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MACARTHUR

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 3,710 ratings · 137 reviews

Merong matigas
Merong malambot
Merong tuwid
Merong kulot
Merong buo
Merong durog
At merong mga taong
Hindi basta-basta lumulubog.

Batung-bato ka na ba?
ROCK-ROCKAN NA!

98 pages

Published 2007 by Visual Print Enterprises

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Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas by Bob Ong

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) by José Rizal

Goodreads Filipino Group - Favorite Local Books in Tagalog

3rd out of 34 books — 199 voters

Best Books by Filipino Authors

3rd out of 115 books — 158 voters

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Mar 15, 2011 Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-paperback, filipino-reads

This is my ultimate favorite among Bob Ong’s books. Why you may ask? Because it’s deeply sad and yet heartwarming.

At first, I was questioning, “Why is the title ‘MacArthur’?” What does he have to do with the book? But I knew I had to be patient when it comes to Ong’s book, because surely, there’ll be a surprise in the end.

And I was right to have thought so. MacArthur rubs in the issue of poverty, graft and corruption, theft and drug addiction. This is the first of Bob Ong’s books that, despite...more

10 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2008 Dawn Tagala rated it 5 of 5 stars

My family and the people i hang out with are notorious for anything English. That is how amazing Bob Ong is. He makes us read and want to read his works even if it is a compilation of tagalog slangs. His book mac art hur is exactly this. It is a collection of Tagalog slangs. At first I thought maybe this is not his work because it does not have it's usual format, no enumerations (which he so fancies), and most of all, it is dramatic. But it was confirmed that it was his because of his favorite c...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Von Fritz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

I scourge NBS yesterday and found the latest book by one of my fave Pinoy authors, Bob Ong. I was disappointed, though, seeing that the book was published last April. Argh! I wasn't aware! Duh?! I understand the slowpoke writing industry of the country. But the hell...even NBS? After four months?

Neways, I used to swear never to read Ong's books again. Seems like I already know how his mind works, not that of other authors who surprise you with their new masterpieces. Seeing MacArthur, however, I...more I scourge NBS yesterday and found the latest book by one of my fave Pinoy authors, Bob Ong. I was disappointed, though, seeing that the book was published last April. Argh! I wasn't aware! Duh?! I understand the slowpoke writing industry of the country. But the hell...even NBS? After four months?

Neways, I used to swear never to read Ong's books again. Seems like I already know how his mind works, not that of other authors who surprise you with their new masterpieces. Seeing MacArthur, however, I was curious. It was no anecdote collection but rather a novel. Ows? Ang Alamat ng Gubat was something some sort but it was lame to be a work of fiction.

MacArthur tells of the story of four best friends, living in the squatters, sniffing the discomforts of everyday Pinoy urban life.

Cyrus is a snatcher, and worse, a drug addict. OMG! Everytime he's caught with his modus operandi, he would swallow all his epektus so that the police would never found out. However, he can't outwit the devil cop named Topak, who would force him to expel everything via his anus and keep the jewelries for himself. Cyrus lives with his grandfather whom he calls Tatay. When the old man acquired some renal disease and thinking that hemodialysis is a torture in the pocket, Cyrus did everything for his Lolo to undergo a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, he ended up killing the old man when he had mistaken him as a monster when he was high on shabu.

Noel is a rebel son, spoiled by his mother, neglected by his once OFW father. He would sell or steal anything from their house to survive...as he was poor in school. Their family's hope, his sister named Lyla who is a student nurse. She would always ruin his day by suspecting him stealing his belongings, of which he's guilty. He would pour his angst to his friends who are as futureless.

Jim is a young father. He would do everything to feed his family, even selling pirated DVDs. He's the oldest of the four friends but not wise enough to advise. driven by their poverty, his wife threatened him of leaving him alone in the squatters. His son was sick, described by Bob Ong as always having a number 11 on the nose (yeah...the mucus). At the end of the novel, he went with his family to Bohol for good since they could no longer afford to pay fare back to dreadful Manila.

