The Summer Solstice and Other Stories

by Nick Joaquín

The Summer Solstice and Other Stories is a trio of tales where religion and superstition, the mundane and the mystical, converge. It features the title story “The Summer Solstice” as well as “The Mass of St. Sylvestre” and “The Order of
Melkizedek.”

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Gothic, Anthologies, Asia

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Nicomedes Márquez Joaquín (1917–2004) was a Filipino writer and journalist best known for his short stories and novels in the English language. He also wrote using the pen name Quijano de Manila. In 1976, Joaquin was conferred the rank and title of National Artist of the Philippines for Literature. He has been considered one of the most important Filipino writers, along with José Rizal and Claro M. Recto. Unlike Rizal and Recto, whose works were written in Spanish, Joaquin's major works were written in English despite being a native Spanish speaker.

Before becoming one of the leading practitioners of Philippine literature in English, he was a seminarian in Hong Kong – who later realized that he could better serve God and humanity by being a writer. This is reflected in the content and style of his works, as he emphasizes the need to restore national consciousness through important elements of Catholic Spanish Heritage.

In his self-confessed mission as a writer, he is a sort of "cultural apostle" whose purpose is to revive interest in Philippine national life through literature – and provide the necessary drive and inspiration for a fuller comprehension of their cultural background. His awareness of the significance of the past to the present is part of a concerted effort to preserve the spiritual tradition and the orthodox faith of the Catholic past – which he perceives as the only solution to our modern ills.

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my fourth time to read a book written by Nick Joaquin. I liked those first three books more than this. However, I don't hate this book. It still is likable especially for readers who love gothic stories, mystery and historical fiction with a bit of eroticism. It's just that I was expecting a bit more so I guess my rating was primarily due to some unmet expectations.

Those expectations were:

1) I was suprised to find out that Nick Joaquin wrote short stories in this genres: gothic, mystery and with sexual undertones. I mean, my previous books by him were all historical fictions (a play and a family drama) and a history book. I was thrown off a bit when I was reading the first two stories of the 3 included in this book because they were totally different from these books: A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino: An Elegy in Three Scenes (3 stars), The Woman Who Had Two Navels (3 stars) and A Question of Heroes (4 stars).

2) I found Nick Joaquin's (1917-2004) writing here a bit lofty to the extent of making his prose quite hard to understand. I particularly noticed this in the way he opened his stories in this collection. The best example for me is the first paragraph in the third story, "The Order of Melkizedek."

"Toothbrush in raised hand, to tell Customs it was all his gear, Sid Estiva, lately come down from heaven but now unwinged by the general guilt, slunk past the courts of the baggage inquisitors, was thumbed the way to the airport lobby, stiffened as he shambled by, ran smack into a tall woman in green who thrust her mouth at his face as it to kiss him."

I find this sentence too long and I had to read this twice and thrice. I know that Nick Joaquin was a good writer and maybe this was written at that time when there was a notion that if a story or novel was hard to understand, it is a good piece of literature.

3) I thought that this book is entirely different from Tropical Gothic (to be read). When I was to start reading this book, I compared the tables of contents of the two books and found that the three stories here are also included in the other book. Waste of money (P195).

4) The first story, "The Mass of St. Sylvestre" was recommended by my friend Jzhunagev as a good story to read on New Year's Eve. So I thought that it was about starting anew, faith, new beginning, hope despite all odds, etc. Only to find out that the story is only set on a New Year's Eve and it is about this mysterious man who is cursed so he is turned into stone and becomes human again to attend a thousand New Year's Eve's holy masses.

In fairness to Jzhun, the story is nice but not appropriate for New Year's adult (middle-aged man's read). However, among the three stories, I liked "Summer Solstice" more because I saw "Tatarin" movie in a MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) at least a decade ago when Dina Bonnevie played Lupe and she was just too hot to play an semi-erotic role. However, in the book the spelling of "Tatarin" is "Tadtarin." As for the third story, "The Order of Melkizedek," it felt like a Dan Brown novella for me, what with the mysterious organization (order) of Melkizedek (the first priest) and the death of the taxi driver.

