Story Book: Essays on the History of the Book in the Philippines

by Patricia May B. Jurilla

A sixteenth-century illuminated manuscript made in Manila, the first printers and publishers of the Philippines, the looting of the Augustinian library by the British, the clandestine activities of the Katipunan press, the successes and failures of Filipino novelists, and many more stories about Philippine printing and publishing. They're all here in this little book that speaks volumes about books.

Story Book takes you on a lively journey through the colorful pages of the history of the book in the Philippines.

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Patricia May B. Jurilla teaches book history and literature at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. She earned her PhD in Philippine book history from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She is the author of Tagalog Bestsellers of the Twentieth Century: A History of the Book in the Philippines and Bibliography of Filipino Novels 1901–2000. She has also published and presented various papers on Philippine printing and publishing.

Reviews

[Vida Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a total nerd about Philippine Studies and material culture. I geek out in particular when books about particulary obscure or esoteric parts of our culture come out, and "Story Book" was not spared my geekery.

Though it took me two years to pick up after first purchasing it, this slim volume on the history of the book in the Philippines can be completed in the space of four unimpeded hours, which I had in the waiting room of a medical diagnostic laboratory.

The text is accessible, clear, and even witty at times. I love how it was laid out with littles notes on the side and with a few pictures every now and then. I even liked the sample of how this book would've been titled a few centuries ago. It was fascinating to read about the development of the Philippine book and how it continues to develop today, thanks to the often thankless but often rigorous work of various authors, printers, publishers, distributors, lawyers, priests, soldiers, and librarians throughout the sixteenth to twentieth centuries.

The only reason I didn't give this five stars was because I wanted more. This book was written with the general reader in mind, so that's probably why the articles in this book do not go too in-depth into their subjects. They're a bit like primers for other books, which is always a good thing. I also wanted more articles in general, but as the author said, there is still much to discover in the field. I hope this book will be expanded in a second, third, and even fourth edition.

[Len Calvelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essays on the History of the Book in the Philippines
― Patricia May Jurilla

Paperback
July 15, 2017
2:34 P.M.

Philippine printing and publishing, blah, blah. I easily get bored about the history or origin of something, but surprisingly, not with this one!

This book is user friendly and easy to read. It comes with colorful illustrations that kids will surely love too! Great for children of school age. Great for individuals of any age too!

The manner of discussion and story telling isn't banal unlike typical history books. Yay! Rating it 4 stars.