Denver, aka Voltron, is a frustrated college boy. His mother was a widow and he has five younger siblings to aid. He would go along with his friends for a racket. In his desperation to escape poverty, he involved himself with some crime lord and ended up beheaded with his body rotten with garbages. It wasn't revealed but I suspect salvage.

Now here's an expert's opinion about the book: it can bring the hell out of you. OMG! Every setting can make you puke. I can't blame Bob Ong...it's the bitter reality. I can't relate with a squatter's life, in obvious reasons...I even get nauseated by just visiting a relative's house in Magsungay. Neways, the book warns me not to live in Manila. Yes, I've been to Manila...not able too see the squatter's area though. But yeah, there's hell in the metro.

The grossiest part of the story was when Cyrus had a public CR for a dead end and Topak was after him. To conceal what he stole that day, he performed his usual swallowing of the epektus, add the packs of shabu he bought earlier that day. Gee, swallow jewelries. That's intestinal disaster! And oh, when one pack of shabu fell on the the toilet bowl, Cyrus picked it up not minding the fecal dumplings, wiped the wet pack and swallowed it before Topak arrived. YUCK!

Tang ina, taena, and tangna are words redundant in the text courtesy of the boys' squatterly tongue. It's enigmatic how the book got its title. But I remember one chapter, the four friends were talking about a malfunctioning toilet bowl. In it, the feces would not flush and goes back again and again. "I shall return!" That maybe a clue.

On the brighter side, Bob Ong depicts the resiliency of Pinoys. Life is sometimes cruel but enjoy the sweet moments. Imagine, the four friends managed to enjoy themselves at a carnival while one of them has a serious a problem. And Voltron's mother, oh how I like her, despite of their situation, still managed to get drunk with his eldest son's friends and joke about their lives. Cheers! Pinoys, after all, are the happiest people in Asia.

The book's proceeds would go to Gawad Kalinga. Good thing for Bob. Hmmm...I can't help myself but to foresee a Palanca with the book or just an indie flick. Three stars.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Lance Catedral rated it 4 of 5 stars

MACARTHUR by Filipino writer Bob Ong is a short powerful novel about four boys raised in Manila's urban jungle. I read it early this morning and finished the rest of it after Sunday service.

MacArthur is slang for human fecal material that refuses to get flushed, emerging and floating in interface between the air and water in the toilet bowel. The metaphor is based on historical data, for what did General Douglas MacArthur say again?

"I shall return."

All at once funny and tragic, Bob Ong tells the...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Raizza rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this for Christmas. So, it was kind of strange to receive a not-so-happy book during the very-VERY-and-most-happy season of the year. And around this time I wasn't aware who Bob Ong was or his books. Okay, maybe I was aware, but my opinion of him wasn't great at that time.

I'm not very good with my Tagalog or Filipino. I was trained by my Papa to write and read in English since I was four. So, this was kind of hard for me to read and understand. I had to ask my Mama or a Fili...more

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May 04, 2012 Jhive rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hindi ko talaga maintindihan kung bakit Macarthur ang pamagat nitong libro. Wala namang nasabi sa libro na salitang macarthur. Sino ba talaga si Macarthur? Sikat ba siya? Siya ba yung si Douglas na may litanyang "I shall return"? Anu ba kinalaman niya dito? Bakit ko ba gustong malaman kung sino siya? Ay ewan!

Dahil sa nakakalokong pamagat na yan, wala akong kamalay malay na puro adikan , murahan, drogahan, adikan ulit at patayan ang laman ng libro. Kahit na mayroong sandamakmak na mura ang libro...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Kimberly Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

Nung una parang gusto ko ng tigilan yung pagbabasa kase ang daming foul/curse words.
Itinuloy ko nalang kase naumpisahan ko na.

