Iskrapbuk

by Allan N. Derain

Ang mga kuwento sa Iskrapbuk ay salamin at diwa ng kabataang Pilipino--mga karanasanm pananaw-mundo, at pangarap.

Sinulat ito sa lengguwaheng makabago--repleksiyon ng pamamaraan ng modernong pagkukuwento at estilo ng kabataang manunulat na pinanday ng unibersidad.

Nagwagi ng unang gantimpala si Allan Derain sa patimpalak ng Sentrong Pangkultura ng Daily Manila Shimbun. Naging fellow for fiction siya sa UP National Writers' Workshop. Ilang ulit nang lumabas ang kanyang mga kuwento sa mga antolohiyang Ang Aklat Likhaan ng Tula at Maikling Kuwento, sa Liwayway, at Filipino Magazine. Nagtapos siya ng BA Malikhaing Pagsulat, cum laude, at kasalukuyang kumukuha ng MA sa Filipino sa UP Diliman.

Genres: Short Stories

91 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ano nga ba ang formula para bilhin ng kabataan ang isang libro? Bakit bentang-benta si Bob Ong pero hindi ang isang libro kagaya nito? Samantalang itong librong ito ni Allan N. Derain ay isinulat din para sa mga kabataan. Bida sa 12 maiikling kuwento rito ay puro mga bata na nasa eskwelahan pa o di naman ay bago-bago pa lang nagtratrabaho. Lumabas ito ng 2005 kasabay ng Stainless Longganisa (2 stars) ni Bob Ong. Ikumpara ang mga bilang ng nagbasa at nag-rebyu dito sa GR: Stainless: 5,228 ratings and 169 reviews laban sa Iskrapbuk: 11 ratings and 1 review. Syempre ang average rating ng Iskrapbuk ay mas mataas: 4.18 talo ang 3.47 ni Bob Ong. Pero kasi nga kokonti ang nagbasa ng librong ito ni Derain. Siguro mga kaibigan o estudyante niya o kakilala (na kagaya ko). At least pangalawa ito sa rebyu ito sa GR. Ang una ay iyong nagsabing last year ng "BEAUTIFUL" na Paula Ortiz pero added pa lang. Siguro nagandahan sya sa pabalat ng libro.

Speaking of pabalat, siguro ang dahilan why some teenagers don't patronize a book like this is that there is "The University of the Philippines Press" sa pabalat. Dalawa lang kasi ang reactions na puwede dyan e. Di ba kasi, ang UP alam nating lahat na para sa mga matatalino? I mean, ang anak ko kumuha ng entrance dyan pero di pumasa. So, yong mga di pumasa o di man nag-try kasi alam nilang mahirap may ganoon notion. Eh ang mga nagbabasa ng Bob Ong, siyempre malamang sa hindi, umiiwas yan sa mga babasahing tulad ng mga akda nina Almario, Lumbera o Joaquin. Gusto nilang basahin yong kina Bob Ong, Eros Atalia, Ramon Bautista o HaveYouSeenThisGirl. Yong magaan lang. Yong matatawa sila. Yong gagaan ang pakiramdam. Yong mai-inlove kahit walang boyfriend. O at least maa-amuse (kasi may bastos o daring? sa kuwento).

Since lumabas ang ABNKKBSNPLAKo?! (3 stars) marami nang nagsulputang mga Bob Ong-wannabes. Sobrang benta kasi ang libro. Pero at least si Bob Ong walang halong bastos ang kuwento. Si Eros, meron. Turn off sa akin yon tsk tsk. Hindi naman dahil prudish ako. Iniisip ko lang kung para sa kabataan bakit kailangang lagyan ng ikadudumi ng utak nila. Magaling sanang magsulat si Eros pero di ko type ang pagsingit niya ng sex sa mga kuwento nya. To each his own anyway dahil marami namang kabataan na enjoy sa style nya sa pagsusulat.

At least, dito sa Iskrapbuk ni Derain walang sex. Kaso, seryoso ang pagkakasulat. 5 stars para sa akin ang unang kuwento, Ang Liaison sa 27th Floor na kuwento ng isang runner o tagabili sa labas ng isang opisina. Pulido ang pagkakakwento at nakakaawa ang bidang bata. 5 stars din ang pinakamaikli pero nakakatakot na Dalawang Pares ng Mata dahil nasabi ni Derain ang gusto nyang sabihin sa konting mga salita. Dragging kasi para sa akin ang huling kuwento Iskrapbuk tapos sa dulo wala rin pala. Parang mas forte ni Derain ang nakakatakot kagaya ng Anatomiya ng isang Alila. Mas ramdam ko kung naka-focus ang kuwento sa isang karakter sa halip na sa grupo ng mga tauhan. Mas naka-capture ni Derain ang damdamin ng isa kaysa sa grupo gaya ng mga maga-aral ng Sta. Presincula Academy sa huling kuwento.

Yon lang. Basahin ninyo ito kung gusto nyong maka-sampol ng maiikling kuwento ni Derain. Nagustuhan ko kasi yong nobela niyang Ang Banal na Aklat ng mga Kumag (4 stars) na lumabas this year, 2013. Kaya ako nagka-interest na bumili nitong Iskrapbuk. Umiiwas din kasi ako sa mga aklat na may UP sa pabalat. Chos.

