Bibliolepsy

Author: Gina Apostol

Before even opening the book, I was sure this was going to be something enjoyable. It was set in a foreign country (Philippines), the author was originally from the Philippines and the novel was set in the tumultuous times of the People Power Revolution (EDSA revolution) that ultimately resulted in the end of Ferdinand Marcos’ 20 year dictatorship of the Philippines.

The book turned out to be a completely different beast. It was about Primi (narrator) and Anna, twins who are orphaned at an early age in rather mysterious circumstances. Primi is obsessed with reading books and infatuated with poets and writers. You may think that all of this makes for an interesting backdrop, and you are right. However, the book is put together like a collection of pithy sentences drawing parallels with other famous writers and their works. I recognize the Western authors, but can’t say whether the local Philippine authors that Primi picks up and drops off are real or not. Most importantly, the book was very disjointed with words and sentences that seemed eager to impress rather than convey any meaning.

I found the following quote is very appropriate for how I felt with this book. “It used to be I always tried to finish a book I started. I felt it was an obligation I owed the writer”. I can confidently state that I completed my obligation!

My Heart

Author: Semezdin Mehmedinović 

First a little background on the author. Semezdin Mehmedinovic is an acclaimed Bosnian poet and author who is known for Sarajevo Blues, a book of poetry that he published during the Bosnian War. After the War he emigrated to the US and now lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C.

The book is an autobiography (almost) of his keen observations of life in a foreign country — in this case, the US — when you go through some serious, life-threatening illness. Semezdin power of observation and his clear prose cuts through like a knife in butter. There were many times where I had to stop and say “wow, I never thought of it this way. He is absolutely right”.

I read the book thinking it was an autobiography, but noticed that the title has “a novel” clearly printed on it. This made me look into the genre and found that this falls into the category of autofiction. It’s a novel whose characters are real and many of the scenes are drawn from real life. However, it frees the author to create the scenes and settings to something that provides the most narrative effect. Semezdin has done a marvelous job of entertaining and educating us with his reflections on life and life-changing events in a foreign country.