Ganyan ung story, kakaiba. Apat na magkakaibigan na lulong sa droga.
Hindi ko ma ipaliwanag un pakiramdam habang binabasa un librong 'to.
Kahit na masama yung ginagawa nila, ayaw ko silang mapahamak kase naaawa ako sa kanila. Sa librong ito ipapaunawa sa atin kung ano ang buhay sa iskwaters area. Kung anong buhay kung addict ka.
Kahit na ganyan yung mga bida, merun silang ma...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 Cess rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: pasaway, short attention span

Recommended to Cess by: none

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Bob Ong is one of the most popular Filipino contemporary writers. Ask a number of Pinoys and majority would have an idea who Bob Ong is, mostly as a writer. What made him really popular is because no one knows who Bob Ong is in real life. He just writes novels, no such thing as interviews to promote it or autograph sessions for book launching but still managed to sell his books via word of mouth. That's how popular he is.

This is my 3rd Bob Ong book, and this is a fast read just one day. Just lik...more Bob Ong is one of the most popular Filipino contemporary writers. Ask a number of Pinoys and majority would have an idea who Bob Ong is, mostly as a writer. What made him really popular is because no one knows who Bob Ong is in real life. He just writes novels, no such thing as interviews to promote it or autograph sessions for book launching but still managed to sell his books via word of mouth. That's how popular he is.

This is my 3rd Bob Ong book, and this is a fast read just one day. Just like his previous works Bob Ong always inject Filipino Humor in serious situations. In ABNKKBSPLKO he tackled the issues of public education in the Philippines in which I was able to relate because I was in public school (highschool to be exact) when I read it. In Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang Pilipino he tackled corruption.

Here in MacArthur, Bob Ong delved into the issue of drugs and youth that were addicted to it. It focuses mostly on the slums in which addiction is pretty much a big issue in the Philippines. The book tells the story of the lives of 4 friends, Noel, the richest among them who goes to school but ended up getting addicted to meth and stopping school and even resorted to stealing things from their home. He even stole his sister's stethoscope. Cyrus, lives with his grandfather Man Justo and works as a snatcher to provide for Mang Justo's kidney transplant. Voltron aka Denver aka Amadeus, an addict that worked as a runner for meth, and Jim the oldest of them all who has a son and wife.

This book is really funny, albeit the very serious tone. Bob Ong has a way with words, he used slang terms when the 4 kids were talking and it is really what you hear most kids in the slum talk. They even made fun of Voltron during his funeral but he did it in a non-condescending way. Few writers could do that and Bob Ong clearly had mastered it.

What I love about this book is how Bob Ong managed to let the readers sympathize with each of them despite their obvious flaws. Cyrus despite him being a snatcher and an addict really, really loved and care for Mang Justo and did everything to save his life however due to his addiction he killed his own beloved grandfather. How Aling Seding deep inside still loves Voltron and cried when he died. Jim who is lazy still loves his wife Olive and son Jon-Jon and made the choice of living a new life in the province. And Noel, irritating as fuck but obviously still loves his family and really care for his friends.

This is not my favorite Bob Ong book because I felt that this is too short, he could have written extensively about Jim in which he seemed to forgot, and delved deeply in the reasons why Voltron ended up being a runner of meth. He set the tone of the story, wherein the characters have ulterior reasons why are they doing such things and in the case of Voltron he somehow failed to do it. I think he focused more on Noel and Cyrus that he failed to develop Jim and Voltron. Jim's storyline could have been expounded but he just wrote him in just two pages.

I eventually did understood why MacArthur is the title. Well, Douglas MacArthur is famous for his "I shall return" line during the WW2 and in the end Noel returned to his family in which he was eventually accepted wholeheartedly. Overall, I'll give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I find this too short and had limited character development.

I don't know if Bob Ong's books would be funny if it would be translated in English because his humor is really Filipino and foreign readers might now grasp some of it which would be a shame because he really is one of the funniest writers I have ever read. (less)

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Dec 23, 2010 K.D. Oliveros rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: local, tagalog

Una kong nabasa ang Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan. Di ko nagustuhan, di rin naman ako napangitan. Pero nagkaroon ng matinding pagtatalo sa isang rebyu ng kaibigan kaya naengganyo ako na bilhin lahat ang libro ni Bob Ong at basahin isa-isa. Bakit ba ganoon na lang kabenta ang mga librong ito sa masang Pinoy?