I appreciate the versatility of Nick Joaquin but I still prefer to read his more serious non-Gothic side.

[Darcel Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Venus in Furs…

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“He kissed my feet,” she told him disdainfully, her eyes on his face.
He frowned and made a gesture of distaste. “Do you see? They have the instincts, the style of the canalla! To kiss a woman’s feet, to follow her like a dog, to adore her like a slave— “
“Is it so shameful for a man to adore women?”
“A gentlemen loves and respects Woman. The cads and lunatics— they ‘adore’ the women.”
“But maybe we do not want to be loved and respected— but to be adored.”

[Tito Quiling, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a follow up review to another collection of Nick Joaquin classics, the subsequent stories continue its theme of historical facts, magic realism, and personal journeys.

The Mass of St. Sylvestre of an iconic church with the celebration of the image of St. Sylvestre every New Year. It is more of a historical narrative as it describes the traditional ways of honoring the saint dedicated to the largest church in the city of Manila. It is seen through the eyes of an American footsoldier gallivanting in the Walled City at this time of the year, only to realized that all the grandness that he has witnessed turned out to be an illusion.

The Summer Solstice is the local tale of The Tadtarin, and how it affects the characters involved in the story, particularly the women. Dona Lupe, a meek and subversive wife, finds her strength due to the Tadtarin, managing to overpower her husband. This feast is connoted with the emasculation of men and the empowerment of women. At the time, the latter is looked down upon because Spanish Philippines was strongly patriarchal. Thus, this festival provides women the chance to become more aggressive, and independent.

The Order of Melkizedek is a lengthy story about the strange workings of an underground society headed by Melkizedek, who is believed to be hundreds of years old. In a long, twisting narrative, the characters are exhausted with tiring clues and slow investigations intertwined with historical facts, mostly tied with Intramuros, its churches and its convents.

[Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great dose of the mystical on a breezy March night. All three stories delve into the dynamism of Filipino folk Catholicism -- two-headed like the Roman god Janus as alluded to in The Mass of St. Sylvestre. An exhibition of the ways in which the saints, churches, and incense are sometimes just facades to the more primitive yearnings boiling underneath.

Also a solid reminder of why Summer Solstice is one of my favorite short stories ever. The diametric opposition of the "erect and goldly virile" saint brought by shirtless men in the sun versus the pathetic, black image paraded by howling women in the night is such a powerful image. Perhaps all women really do require is to be accepted in their mystery. And adored.

[Verity Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the atmosphere of this collection.

[rue · Rating 3 out of 5]

used this for my book review and what a shame for that to go to waste—critiqued by leha.



&&



"I remember that you are a woman, yes. A beautiful woman. And why not? Did you turn into some dreadful monster when you married? Did you stop being a woman? Did you stop being beautiful? Then why should my eyes not tell you what you are—just because you are married?"


How could an excerpt from the past live sentient through society now as it should’ve died the moment it was birthed onto the lines of history itself? It was of the national artist Nick Joaquin, whose life had generously granted culture to the millions of Filipinos now. Suppose a household name like his were to be paraded through the streets and hills of the state, but the majority was never quite ready for an adept like him. Alas, the truth is I am not fond of Filipino literature, and immersing myself in one to my liking needs to have one thing: the feminist agenda. Scouring through the web for what was inevitably found in return, the Summer Solstice by Nick Joaquin was once more brought to light.

The story starts on St. John’s Day with Doña Lupeng Moreta having a mishap with one of her employees, Amada, the cook who was deemed one with the spirit, went out the night prior for the procession. Later, she finds herself annoyed in an open carriage with her family, watching the flock of young men parade vigorously for the occasion. At home, she sees young cousin Guido, with whom she had a lengthy heated enlightenment session about the matriarch. As a result, an argument with her husband, Don Paeng, arose from the apprisal that had been Guido’s words, cementing an issue between the two: she was not to join the cult celebration. Long story short, she did, and Don Paeng got lost trying to find her. In the end, he was bruised and beat up and wanted revenge to punish his wife. The pair had another heated exchange, but Doña Lupeng and her stand for equality prevailed this time.

