo Matias, Jr., the company’s intention in having translated books such as these in the market is so Filipino readers will have a chance to enjoy reading global bestsellers in their native tongue.

The reaction to this untested, bold move has been mixed, so far.  There are those who oppose having such books in the market and say there’s no need for these since Filipinos understand English, anyway.  On the other hand, there are those who appreciate the introduction of translated products because it allows Filipino readers access to more reading material in their native language.  Then, there are those who quickly judge the move as baduy and jologs.

Ashamed as I am to admit it, I am a Filipina and yet I haven’t really read many books in Filipino.  It’s not that I think that Filipino books are less inferior or baduy.  It’s just that I have yet to come across a Filipino book I can fall in love with.  I read classics like Florante At Laura and parts of Ibong Mandaragit in high school … honestly, I don’t remember anything about these books.  I know there are literary classics in Filipino out there, like Dekada ’70 … but I’m still quite intimidated by the prospect of reading such a book. 

This is just my opinion, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have translations of bestsellers in the market.  At the very least, it will reach the Filipino readers who are more comfortable in Filipino than English.  It will encourage Filipino readers to read in their native language, and hopefully, it will also encourage Filipinos to get back into reading.  Of course, it would be much better if publishers such as Precious Pages Corporation would also consider producing more books (not just romances) in Filipino, or consider translating books by Filipino authors into English for the foreign market.  What could be better than having a global literary sensation who’s Pinoy or Pinay?

But for now, I’m going to read more books in Filipino. 

If there’s one thing that reading a Filipino translation like Twilight has made me realize, it’s that I need to read more books in Filipino, whether they’re translations of global bestsellers, or books (I don’t care whether they’re written in English or Filipino) that have been written by Filipinos.  Start with the less intimidating ones, like romances or translations of bestsellers, and move on to the heavier stuff.  Given the times I grew up in, I must admit that I’m more used to writing and thinking in English.  Yet, as foreign as my exposure has been, my Pinoy roots are still there.  Hidden, silent and dormant, perhaps, but still there, and still Pinoy na Pinoy.  When I first read the Filipino translation of Twilight, I found myself appreciating the story more, even though I’m more used to reading English books.  To use a popular term, iba ang kurot sa puso kapag Pinoy.  Why, just listen to an OPM song, or listen to a Bible passage in Filipino.  There’s magic in the Filipino word that only the Pinoy or Pinay heart knows.

Your title What do you think of books that are translated into Filipino?

Fantastic! I can't wait to read them! Who needs translations? I already know how to read, write and speak in English. Why can't we translate our Filipino books into English instead? It's a great idea, but don't just translate the commercial ones.