Ayon sa akin nadinig, sa "Mama Susan", sinubukan si Ong na sumulat ng horror at ayon sa aking mga nabasang mga rebyu, sa "MacArthur", sinubukan naman nyang sumulat ng drama. Sa aking palagay:...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2010 Ivory rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pinoy-reads

Disclaimer: Please bear with me, I'm a blabber.

You can say I'm a naive person because I only have interests in typical YA-chic-lit kind of books. I have always been (and I guess "always be") a sucker for YA-romance books. It just makes me happy. (I'm blabbing... I know!)

So where does "MacArthur" by Bob Ong fits?

My boyfriend has a copy (borrowed copy, that is). I was on a graveyard shift at a hotel I worked and decided to bring this certain Bob Ong book. As a front desk staff, it's really boring...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Sheryl added it

Shelves: 2010, i-own-this, proudly-filipino, make-believe

It's been awhile since I've read anything in Filipino so I felt that I was slow in enunciating the Tagalog words in my head.

I never expected this from Bob Ong. Ang nabasa ko lang kasi na libro niya noong high school pa ako ay yung "ABNKKBSNPLAKO!." All the while, my impression of him was he gets his messages across via humor. This came as a good surprise though.

Bob Ong was able to give a glimpse of what a typical Filipino living in the squatters area goes through just to survive on a day-to-day...more

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Jul 24, 2009 Rokia27 rated it 5 of 5 stars

seryoso po ako... akala ko some kind of history ang kwentong to kasi yung pamagat nya grabe ang LUPET!! pinabasa ko nga sya sa mga kaibigan ko... isa to sa talagang nagustuhan ko,, parang andun ako sa kwento.. kasama sila cyruss,noel,jim,at si vultron. parang tropa.! ng matapos ko pong basahin,,.. di to drama lang; wala naman kasing kamera sa bahay namin eh......natulala ako!grabe its reality.its natural. pero di matanggap ng isip ko o ng buong sistema ng katawan ko... ganun na ba talaga sila ka...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 04, 2011 Mizujin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novel, pinoy-lit, the-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 19, 2009 joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars

the same with his other books, Bob Ong manage to depict the reality in this book. Not just on the life of those users but with their family and the surroundings that they live in as well.

he manage to inculcate the humor in those sad situations which I find impressive.

the story telling is great. Character development is superb. All I can say is that this book is great.

yeah you can finish this in less than an hour but those minutes are priceless. It's a very good experience. the story and the cha...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Night Snitch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Akala ko magiging katulad lang nung Alamat ng Gubat kung saan nakulangan ako ksi komikal ang dating saka parehas silang 100 pesos lang.
Matagal ko nang nakikita to na binabasa ng mga kaklase ko kaso di ko natipuhan dati kasi mga unang pahina pa lang umuulan na ng mga mura.
Pero iba talaga kung babasahin mo nang buo bago mo husgahan.]
Tungkol sa apat na lalaking hinahanap ang kapanatagan ng loob sa paggamit ng droga at mga shabu.
Pinapakita dito ang realidad ng buhay, mga taong sumusuong sa mga masa...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Chelsey Agcopra rated it 5 of 5 stars

The story is very moving. Well, if you'll read it, you can say that the story of the lives of Noel, Cyjur, Voltron and Jim are typical. But personally, I can see the difference of every character from any other typical Filipino youngsters. I feel bad that it was too late for them when they realized what drugs had done to their mind and body and how it affected their entire lives badly. This books is very humorous and witty. I found myself laughing extremely hard the first time I read this book....more

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Feb 12, 2010 Shxrxn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dalawang dekada ka lang mag-aaral. Kung di mo pagtitiyagaan, anak, limang dekada ng kahirapan ang kapalit. Sobrang lugi. Kung alam lang yan ng mga kabataan, sa pananaw ko e walang gugustuhing umiwas sa eskuwela.
- Mang Justo