The Summer Solstice is one of Nick Joaquin’s most critically acclaimed works, as we can already tell it tackles themes vital to the ways of our society. The plot is described as having a traditional and religious reference along the lines of conflicts between man vs. society. Given that it was originally published in 1972, the story sets time around the Spanish era, when women had little to no rights; a patriarchal dominion is what it was. Now, this genre of literature is anew to me, and what awaits is far from what I expected.


Internal Misogyny

Doña Lupeng perfectly depicted what it was like to be fed and prosper from internalized misogyny. For reference, misogyny refers to an ingrained and institutionalized prejudice against women; sexism. It is first shown in the encounter with Amada, as Doña Lupeng finds her servant half-naked on the bamboo bed. Perhaps the following scene where she scolds Entoy was meant for the same rationale as well, to prevent Amada from joining the sexuality cult her husband perceives it to be. Remember that this was set in a conservative Spanish time when women were subjected to modesty.

"But I forbade her to go! And I forbade you to let her go!"
"What is this, Amada? Why are you still in bed at this hour? And in such a posture! Come, get up at once. You should be ashamed!"

This is no surprise when Guido from Europe, a progressive land, was to question the misogynistic principles that Doña Lupeng had. As expected, the liberal ideologies of the man were taken to offense by Doña Lupeng, taking the admiration of women as an insult. In her words, "ah, this is too much now." Think. Why would a woman be upset over equality? This goes to prove the internalized misogyny she embodied at the time. One could say that Guido caused Lupe a culture shock, for that matter.

"Is it so shameful for a man to adore women?"
"How I behaved tonight is what I am. If you call that lewd, then I was always a lewd woman and a whipping will not change me.
"Then come, crawl on the floor, and kiss my feet!"

Doña Lupeng broke the cignal. The monologue during the men's parade was just the start for her; not even a day had passed after her talk with Guido, we see Doña Lupeng standing up for her rights—women’s rights. The tears shed of ‘fascination’ marked the rebirth of her voice, strength, and femininity. No matter the pain and burden the male race had imposed upon her, she triumphed in her equality. She was finally free.


Sexism and Gender Roles

It is evident that Doña Lupeng's mindset stemmed from the matrix of entitled men, and Don Paeng is one of them. He is the embodiment of the men we see now in our society whose entire personality revolves around a superiority complex. These are the same men who strictly impose conformity among the genders. Don Paeng believed in gender roles so much that he was against even the mere thought of letting his wife follow tradition. Those males who stick to the ancient ideology that certain behaviors and objects are defined by masculinity and femininity are sexist in the most form.

"These young men today—what a disgrace they are! I felt embarrassed as a man to see him following you about with those eyes of a whipped dog."
"A gentleman loves and respects woman. The cads and lunatics—they 'adore' the women."
"I warn you, Lupe; do not provoke me!"

Sexism is quite similar to misogyny, although this one is based on the entirety of sex or gender, especially against females. What’s more, the dialogues above are some of the few words he uttered, and his character almost always says offensive and derogatory remarks. Don Paeng's words may seem casual for one, but the way he expresses these is in an objectifying manner. He thinks he owns Doña Lupe; if not, why resort to such an act of violence to whip the love of your life, the woman you had sworn to protect, the mother of your children? It was his gentlemen's behavior to belittle everything threatening his fragile masculinity. Sadly, men of that kind paid no exceptions even to their female equals.


Abuse

“Because I love you, because I respect you—”
“Is it not enough that you have me helpless? Is it not enough that I feel what you want me to feel?”

