May Day Eve and Other Stories

by Nick Joaquín

May Day Eve and Other Stories is a quintet of unsettling tales of mystery, religious zeal, and passion. It features the title story “May Day Eve” as well as “Three Generations,” “Doña Jeronima,” “The Legend of the Dying Wanton,” and “Guardia de Honor.”

Set during the Spanish colonial period, these narratives tap into the qualities of magic realism, romance, and historical fiction, as only the master Nick Joaquin can.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Horror, Anthologies

102 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

[Airiz]

“Pareng Nick” is a frequent companion of mine when I was in high school. I remembered burying my nose in a dog-eared copy of Manila, My Manila and staying in the library after classes just to search for his anthologies. It’s been ages since I last sat down and binge on some of his works, so the *roundhouse kick* of nostalgia that greeted me at the bookstore when I saw May Day Eve and Other Stories is only expected. Needless to say, I relented to the sudden irresistible urge to pick it up. I finished reading half the book in the bookstore, but I bought it (and another Joaquin anthology) anyway. I suddenly felt like my shelf would be incomplete without it.

May Day Eve is still my favorite story. Despite having read it for perhaps the hundredth time, it still doesn’t fail to make me tremble from the knee-buckling blow of regrets in life (and love) that the characters experienced. Joaquin’s magic mainly lies in the subtle unfolding of events, in a gentle whisper of epiphany that crescendoes into a howl of tragedy by the end. The story revolves around the European-educated Badoy Montiya and the feisty, liberated Agueda as they let one superstitious moment in May Day Eve be the ‘driver’ of their lives, leading into a disintegrating marriage. Agueda is my kind of female protagonist, for the most obvious of reasons: she’s the readers’ little window to Joaquin’s feministic streak that is more pronounced in his other story The Summer Solstice. Great realizations often come when it’s too late; the bitter-sweetness of this lesson lasts in the final moments of the story, wherein the characters took in that they did love each other after all, even if subconsciously.

The other stories are just as enchanting. Three Generations can be considered a little portrait of a family in a patriarchal society, focusing on the three men of each step of generation. Doña Jeronima reads like a classic Filipino legend about love, repentance, forgiveness, and piety. The Legend of the Dying Wanton teems with harrowing scenes of death as well as the beautiful images of freeing yourself…from yourself. Guardia de Honor is a mystifying tale about love, destiny, and chances. I just love how in each story, there is one character that represents rebellion in his/her own way.

Five stars for an amazing read.

[Bianca Sy]

1847

Mirror, mirror,
Show to me
Him whose woman
I will be.

1890

Mirror, mirror,
Show to me
Her whose lover
I will be.

I thought it was something like Snow White when I saw the chant and haven't started yet.

I thought it was something like a Cinderella story when I started reading the very first part.

I thought it was something like the story of Bloddy Mary when I read the part of Anastasia's instructions.

And I thought it's a horror story but it wasn't, really.

It's about love.

It's about testing an idea that you shouldn't believe in.

And this story is like about removing the challenge of your own future.

[Pyangee lariosa]

a brilliant author who created this great literary piece told us to never force love, that a love will never work if it has only passion and infatuation. the irony of how aguenda told her story to her daughter about a devil she saw in the mirror wherein deep inside labeled him as her husband and how her husband told his grandson he also saw a witch in the mirror which also portrays his wife. regrets came when he finally realize he forgotten he fell in love with his wife. tragic ending, not because they bitterly hated each other and their marriage but rather the tragic ending of how they never realize they both fell in love in the first place.

[Aloysiusi Lionel]

In his lifetime, Dahling Nick set the bar in stylizing prose, and this bar demanded that every writer had to listen to, and learn from, the sense, rhythm and power of all his prose. I have read some of his widely published reportages, and reading his popular works in fiction made me conclude that he is the best Filipino writer in English, in a language he wrote with the melisma of Spanish, in a language he beautifully captured by pen or typewriter. The cadence of each line must be the intensity of each click and throb. This knack of Nick must soar to the heights and dive to the vortexes of the reader's imagination. Particularly in this volume, the great man showcased how he devised a colonial tongue to portray the years gone by when the townsfolk were fascinated by apparitions, monstrosities and lovers-turned-legends. Among the five stories here, "Doña Jeronima" and "Legend of the Dying Wanton" are my personal favorites, for both are fused with sophisticated prose which could not be toppled down nor pinched and touched by all recently published stories combined. Then I discovered, not too late this time, that most of the emerging and acclaimed fictionists today are undoubtedly inspired by his storytelling techniques. What a gift of words, to effortless fathom causes, consequences, pain, suffering! And this humbled capsule review will never suffice the reviewer's vicarious effort to emulate.