Takot ka bang makarining ng mga payo ng magulang mo?
- Mang Justo

Wala, pare, ganon talaga e.
- Jim

Mabisyo, gago, suwail. Akala nya matagal nya nang kilala ang sarili. Pero sa pagkakataong yon, habang naglalakas sya sa kalsada, nakilala nya ang totoong Noel na nilibing ng lipunan...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Mariz rated it 3 of 5 stars

As I have foreseen, I can finish the book in one sitting! (not bragging...) honestly, all of BO's books are easy to read, maybe because you can easily relate to it and it is humorous and serious at the same time.

this book quite bored me...maybe cause i was expecting more from BO's book. this was kind of different from his other books. when i was reading it, i kind of have a feel that it would be a good episode on MMK. (sorry if i'm being too harsh). i love BO's books, mind you, that's why i boug...more

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May 02, 2012 Math Teacher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Sorry Bob.

Di ko masyadong natripan to.

Magaling pa rin as usual.

Mahusay ang pagkakasulat.
Mahusay ang paglalahad ng kwento.
Mahusay ang paglalarawan sa mga karakter.
Mahusay ang paglalagay ng puso sa mga katoto nating adik.

Mahusay naman.

Hindi ko lang nakita ang totoong pinupunto ng kwento.
Para saan ba talaga ito?

Hinanapan ko lang ng signature mong pangungunsensya-slash-sarcasm.

Hindi ko lang siguro masyadong nagustuhan dahil hindi na bago sa akin ang lahat ng ito.

Ganito ang set up sa mundong tiniti...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Kirk Rhuvic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

i've read this book way back college (on my second year days 2009 i guess). it was given by my dearest friend as a gift (now she's in NY and dunno when she'll come back. lol.). okay going back, it's the first book of Bob Ong which made me feel sad (mostly of his book are deadly funny). because, whether we like it or not these issues do real exist here in the Philippines like drugs, graft and corruption, theft, and the like. Bob Ong amazed me kasi pina intindi nya sa akin ang mga rason kung bakit...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Edward Shiener rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

Dahil manipis ang libro, mabilis ko lang nabasa ang “Macarthur”. Gayunpaman, hitik na hitik sa laman ang buong kuwento. Ang “Macarthur” kasi ay kuwento ng limang batang nakatira sa squatters na may kanya-kanyang istilo sa pamumuhay. Matindi ang kanilang pagkakaibigan… kaya’t kahit hanggang sa kamalian eh magkakasama pa rin sila. Basta ang mahalaga sa kanila eh masaya sila.

Eto ay ibang iba sa mga naunang akda ni bob ong, kung yung mga naunang libro ay kwela eto ay seryososo. maraming mura ang mat...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Jo An rated it 5 of 5 stars

Si Aiko lang ang may libro nito sa grupo namin nung colledgr pa kami.
10 kmi sa grupo,hiraman pa kami. Unahan sa paghiram.
When it's my turn to read this book, I didn't even hasitate.
First hand after class, to read McArthur.
After reading, teary eyed ako, I almost cried.
How cruel life is, for those who wanted to change.
How hard life is for those who are poor.
I hated to admit that life is full of monsters that kill human.
Monsters that is living conveniently with humans.
Humans who think that this...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Charmie rated it 5 of 5 stars

For a short read, this has been very heartwarming and unfortunately sad. The title is deeply mysterious and surprisingly, in the end, the most perfect title for the book. You may wonder at first why, but as you go over through the whole story, you will consider Bob Ong as the wittiest.