[Christine Alibutud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Only rated this based on one short story found in this book. The short story Ang Mumunting Pigurilyang Tupa was required for us to read for us to base our Midterms Paper on. This review is leaning slightly on the academic and formal side, focusing on the story's form of structure, characterization, and fictional time & place. *Edited*

Short and brief, but striking. That is how I would describe the short story Mumunting Pigurilyang Tupa by Allan Derain. Only over three pages, it was a quick read for me. But even though I only read this in one sitting, I read it again twice just to try to get a better understanding of the story, especially towards the end.

Allan Derain’s Mumunting Pigurilyang Tupa is about a son who creates figurines and molds them into various shapes of animals, and sells them. He is also weekly visited by her mother, who constantly checks up on him and his work. The exposition starts when the mother gave her son a weekly visit. The mother and son are introduced here as the story’s two main characters. The setting was at a workshop but the story did not say an exact place. The mother’s visit is different this time and unlike any other visit because it was the first time she actually got to go to her son’s workshop and she finally saw her son create the figurines by hand. The mother also took note that his son was not wearing gloves and that he might hurt himself because the melted plastic was hot. Basically, the mother was taking notice of things that she was not used seeing of how her son does the figurines.

This is where conflict arises between the characters. With this, the son then explains certain things as to why they use melted plastic, and how he shapes better when he uses his hands. After explaining this to his mother, her mother began to take notice again that the animal her son was forming was another sheep. The son replies that sheep figurines sell better, especially because they are found in a Belen and people still want to have them inside their house, even if it is not Christmas. After reading this, I realized that this is where the title is derived from.

Also, another conflict is that the story implies that they don’t have a close relationship, thus communication is not well between them. Moving on, I think the situation takes on a different light when the mother starts asking what the next step is after molding the figurine. This in turn arises to the climax when the son then says that he paints it white for finalization. Her mother then says that she doesn’t want a white sheep figurine anymore, instead she wants it ash-colored. Her son then tells her she should have the figurine since it’s already colored that way. This is when her mother starts saying that this would be her 53rd figurine if she brings this one home, emphasizing that for every week she visits, she brings home one. I came into a conclusion that her son has been working in that workshop for a year and a week now.

The story then progresses when his mother complains about certain features of the molded sheep. She kept asking why the nose was like this, or why the feet were like that. Also, the son was finally given a name, which is Nilo, during this part. Moving on, the son answered her saying that it all depends on one’s perspective and style, and it is inevitable for imperfect features since around his workshop, there weren’t any good sheep figurines to copy from. This part kind of serves as the falling action, especially because the conflicts were solved through the answers of the son to his mother’s questions. Towards the end when the mother was about to leave, a line in the story hints that Nilo is actually a prisoner. This line that implies that is: ”Inihatid siya ng anak hanggang sa geyt, doon sa harap ng geyt kung saan nag-aabang parin ang mga lalaking nakakamisetang kahel…” This line implies that the setting is actually inside a jail and that Nilo is a prisoner there, and this was understood because of the context that the guys there were wearing orange jumpsuits, which prisoners wear. The story ends by Nilo’s mother saying an encouraging dialogue to him.

In terms of characterization, I believe that the author used the dramatic method in introducing the characters, in a way that the readers will be able to understand their personality and characteristics better through their dialogues and actions. Through the actions of the mother portrayed in the story, it is perceived that the mother is caring, thoughtful, and loving to her son. This is mainly seen because of her action that she visits her son every week. Also, her dialogues indicates that she is an inquisitive person because of her many questions. Meanwhile, the son is perceived as artistic and creative because of his figurine-making. With his dialogues, he is seen as a patient person because he keeps tolerating her mother’s questions. Also, when I read the last part, I knew him to be a prisoner. Because of this, I thought of him as having a bad side on him since he was in jail for some reason. On the other hand, both their thoughts also show that they are distant with each other, sowing no tenderness physically. But it also shows that they miss each other. I also think that both of them are foil characters because both of them revealed their characteristics through contrasting actions, dialogues, and traits.

Said in third person, I classified it as a limited omniscient. This was said in a limited omniscient point-of-view because the author mainly focused on the thoughts of the mother, and the author did not manipulate time. Also, thoughts of the characters, especially the other, were capable of being read.

In line with the ending, I think it’s a close-ended story because the story was resolved and in the end, the readers were given an implication about the true identity of the two characters. Also, the story has a unified plot since it only happened within a day.

To summarize, this story was briefly told but many information and implications were garnered throughout the whole story. Personally, I also loved the story and found it insightful. Allan Derain’s Mumunting Pigurilyang Tupa is certainly a remarkable story.

[George Gonzaga Deoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ang Liason sa 27th Floor" ay isa sa mga maikling kuwentong Filipino na hindi ko malilimutan.

[Robin Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/qbLc8kS9N2M?si=ffm9u...

[Mang Kimok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paborito ko ito na koleksyon ng maiikling kwento. Solid lahat ng kwento. Paborito ko yung last piece. Pero tingin ko ang pinakamahusay dito ay yung "Anatomiya ng isang Alila." Pomo siya to some degree. Pati yung "Ang Liason sa 27th floor." Ang sarap basahin.
Gusto ko makabasa ng nobela na umiikot sa mundo ng mga tauhan dito sa Iskrapbook.

[Paula Ortiz]

BEAUTIFUL

[Eduardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mga koleksyon ng maikling kwento na nagpapatuon sa kabataan.. maganda ang mga storya lalo na yung pinakahuli Worth it ang pagbili sa librong ito