[booklady]

Enbrethiliel over at Shredded Cheddar threw this into the mix as well. G. K C., Flannery, move over... ;) She says these are some goooood short stories! Thanks a second time!

[guiltlessreader]

I felt homesick reading this. Nothing compares to reading a book written by an author coming from your own country, from your own realities. Obvious really, but I didn't really realize it until I finished this. Full review on my blog Guiltless Reading.

[ian without an e]

Nick Joaquin describes Manila with powerful vividness, attention to detail, and touch of magic that it’s hard not to feel nostalgic and long for a time and place I’d never even lived through.

Each of the the five stories in the book masterfully explore themes of self-discovery, family ties, and traditions while also honoring the religious and folk stories of their time.

[Vicho Bookbender]

Agueda was described to be a bold, liberated, and a non-conformist young woman who was 'ahead of her time'. While Badoy as a promiscuous young man who wanted to prove his machismo, but he was 'deliriously in love' with Agueda.

[Eloisa Clarisse Eusuya]

"But maybe we do not want to be loved and respected - but to be adored." feels

[Krizia Anna]

It was a short and nice story about bitterness, passion and regret.

[Gieliza]

4 stars!
An excellent collection of tales interweaving history, legend and magic.

[Seth Campos]

Initially, I had my doubts about Nick Joaquin's abilities as a short story writer, since, prior to this book, I had only read his nonfiction writings (which were themselves phenomenal). Suffice it to say that the very first story came at me swinging, and Joaquin instantly proved to me why he's so revered as one of the greatest Filipino writers in both nonfiction AND fiction.

Still, there are ups and downs across this little collection. While nothing was necessarily bad, some were just harder to follow than others. The final story, "Guardia de Honor" (4/10), didn't seem to have much going its way. Similarly, for much of the titular "May Day Eve" (6/10), I didn't really understand what was happening, but my goodness, the writing ever remains exquisite.

"The Legend of the Dying Wanton" (7/10) is interesting. I had never expected to find writing this Dostoevskian in Nick Joaquin—long, winding, existential, and downright philosophical paragraphs (or page-long sentences) and all. It never gets too old, though. It was a pleasant surprise. The story itself is a parable of suffering, reflection, and, ultimately, self-seeking. Prose-wise, it's beautiful, but as a short story, it's just a little too abstract for me. I suspect a reread will be a much better experience, though.

"Three Generations" (8.25/10), the first story, is unquestionably the finest—a solid tale about family, old age, purpose, and generational conflict. The story beats are all right. Its implications are also quite heavy. My favorite quote across the whole collection comes from here: "Before those [his father's] eyes, Monzon felt himself stripped, one by one, of all his defenses: maturity, social position, wealth, success. He was a little boy again and he bent down and lifted his father's enormous, damp hand to his lips, and at the contact, a million pins seemed to prick his whole body" (19).

"Doña Jerónima" (7.5), finally, is a brutally tragic story at its core that stays with the reader even after the pages have already been turned. It is unfortunately hindered by its sheer length and long passages that distract from its emotional heart. The whole opening prologue, for example, seemed unjustified in its depth and length. Its heart remains strong, though. Here is another great quote that shows Joaquin's excellence: (Jerónima to the archbishop) "And when you left, my lord, and did not return, was it my heart that wept or only my pride? When I waited, waited, waited, was it not my own patience I loved, and my own faithfulness, and my own strength? But I thought it was you I continued to love when I but admired myself" (48).

Overall, this is a great introduction to not only Nick Joaquin's short stories, but his fiction in general. I look forward to reading more.

[Gianna]

I was probably just not cultured enough for this. I had difficulty with the run-on sentences and in general, I'm not really a fan of magic realism. I thought I'd give this a chance but I guess this one solidified my feelings about this genre.