The book follows the story of 4 best friends, Voltron, Noel, Cyrus and Jim with the setting of poverty, theft, drug addiction and conflicts between personal relationships with the family. It is written very realis...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Alden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorite-books, 2013-reads

MACARTHUR. Red Book. Ika-anim na libro ni Bob Ong at kauna-unahang likha niya na ginamitan ng elementong hindi pangkaraniwan sa mga dati na niyang sinusulat -- ang drama. Kung sa unang sabak niya sa fiction sa pamamagitan ng Alamat ng Gubat ay hindi pa rin niya inalis ang kanyang mga patawa sa kabila ng socio-political na concept ng istorya, ibang iba ang ginawa niyang atake dito sa MACARTHUR.

Una kong nabasa ito noong 2010. Noong taong iyon, medyo bagu-bago pa lamang akong fan ni Bob Ong. Dalawa...more MACARTHUR. Red Book. Ika-anim na libro ni Bob Ong at kauna-unahang likha niya na ginamitan ng elementong hindi pangkaraniwan sa mga dati na niyang sinusulat -- ang drama. Kung sa unang sabak niya sa fiction sa pamamagitan ng Alamat ng Gubat ay hindi pa rin niya inalis ang kanyang mga patawa sa kabila ng socio-political na concept ng istorya, ibang iba ang ginawa niyang atake dito sa MACARTHUR.

Una kong nabasa ito noong 2010. Noong taong iyon, medyo bagu-bago pa lamang akong fan ni Bob Ong. Dalawang araw lang, natapos ko na ang libro (wala pa nga yatang dalawang araw iyon). Matapos iyon, makailang beses ko pa ring binasa ulit ang naturang libro, pero ngayon lang ako sinipag na gawaan ito ng review. Siyamnapu't walo lang ang bilang ng pahina ng librong ito pero halos mahigit isang buwan yata bago ko ito natapos ulit.

Pero bago ang lahat, bakit nga ba MACARTHUR ang pamagat ng libro? Kilala dito sa Pilipinas ang katagang binigkas ng Amerikanong si Douglas MacArthur nang lisanin niya ang ating bansa noong kasagsagan ng giyera ng mga Amerikano at Hapon, ang "I shall return". Hindi man tahasang mababasa ang linyang ito sa kuwento, ang presensiya ng katagang ito ay makailang beses pa ring naramdaman. Una, ang eksenang ayaw lumubog-lubog ng shabu sa inidoro at lagi itong 'bumabalik' sa ibabaw ng tubig imbis na pumaimbulog na pailalim; at pangalawa, ang pagbabalik ni Noel sa kanyang nilayasang tahanan. (No further explanations needed para iwas spoiler. Pero kailangan pa ba ng spoiler? Eh mukha namang lahat ng mga Pilipino, nabasa na ang librong ito.)

Simple lang naman ang kuwento ng MACARTHUR. Tungkol ito sa apat na magkakaibigang kabataang lulong sa ipinagbabawal na gamot. Bukod pa dito, may kanya-kanyang problema silang dinadala, at ang bawat tauhan ay sumasalamin sa bawat Pilipino. Dito rin natin makikita ang realidad ng buhay kung saan kitang-kita ang kahirapan, talamak ang droga at may mga alagad ng batas na baluktot ang pag-iisip.

Maraming dahilan kung bakit madaling magugustuhan ang librong ito sa kabila ng kakaibang elementong ginamit ng isang manunulat na nakilala sa pagpapatawa. Kaabang-abang ang bawat eksena at tiyak na sa bawat eksenang iyon ay hindi mo mapipigilang mainis, matuwa, maawa o makisimpatya sa mga tauhan. Nakakabilib din ang biglaang pag-shift ni Bob Ong from comedy to drama. Hindi ko nga lang alam kung bakit medyo OA ang dating sa akin ng ilang mga eksena, tulad ng paulit-ulit na pagmumura ng magkakaibigan (para bang nakasalalay sa mura ang ikaiiba at ikagaganda ng takbo ng kuwento).

