Just finished Stainless Longganisaand I gave it 2 stars. Here's my short comment on it http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14333...

Trend? series and possibly vampires...

Ang trend lang na sinet ni Bob One eh, siya ang current author writing now in the Philippines na may malaking sales sa local book market... Even NBDB acknowledges it...
Pero ang trend talaga ngayon sa ating bansa ay we tend to read foreign books compare to our local ones... And I'll admit that there aren't much choice when it come to our locally published books.... Karamihan ng mga naglipan ay mga literary na hindi naman agad maiintindihan ng mga pangkariniwang tao...

I see the Bob Ong trend as a parang labanan between pop fiction vs. literary fiction..

Ayun...

Kabesangbasing wrote: "jzhunagev wrote: "Kabesang Basing paki-expound pa po...
Elaborate further..."

expound ng wat?

I have a question, sa lahat ng nahihilig/mahihilig sa aklat (kasama na ang nagpapalipas oras sa pili..."

We'll referring to the book sales of the past 2 years, paranormal is the current trend. Age variable can't be counted since even adults read the Twilight saga. I don't think Bob Ong did as much influence on the current trend.

jzhunagev wrote: "Kabesang Basing paki-expound pa po...
Elaborate further..."

expound ng wat?

I have a question, sa lahat ng nahihilig/mahihilig sa aklat (kasama na ang nagpapalipas oras sa piling ng aklat) (Nagbabasa at nagsusulat man) ano sa palagay nyo ang trend ng panitikan sa pilipinas? (lalo na ng lumitaw ang obra ng isang "bob ong")

Kabesang Basing paki-expound pa po...
Elaborate further...

hi. nabasa ko na lahat halos ang mga obra ni bob ong,sa kabila nun hindi ko sya paborito(pero tumatangkilik sa manunulat na yun). marami akong naririnig kaugnay kay "bob ong" lalo na sa mundo ng mga manunulat kapag nag-uusap at nag-iinuman sa tabi-tabi ng kahabaan ng quezon ave, o kaya sa sulok-sulok ng UP kasama ng alagad ng LIRA. pero higit duon,mahusay na manunulat sa makabagong kaayusan iyon ang "bob ong". Ngunit labis na kung sasabihin kong parang kilala ko ang pagkatao nya,iyon ang sabi ni celeste buhawi ng sulatkamay writers guild. =)

di ko ata nabasa yang part na yan..hehe..nagmamadali kasi ako sapagbasa non..haha

Di ko lang sinabi... nakasaad yun sa libro ni Bob Ong na Stainless Longanissa...

At tulad ni Bob Ong may ilang libro na rin ako ni Pareng Fulghum... may mga tatlo run hardcover ata...

jzhunagev wrote: "Maalala ko lang... Yung favorite writer ni Bob Ong na si Robert Fulghum ganun ding magsulat... suspetsa ko nga ginaya lang ni Bob Ong ang style ni Fulghum... Basta basahin nyo na lang yung [book:Al..."


Really? you mean, Si Fulghum eh my Stream of Consciousness Technique din? hahaha..
Actually, lahat naman ng writers ay my iniidolong kapwa writer..even Shakespeare was influenced by the ideas of thinkers and inventors like Diderot, Rousseau and others...

sabe mo nga, favorite author ni Pareng Ong si Pareng Fulghum...ayon na impluwensyahan nga siguro.. :)

Maalala ko lang... Yung favorite writer ni Bob Ong na si Robert Fulghum ganun ding magsulat... suspetsa ko nga ginaya lang ni Bob Ong ang style ni Fulghum... Basta basahin nyo na lang yung All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten niya... hilarious with a mix sentimentality na touching...

Ahhh, basta basahin niyo na lang...