I also haven't enjoyed any short story compilation so far, so this tells me maybe I'm just not into that too. Anyway, I think there is a reason why May Day Eve gets a special mention -- it was the most engaging one, in my opinion. It didn't drag too much, and the flip/twist was welcome and intriguing.

[RV Henretty-Jornales]

Heavy on the “women are the root of sin”, weird descriptions of “young girl’s” breasts, and and obvious urge to be GG Marquez and authors of that ilk. Not going to be easy to read through, unless you’re really into pious superfluity.

Two stars because it was probably something that carried more weight in its time, but, jeez, has not aged well.

[Meeko]

Ah. So brilliantly written.

[Pep]

Feels like the ideas in Culture and History were swirled around and turned into fiction for these short stories, specifically the section on the Beatas of colonial-era Philippines. Nick Joaquin has his quirks: he loves his long run-on sentences and is clearly interested in the intersection between the religious and the supernatural, often with unreliable women involved. Unfortunately I don't really share this interest. The stories are still engaging and it's fun to see how he plays with the structure, but I just have trouble relating with the characters or seeing what the mystical aspect adds to the story.

His other quirk that I have more affinity for is his repeated usage of the trope of the formerly great man. The great man is never the focus of the story but the journeys of the characters revolve around him. Here I get why Nick Joaquin likes this idea so much: he keeps showing how the idea of a man and his legacy, rather than the actual man, can have such a stranglehold on our main characters' lives.

Highlights: Three Generations, May Day Eve

[Gaby Singson]

This book would have been 5 stars if my copy didn’t have missing pages in May Day Eve and Guardia de Honor 😐

I didn’t even know who Nick Joaquin was going into this, but I now understand why he was named a National Artist of the Philippines for Literature.

These short stories embody the zeitgeist of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. Folklore is juxtaposed with Catholicism, blending magical realism while tackling traditional Filipino dilemmas like the inheritance of family trauma, the struggle between illusion and reality within our own identities, the reckoning of our youth, and the disenchantment of what we once believed to be love.

These stories are both fantastical and deeply grounded in reality. Supa good stuff.

[T. Rio]

Nick Joaquin's mastery of language and themes exhibited the power of short stories. In a few pages, the richness of a country's beliefs and practices are introduced to the readers. But beyond this introduction, it raises moral and philosophical questions on these 'normalized' practices with a twist of supernatural, plot points, etc.

[Raymund Mata]

Despite using flowery language I had great time reading the short stories in this collection. My personal favourite is "The Legend of the Dying Wanton". The protagonist is very relatable. I know the feeling of still being judged even though I'm doing my best to purge myself of my old habits and to reform my life.

[Jessica]

It's magic whenever I read Nick. His prose is explosive; he makes paragraphs sing.

He toys with English in a way I've never seen others do, breaking conventional rules and stringing unlikely words that punch in cohesion.

He is one of, if not THE best Filipino writer in English.

[Miss Ginry ♡]

Nick Joaquin is truly a master storyteller. This anthology comprised of themes such as love, magic, religion, and reality is a premiere class for vivid writing and gripping narrative. My first book for 2026! 💕✨

[Halsey Lacuna]

romance and mystery

[Jom]

Magic, miracles, curses and vision; the blend of mysticism set alternately during the Spanish and modern era gives a unique look on Philippine culture.

[Ann]

My favourites are "Three Generations" and "May Day Eve".

[aeji༊*·˚]

I just read May Day Eve but oh well... The story is somewhat good... A love story and a bitter reminiscent of a passed lover. Somewhat of a gothic tale with that witchy brews and devil paradox

[John Henry]

This is probably my most favorite Filipino short story.

[cheska (bookishdaylight)]

I had to read this for a class. It’s interesting but it didn’t really made an impact.

[Ang]

short book by pinoy author read in (mostly) bicol!

[si]

Nick Joaquin, you are a God. I hope I'm an influencer so anvil would send me your works! 😀

[Betina Arrojo]

Loved every short stories in this book. Every story reflects the societal issues and culture of Filipinos in the time of Spaniards.

Doña Jeronima is my favorite amongst the short stories.