Don Paeng had no redemption arc. It was of his kind to turn vile and feed on the vulnerable, and this was clearly shown throughout the story by simply declining and overruling the rights and freedom of Doña Lupeng. He was blatantly abusive to his wife emotionally, mentally, and physically, a struggle most women face even today. The most prominent one of his uses is the dangerous means of gaslighting that may have potentially added to the build-up of brainwashing Doña Lupeng had before the events of the story.

Subsequently, Entoy, Amada's husband, is also physically abusive. If it weren't for the Tadtarin in his wife, he presumably would've laid a hand on her, as implicated in his exchange with Doña Lupeng, adding more to the pile of misogynistic acts she has committed in the past. Both his employers tolerate the deeds done to his wife, and she can do nothing in return, as it would be considered immoral for a woman to fight back, yet for a man it isn't.

“Have you been beating her again?”
“Why, you beat her at the least pretext!”
“You know how the brute treats her: she cannot say a word but he thrashes her.”


Let us not forget that Don Paeng is another privileged elitist himself: "Only low people go there." On the bright side, his younger cousin, Guido, seems to be an educated guy with progressive opinions. But men can get away with mocking women by using the word "fat" as an insult if they are not called out. "She is beautiful—as that old tree..." insisted the young man, mocking her. See how the standards for men are set below the drain, and even the bare minimum is praised?


If Doña Lupeng were to do the same thing the men in his life did, she would've been shunned and treated worse than an enslaved person, stripped of the non-existent rights she had, possibly to the extent of losing visits with her offspring. That was the way of the world until now, as we face the stigmas and expectations that surround women, because women have to work ten times as hard as men to achieve the same recognition, despite carrying the heavy burden of our society.

Nick Joaquin's The Summer Solstice was a work of realism. I am not going to say it was a masterpiece only for the sole reason that others might interpret this merely as entertainment. Sure, this was a work of art, but it was meant to be taken to heart, to life rather. It tells of a woman's life in an era where we wouldn't dare survive. The story mentioned heavy parts of sexuality as well, something heavily considered taboo in the country. It had a lot of elements going on, something Joaquin has done in his other works.
Honestly speaking, I did not know what this was prior to reading this, so I was left angry with a burning passion for calling out the flaws of the patriarchy. Critiquing a feminist story was something I dreaded simply because it was composed of multiple complex layers. Ultimately, I believe that choosing this work by Nick Joaquin is the right decision. It's a 4.5/5 for me because I only hoped it would be written in our native tongue, having touched the delicate parts of our history. It is something I would recommend to those I know who would appreciate its rawness rather than the leisure value it embraces.

Doña Lupeng Moreta may not have existed in this world, but her story is not far from the struggles of women in her time, the times that came before, and even those times that came after. Amada alike serves the same purpose along with all the other nameless women who reciprocated the same energy to the vicious males of its time. This serves as a reminder to value where we are now as women, thank those who contributed to the cause, and ourselves for proving: babae ka, hindi babae lang.



:: no plagiarism pls

[Mikaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

baroque tropical gothic about folk catholicism and postcolonial gender relations from the king of filipino lit AND it’s under 120 pages??? literally MADE for me

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I think of Nick Joaquin, I think of a list of splendid things. I think of family jewels in bright reds, blues, and greens, being passed down as heirlooms from matriarchs to granddaughters. I think of hot, sweltering Manila summers in the ‘60s further intensifying torrid love affairs. I think of the humidity of the vulgar, tropical summer nights. I think of going to church on Sunday mornings, and of how a conflicted Filipino child attempts, in vain, to bridge Catholicism and the corresponding Catholic guilt. I think of century-old cathedrals haunted by saints and the spirits that suffered from the trauma of the Second World War. I think of how a man, in the face of social sensibilities, constrains his animalistic hunger to worship the woman he loves, much like an asong ulol. I think of the elaborate overlapping of pre-colonial paganistic folklore and Christianity.

[Padiecakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection has three stories. All are tied by religion and beliefs. Here are my reviews for each of the stories:

(1) The Mass of St. Sylvestre
This was about black magic and the church and how blasphemy works. Mateo, a polymath who believes in black magic and rationality was a selfish man who tried to spy on the church during the mass of St. Sylvestre. The story opens with St. Sylvestre having two faces, one predicting the past one the future. Very powerful. Because Mateo was very selfish, he was heavily punished. This story shows the wrath of God which was unsettling to me.
(2) The Summer Solstice
This talks about the Tadtarin (women's fertility) festival and St. John's day too. When taught in school, many say this is a feminist story. It could be. But I saw it as more of an anti-feminist story if not a radical feminist one. Feminism is about gender equality and this did not practice it. Doña Lupeng wanted to be ADORED instead of loved and respected. I felt like she objectified herself and other women too by saying that. It overly glamorized women, but this story was good and thought-provoking.
(3) The Order of Melkizedek
This story was the longest one in the collection. It explained how religion can be seen in a restrictive way yet it can be seen in a loving way. I liked this because it felt like listening to a podcast wherein every claim about religion was debatable and interesting.

All in all this was a good collection but not my favorite. All three stories ended with a bang and that consistency is something I appreciate.

[Bomdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was the first ever book that I read from our National Artist and I think I know why he is, because he has a very different stories from other author. He gives readers that somewhat horror or thriller feeling at some point of the book and the fact that his tackling a very sensitive topic which is faith or religion that was already a big thing to do. Through this book also, he made readers informed of how was it like before or during 1900s, like what they believe in traditions and such culture they had which I was unaware of though it maybe fictional. Still, his book was informative piece of art and creatively done.

[guiltlessreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three very Filipino stories. All three very different -- one more a recollection, one about folkloric religion celebrating the sexual woman, and lastly a mini-novella that explores the old and the new of Filipino belief systems. Full review on my blog Guiltless Reading.

First read: Oct 19-21, 2014.
Reread: December 2015.
Reread: Jan 31-Feb 2 2019.

[Eleventh Hour · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Summer Solstice was called Freaky Solstice.

[Aloysiusi Lionel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Commencing with the sound of a fabulist awed by the glory of a cathedral, "The Mass of St. Sylvestre" pullulated with cadences requisite of striking and remarkable storytelling which hooks a reader to continue reading. And this reader, stupefied by a language so distinct and so elegant, will proceed to "The Summer Solstice" --- for which the National Artist is known, by students and teachers who always end up mesmerized by the narrative and its haunting resolution --- that has marked the fictionist as an icon of magic realism and folklore enthusiasm. And this patient reader, who looks for longer works will keep on reading "The Order of Melchizedek" not for the plot's complexity --- pushing one character or two to find out how a sect or cult started wreaking nothing but havoc on everyone's sense of normalcy --- but for its endurance of the character's individual intricacies, their hopes and envies, their innocence and passion. After giving these three stories a good and lasting glance, this reader realized that there is only one writer, gifted by the unquestionable knowledge of Catholic precepts and popular beliefs, who could portray the prototype Filipino household, the nature of which is capitalized in the abundance of irrationality, supernatural realms and ideological conflicts between lovers and kin. However panegyrical this review should sound, I still love May Day Eve and Other Stories more for its sophistication and didactic powers.

[Jao Wonders · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are obvious gender discriminations in the story. Though women are portrayed as some kind of supreme beings, the story is definitely not feminist in any sense. First, as for the battering attitude of men such as Entoy and Paeng, it is so narrow-minded of men to use force to show their authority over women.
Second is the distinction between the kind of images used and men and women's way of worshipping St. John. In the St. John's Day procession, the image is "riding swiftly above the sea of dark heads and glittering in the noon sun -- a fine, blond, heroic St. John."While in the Tadtarin, "the black image of the Baptist -- a crude primitive, grotesque image, its big-eyed head too big for its puny naked torso, bobbing and swaying above the hysterical female horde and looking at once so comical and so pathetic . . ."
The abovementioned scenes somehow imply that men are good and somewhat devout who engage only in serious rites while women are like savages, joining senseless orgies.
Last is women's portrayal of demanding power over men. This is very anti-feminist, as feminism does not demand superiority, as Lupeng demands for women domination, but equal rights with men.