Sa kabuuan, masasabi kong maganda ang MACARTHUR. Medyo bitin nga lang dahil sino ba naman ang masisiyahan sa napakagandang takbo ng kuwento tapos ganoon lamang kanipis ang libro? Pero sa tingin ko, nabigyan rin ng tamang hustisya ang pagtatapos, lalo na sa mga pangunahin nitong tauhan, kahit na ganoon lamang kaikli ang kuwento.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 20, 2011 Will rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won a copy of this during a Christmas party with my Goodreads friends last December. I mentioned this in one of my past posts, saying how I needed a larger bookshelf to fit all the new ones. Frankly, I thought this would be the last book I'd pick up among the promising pile, but figured a short read could easily decrease my backlog.

I liked it. Bob Ong's Macarthur is everything his Kapitan Sino is not. Characters are engaging, and the language flows as smooth as vulgar silk. While the story of...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Joyce Cai rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is really depressing but also contains, yet again, significant life lessons that Bob Ong is really famous for. Hidden in jokes and vulgar words, the realities of life is well depicted in this story of four friends that are drug addicts. Don't let the thin pages fool you, this book will leave you thinking about what you can change in your life and will let you realize that everyone can earn their second chance. Definitely a good read!

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Dec 09, 2011 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: filipino-authors

si bob ong.. nakilala ko lang yan dahil sa libro nyang "bakit baliktad mag basa ng libro ang mga pilipino" ayun.. ang mga genre nya eh comedy di ba? pero pag nabasa nyo tong mac arthur.. ewan ko nalang kung di kayo mapaiyak.. well, di yung iyak na parang gripo ah.. yung iyak na parang nakakaawa yung nangyari.. dahil yun ang nangyari.. 5 or 4 na magtro-tropa ata sila na napariwara ang buhay.. grabe... ganda ng book na ito.. bilib ako kay Bob Ong.

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Jan 15, 2009 jzhunagev rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-contemporary, filipiniana, drama, dark-chest-of-wonders

Tungkol sa magkakaibigang addict at kanilang adventures.
Masayadong dramatic lang 'yung dating kaso nga lang predictable 'yung plot eh.. Iboboto ko ito kung gagawing Philippine version ng Alcoholics Anonymous.
Kaso nga lang nung pinabasa ko sa isang addict ehh naadik pa lalo.. sa mga libro naman ni Bob Ong..at least hindi na sa drugs. Kaso nga lang sa tuwing maguusap kami mukha pa rin siyang high.. 0_0

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Apr 19, 2012 Patricia Lara rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's full of action and suspense from the beginning.
Profanities flourished together with the anguish that the character feels every obstacle he faced.
It's quite sad and depressing,considering that it happens to some of our Filipino citizens who are impoverished and afflicted with other things.
But all in all,it thought us a lesson of how important family ties are,and to what extent some would do to survive.

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Jan 07, 2013 Roanne added it

Andami kong tawa dito. Kahit na puro kalokohan yung mga magbabarkada dito, may sense pa rin. Ang galing talaga ni Bob Ong.. ^_^ Nasa realidad ang isinulat niya dito, lahat nagagawa ng mga masasamang tao dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay!! pero kahit ganun, nandiyan parin ang Diyos na handang magpatawad at hindi tayo pababayaan at binibigyan tayo ng second chance para maituwid ang mga mali.

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About Bob Ong

Bob Ong, or Roberto Ong, is the pseudonym of a Filipino contemporary author known for using conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of life as a Filipino.

One reviewer notes (translated from the vernacular):
"Filipinos really patronize Bob Ong's works because, while most of his books may have an element of comedy in them, this is presented in a manner that replicates Fil...more

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Quotes from MACARTHUR

“Dalawang dekada ka lang mag-aaral. Kung di mo pagtitiyagaan, anak, limang dekada ng kahirapan ang kapalit. Sobrang lugi. Kung alam lang iyon ng mga kabataan, sa pananaw ko e walang gugustuhing umiwas sa eskwela.” — 38 people liked it

“Mga bata pa kayo. Pag pinaniwalaan namin kayong hindi kayo naglaro ng tubig kahit na basang-basa ang mga damit ninyo, kayo ang niloloko namin. Hindi kayo ang nakakapanloko.” — 29 people liked it

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