Finally, I was able to read bob Ong's Stainless lOngganisa..hahaha ( kagabe lang..) I happened to stumble the book on my brother's girlfriend's apartment... :) ok..It is humorous, indeed...Bob Ong's style of writing is like James Joyce's ( if I'm not mistaken of the spelling ), Stream of Consciousness technique...Whatever things come up on his mind, he writes them down with so much ease and humor.. It is, but rare..Ordinarily, when ideas come flowing down, we, more often than not, loses on the right track. However, Bob Ong is so good, he even know when and where to get back..

( I tried so hard to finish the book last night..*sigh* nahirapan akong tapusin ang book kasi mahina akong magbasa sa filipino..shame on me )

I haven't read any ( nakakahiya no..)...but I know some of his lines.. I'm not a fanatic but I appreciate him...


Who really is Bob Ong? Aside from his blockbuster book sales that equaled only by the anonymity he maintains?

I am nothing but a miserable scribbling piece of sh*t when it comes to Pinoy works.. :(

I heard that those who read his work say that his writings are both humorous and insightful, has wisdom, humor and a flair that appeals to our Filipino way of thinking.

I hope I can be your boyfriend and read all Bob Ong books to you, no sweat... I'll not just only translate it for you, I'll even include my own annotations of the book... Hehehehe.... just a fanciful wish of mine, Beng...
Cheers!

Who are those critics anyway? Ohhh yess.... they are those half-baked elitists...
You're not diggin' too deep Grasshoppah! Bob Ong's books are not criticisms but I think are parodies of the Filipino life...
And he's not dumbing down the Filipino readers by compressing philosophies in a nut shell... that's just the way it is with us Filipinos... tickle first, and tickle hard to make the lessons treacle, that's what it is, baby...
Isn't Gabriel Garcia too big a literary lion to emulate? I think just let him be the modern Rizal of the day, and remind the Filipinos that in spite of every thing he/she still has his/her soul and that he/she needs salvation... well, it's the "how" which is the problem...

Reading my original post one year after, I find it as if it was posted by someone who had Bob Ong as his classmate in college who did him wrong, like leave him in the middle of a group project, and he's bent on destroying Bob Ong now. Haha!

I've read all the replies, but I still am not sure about Bob Ong's works. I don't know; maybe I prefer it if someone would write a criticism on Filipino culture, he or she should go all-out radical, since that's what Philippine society badly needs -- a radical perspective. I mean, after reading all those smart aleck wisecracks, you find yourself thinking, "Okay, did I pick up anything new from this work, besides a good laugh?"

I also am not buying the argument that when you write for the Filipino "masses", you should dumb down your work because "philosophizing" might be too big a piece for them to take. That's insulting the Filipino reader, regardless of the socio-economic class he or she belongs to. It's like those Tagalog romance paperbacks that claim to represent women's experiences but actually perpetuates sexist attitudes towards genders. Publishers of such literature seem to think that feminism may alienate the so-called women from the masses. Not that Bob Ong's works perpetuate anything, it's just that it falls short of its claim as being critical, at the very least.

Anyway, I'm not condemning Bob Ong's works till kingdom come. The purpose of critics is to point out what needs to be improved in a work, so that the author may come up with something better next time. Critics often come across as too harsh, but that is because, how can you convince the reader and the writer herself that something is wrong with the work when the critic would dilly-dally with his or her judgment? Remember, Bob Ong's works are suppposed to be criticisms in the first place, and thus should withstand criticism themselves. And yes, I too hope that whoever Bob Ong is may refine his (OR HER?) literary skills someday, and, who knows, may emerge as the Gabriel Garcia Marquez of the Filipino race.

i've read some lines of Bon Ong's.. and sa totoo lang, what he writes are actually the reality... we find his works humorous kasi natatamaan tau.. wink* we know what he writes that's why we are able to jive with him. Bob Ong just put what the reality is into words..