[yaniña · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to reread this one. I read it in high school after learning about the different prolific Filipino authors and their works. I can only describe Nick Joaquin's imagery as saccharine (not in a bad way)- I felt like I was there, sitting under a mango tree, wearing a pineapple fibre frock, fanning myself to fight off the sweltering heat. This author inspires poetry with his words. The Summer Solstice is about the feast of San Juan (who baptised Jesus) set in the 1850s colonial Philippines. It illustrates the contrast between the feast of the sun, the West, and masculinity in the feast of San Juan held at noon and the Tadtarin, the feast of the moon and femininity, held at mignight- a precolonial ritual held back when the Philippines was called a different name.

10/10 would recommend. It's only ten pages.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been hearing about Nick Joaquin from other Pinoy writers for awhile, so I was happy to finally sit down with some of his work. I can see why there's so much hype. There's a clarity to the writing that contrasts wonderfully with the emotional intensity and eerieness of the content. My favorite story here by far is The Summer Solstice.

My one note is that the edition I had had a printing error, so not only was the novella The Order of Melchizedek missing about 20 pages but also had repeated and out of order pages.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thread of magical realism was pretty strong in this batch of stories.
"Mass of St. Sylvestre" - quite descriptive, it felt like a memory
"Summer Solstice" - that last scene, so cinematic and powerful
"Order of Melkizedek" - I got antsy in the middle, it felt a tad too long and I didn't understand some banter, probably because of dated expressions but the story grew on me. The reference to the Beatles incident proves that it happened, heh, but I liked that it was used to forewarn, let's just say, mass indoctrination.

[Raymund Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of Nick Joaquin that I have read. I enjoyed all of the stories, despite being flowery and poetic. All of the three stories deal with religion and how it can become destructive and unskillful when misused.

My personal favorite in this collection is "The Order of Melkizedek" because it was mind-bending and is a poignant reminder to all of us that whether we're aware of it or not, our values and opinions are being shaped by forces outside of us such as other people, the church and other religious groups, and society as a whole.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first and last time I read any of Nick Joaquin's works was back in college for our Filipino literature class. I think it's funny how I'm reading his writings voluntarily now and actually enjoying them. I'm planning to read more novels from local writers to kick off my reading challenge.

The Summer Solstice - ⭐⭐⭐
It's giving Midsommar!

The Mass of St. Sylvestre - TBA

The Order of Melkizedek - TBA

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

What in the world. The first story was very atmospheric. And I’m not even religious. The second story was so enthralling. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The third story was all over the place.

[Good Ra]

truly the work of a national artist. the summer solstice presents a very interesting conflict between man and woman. it presents how women want equality. interesting as it touches on religious beliefs, sexuality and equality of the sexes.

[Raan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mass of St. Sylvestre - 3.0
The Summer Solstice - 5.0
The Order of Melkizedek - 3.5

[Nicole Alfonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enchanting, captivating short stories that took native filipino elements down the rabbit hole. A definite must read.

[Nightmareonelmstreet2or3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 out of 3 great stories.

1st felt a bit Lovecraftian.

2nd is mysterious and entrancing; well-worth multiple reads.

3rd and last one could be as good as the rest, just needed more editing IMO.

[Jean Louise | bookloure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gothic goodness <3

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mass of Saint Sylvestre - 4.1-4.2/5
The Summer Solstice - 4.4/5
Order of Melkizedek - 3.8-3.9/5

Overall Rating: 4.1-4.17/5

[Kent Namoro · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Freaky Solstice and Other Stories

[rie · Rating 5 out of 5]

gaslight girlboss gatekeep

[Lightfury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridgerton lines could never! Such a fun read. My favorite is The Summer Solstice.