Please watch Smaller and Smaller Circles if you happen to have the chance to do so. Don’t wait till tomorrow since it may not be there tomorrow, if it doesn’t get support today. Don’t let a good movie vanish.
Okay, so, it’s been a while since I bought books. So I bought myself a couple of books for Christmas.
I’m going to talk about one of those now, and we’ll start with its cover.
It’s called Smaller and Smaller Circles and it’s written by Filipino writer F. H. Batacan. I guess the best way of looking at it is this:
What if Sherlock Holmes and John Watson 1 – worked in the Philippines 2 – were Jesuit priests 3 – were tracking a serial killer in the slums of Quezon City?
(Quezon City: one of the larger cities in the Philippines, butts right up against the capital Manila, and ALSO the place where I currently live and work.)
(And now you know why the motif on the cover is a cross.)
I have to warn you, this book is not for the faint of heart. The serial killer’s victims are young boys, small and scrawny and poor, and they are rather graphically mutilated. The serial killer is ALSO exacting revenge for atrocities visited upon him in his youth (can’t go into further details, that way lies spoilers). Some dirty laundry of the Roman Catholic Church’s gets aired out, but that’s nothing compared to the unflinching depiction of the sheer apathy and corruption in the government. (Seriously, that alone would have made me recommend it. I love my country but not so much that monstrous behemoth of assholery that is the government at all of its levels. It doesn’t get glossed over here. 10/10.)
But man, is it ever compulsively page-turning. I devoured this literally overnight and IMMEDIATELY wanted to reread it the moment I’d finished.
Maybe it’s the fact that the protagonists are so perfectly matched in terms of temperament and expertise and, yes, sense of humor. Maybe it’s the whole grisly show-your-work depiction of the forensics. Maybe it’s the fact that our heroes steal each other’s food AND rely on a very scheming and ALSO very much ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS journalist. (She is seriously someone without whom the case cannot be solved.)
Seriously, people, buy this book. I missed my chance when it was first published in the 2000s and now I am so glad that there is this new edition. It’s a really great read, if you can get past the caveats: one hell of a crime novel.
Happy SASC movie release day! I’m hoping to make time to watch this movie after my shift at work. I’m hoping it’s good; I’m hoping it does the story justice.
Please read this book! If you want an unflinching picture of the place where I currently live – please read this.
Okay, so, it’s been a while since I bought books. So I bought myself a couple of books for Christmas.
I’m going to talk about one of those now, and we’ll start with its cover.
It’s called Smaller and Smaller Circles and it’s written by Filipino writer F. H. Batacan. I guess the best way of looking at it is this:
What if Sherlock Holmes and John Watson 1 – worked in the Philippines 2 – were Jesuit priests 3 – were tracking a serial killer in the slums of Quezon City?
(Quezon City: one of the larger cities in the Philippines, butts right up against the capital Manila, and ALSO the place where I currently live and work.)
(And now you know why the motif on the cover is a cross.)
I have to warn you, this book is not for the faint of heart. The serial killer’s victims are young boys, small and scrawny and poor, and they are rather graphically mutilated. The serial killer is ALSO exacting revenge for atrocities visited upon him in his youth (can’t go into further details, that way lies spoilers). Some dirty laundry of the Roman Catholic Church’s gets aired out, but that’s nothing compared to the unflinching depiction of the sheer apathy and corruption in the government. (Seriously, that alone would have made me recommend it. I love my country but not so much that monstrous behemoth of assholery that is the government at all of its levels. It doesn’t get glossed over here. 10/10.)
But man, is it ever compulsively page-turning. I devoured this literally overnight and IMMEDIATELY wanted to reread it the moment I’d finished.
Maybe it’s the fact that the protagonists are so perfectly matched in terms of temperament and expertise and, yes, sense of humor. Maybe it’s the whole grisly show-your-work depiction of the forensics. Maybe it’s the fact that our heroes steal each other’s food AND rely on a very scheming and ALSO very much ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS journalist. (She is seriously someone without whom the case cannot be solved.)
Seriously, people, buy this book. I missed my chance when it was first published in the 2000s and now I am so glad that there is this new edition. It’s a really great read, if you can get past the caveats: one hell of a crime novel.
Reblogging because – OMG I’m actually gonna get in line to meet this author tomorrow. Someone is going to make a movie out of this book. I want everyone to read it if they’re game for the serial killings and the unflinching description of the country where I live. And then I want everyone to watch the movie.
PJ through the looking glass 