For the hell lot of you Bob Ong writes for the masses! And for whatever "superficialness" found in his work, it's just your not digging that "deep" Grasshoppah!
Lessons, morals, patriotism abound in his works. It's just that you see his books in its face value--which the whole reading public(?) regards as Humurous...
The hell, he's one of the writers I've read that tickles your funny bones and slaps you at your face at the same time. Haven't experienced that "thang" since when Rizal did that to me... back in highschool...

Maybelle wrote: "I have all of his books and I beg to disagree with some points raised by Rafael who started this question.

While I most say that Bob Ong's craft is not bit close or even at par of Gabriel Garcia..."


may bagong libro si Lualhati titled "Desaparicidos" about a mother's search of her kidnapped son. It's inspiration is rooted from the spate of extrajudicial killings happening in the Arroyo Administration...

Not bad naman pala.. let me applaud the Filipino spirit even more.. hehehe.. thanks!

Yes. She has a column "Emotional Weather Report" in The Philippine Star every Friday. And just in case you want to know, she has a blog too: http://jessicarulestheuniverse.com/

Di ba she writes on a newspeaper?

"Zafra (for the Zafra fans), I don't read her.. mashado ma-angst.. hehehe.. Makikinig na lang ako ng rap ni Eminem.. hehe"

I'm a Zafra fan and I find her 'angst" hilarious. :)

I have all of his books and I beg to disagree with some points raised by Rafael who started this question.

While I most say that Bob Ong's craft is not bit close or even at par of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' work, I am most definitely sure that Marquez has spent a lot of years writing to perfect his craft before arriving at such masterpiece. If you've read other books of Marquez which were made earlier than 100 Years of Solitude, you would say it lacks the maturity Marquez has shown on his masterpiece.

I believe Bob Ong is a writer who has to learn a lot of things, find his niche and perfect his craft included. If you have read the past 2 or 3 books he's written, you would see that he is exploring other genres and is now focusing on a more direct and socially-aware theme - which starts with McArthur if I may say. I must agree that there must be some way to improve his writing - but not to the point of him being overrated.

You would also have to consider that not all Filipinos are "readers" and are "into the habit of reading". Being able to encourage people to read is already a challenge in this country and if he was able to do that amongst high school students - that means, he was able to connect to his audience.

Sabihin na nating mababaw ang mga Pinoy, or maybe, humble. Sabi nga ni Marco before, "maybe they read in secret". Many people say that "reading is for the educated and the rich" and since 3/4 of the population came from the masses, who hardly have enough money to eat, what use is philosophizing and thinking about social issues and all the other elements you would want to see in a book has for them. All they want is a good laugh, a time a way from all the hard life they are in.

You may also want to see how the books you criticize came about, it has an interesting trail, if I must say.

Charles, Para kay B is interesting, I don't like the ending though.. What's good about this book is it's 5 stories in one.. hehe.. Lualhati Bautista is good too.. pero I don't think she has new books in circulation.. ung mga luma/reprints lang ata..

Zafra (for the Zafra fans), I don't read her.. mashado ma-angst.. hehehe.. Makikinig na lang ako ng rap ni Eminem.. hehe

i find his book pangpalipas oras,not substantial.. nothing spacial..but i was able to read some of his books..try nyo ung Para kay B a book of Ricky Lee..
its nice..as of now un ung pinakamagandang book in Filipino na nabasa ko..though rampant kC ung mga words nea dun..

I dont like his books. Ive read ABNKKBSNPLAko?!, paboritong... and stainless... I just don't like his style and find his stories very hard to read because of the flow of its content. As far as I can remember, the only part when Bob Ong made me laugh was the Sadako thing in Stainless

yep..i found his ideas pretty amusing. ^^

I love Bob Ong, Whenever I read his book it's not boring and you find yourself laughing like crazy. Since High School I love him and I never met a person who didn't like Bob Ong. It's actually cool if you have a new book on Bob Ong and everyone will say can I borrow after you read it.

He's very funny, very Filipino and I like his very Pinoy vocabulary.

Nope Violeta... just a little bit smart-aleck...

does that made you smart and wise about life and relations?

I certainly fished them out Armie...

ah okey.
i just don't think.

I found Bob Ong's books really sidesplitting. The first one i read was 'Alamat ng Gubat'; it's really crazy, nonetheless very entertaining, so i tried some more - 'MacArthur' and the black book, i think it's called 'Ang Libro ni Judas', something like that. His books reflect the Filipinos' disposition and the way they think about life, though sometimes I cant understand his points.

I'll take MacArthur, which for me has a deeper meaning than what was presented by the author. It depicts a, well, typical filipino life that's obviously very malignant. Although his approach was intended to humor his readers, you can see that 'there's more to it than just that'.

I think bob ong intended his works to be plain humorous, but he made sure to leave clandestine messages that he intentionally obscured - maybe to keep the humor, im not so sure.

It's up to the one reading to fish out the most valuable lessons out of them.

I haven't read his books, but I'm planning to buy one. I heard good reviews about his books, like ABNKKBSNPLAko?!.
=]

Bob Ong's books are incomparable with the works of other notable writers like Marquez and Coelho, particularly, the writing styles. His thoughts explicitly delve on the Philippine culture, molded through time by politics, colonialism, and globalization. Although not written in a manner a great writer would, they are humorous and entertaining. I guess most learned Filipinos are a bit hurt of his writing mechanism because of his attempt to "murder" the words, i.e. typographical errors, improper usage of Filipino words. They are, however, excusable. It reminds us that all literature, whether a battered yellowing text book or a dime novel, have something to tell us. Indeed, Bob Ong's books are a collection of nasty truths about Filipinos and enjoyable recounts of his own Pinoy experience.

A little point to ponder: We rate the books based on how it satisfied our literary cravings (which are based on our taste, experience, background etc.) but let's be wide readers and get anything out of the reading materials we chance upon.

hmm...i love bob ong books...(though i only have read 2 books) ;p
in my opinion.
his books is funny because most of the "common" characteristics of Filipinos are pointed out there. it can't be avoided that as we read the book we will gave out a remark like "Ay uu nga no! haha". so in some way we (for those who already have read some bob ong books)
are able to relate on what is written on that book. ^^
that's why there are many filipinos who like bob ong books..

Sapphire, you may want to check out Jessica Zafra's site: www.jessicarulestheuniverse.com and see for yourself whether she's indeed that twisted. :)

I so love Zafra's sarcasm :P

LOL!
you can surf her web on google. But i like her books about women and gender.

I haven't read any of Jessica Zafra's books but I do see those often in bookstores. Are they really fun and twisted? I'm curious now. Any recommendations? I think I'll check them out once . . .I've read more Bob Ong books, hehe

I've only read her books about a review of movies she had seen... I'm quite acquainted with her twisted series which particularly is twisted given to its numerous volumes and counting... I also sometimes read her article in the Philippine Star... but I'm not a fan ..

hehehe.
LOL!

Never heard of her - ask Jzuhanegev.

hahahaha...
try asking the moderator and the rest if they do read jessica zafra...
hey, anybody here reads jessica zafra?

maybe we should try putting up a separate thread for Jessica Zafra fans. :)

Kaya lang baka tayo lang dalawa, Violeta, ang mag-uusap dun...hahaha

me too. i like her twisted mind.

Violeta wrote: "With due respect to those who have read Bob ONg... i haven't read any of his writings.
Sorry."

Same with me too...Haven't read any of Bob Ong's books. But I have read every Jessica Zafra book and I frequently visit her site. Well, just so you know. :P

Well try some of it... the books are cheap for only Php100 and will make you double over in laughter...

With due respect to those who have read Bob ONg... i haven't read any of his writings.
Sorry.

its tremendously funny... but its a great book..hehehe..kakatuwa..

I've only read one of his books, the one with illustrations, and sobrang topak nun! I enjoyed it. Haha!

His other books seem VERY interesting. I'll definitely check them out someday ^_^