What do you think?
Rate this book
White Elephants: Stories
“Once again, in this new collection, Angelo Lacuesta shows his mastery not only of language but also of the life it examines and conveys. As one writer to another, I appreciate how he takes his time to shape a story, and the varied cadences of his prose are a pleasure to follow. But best of all he writes with a maturity of feeling, a sureness of sensibility that eschews the easy sentiment and disembodied lyricism of those less committed to art and country.” — Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.
“Angelo Lacuesta’s stories are a state-of-the-art reckoning of modern-day realities. Refined and cosmopolitan in tone and diction, they manifest a global, nay, universal awareness of the delicate nuances of relations, from the quirky to the erotic. Subtle in their underpinnings, these savvy narratives locate characters in myriad depths of provenance. From the upbeat to the downbeat, the cadence of imaginative contretemps bespeaks an old soul with a fresh voice. Marvelously, this collection can only augur well for contemporary Philippine fiction in English.” – Alfred A. Yuson
“Angelo Lacuesta’s stories are a state-of-the-art reckoning of modern-day realities. Refined and cosmopolitan in tone and diction, they manifest a global, nay, universal awareness of the delicate nuances of relations, from the quirky to the erotic. Subtle in their underpinnings, these savvy narratives locate characters in myriad depths of provenance. From the upbeat to the downbeat, the cadence of imaginative contretemps bespeaks an old soul with a fresh voice. Marvelously, this collection can only augur well for contemporary Philippine fiction in English.” – Alfred A. Yuson
- GenresFictionShort Stories
138 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Angelo R. Lacuesta
19 books19 followersAmado Angelo Rodriguez Lacuesta (a.k.a. Sarge Lacuesta) is a Filipino writer, and winner of several awards for his short stories, including the Philippine Graphic Award, the Palanca Memorial Award and the NVM Gonzalez Awards.
Lacuesta was born in 1970 in Cebu City. He was educated at the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines, and graduated from the latter with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
He attended the Writers' Workshops at the University of the Philippines and Siliman University as a fellow for English Poetry. For his short fiction, he has received honors from the Philippine Graphic Awards for Fiction and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
After giving up his medical studies at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, he joined Basic Advertising in 1993 and moved to . Walter Thompson in 1995. In 1997, he formed Logika, Inc. of which he is president and creative director.
His first collection of short stories, Life Before X and Other Stories, published in 2000 by the [University of the Philippines Press], won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award and the Manila Critics' Circle National Book Award. His second collection, White Elephants: Stories, published in 2005 by Anvil Manila, also won the National Book Award. His third collection, Flames and Other Stories was published by Anvil in 2009.
As an editor, Lacuesta has edited the books Latitude: Writing from the Philippines and Scotland (Anvil Manila 2005) and Fourteen Love Stories (University of the Philippines Press 2006). He is also the current literary editor of The Philippines Free Press.
Lacuesta is also the recipient of several local and international grants and writing fellowships, among them the UP National Writer's Workshop in Quezon City, Philippines (1992), the Siliman National Writer's Workshop in Dumaguete, Philippines (1992), Hawthornden Castle International Retreat for Writers in Lasswade, Scotland (2003) and The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA (2007).
Lacuesta was born in 1970 in Cebu City. He was educated at the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines, and graduated from the latter with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
He attended the Writers' Workshops at the University of the Philippines and Siliman University as a fellow for English Poetry. For his short fiction, he has received honors from the Philippine Graphic Awards for Fiction and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
After giving up his medical studies at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, he joined Basic Advertising in 1993 and moved to . Walter Thompson in 1995. In 1997, he formed Logika, Inc. of which he is president and creative director.
His first collection of short stories, Life Before X and Other Stories, published in 2000 by the [University of the Philippines Press], won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award and the Manila Critics' Circle National Book Award. His second collection, White Elephants: Stories, published in 2005 by Anvil Manila, also won the National Book Award. His third collection, Flames and Other Stories was published by Anvil in 2009.
As an editor, Lacuesta has edited the books Latitude: Writing from the Philippines and Scotland (Anvil Manila 2005) and Fourteen Love Stories (University of the Philippines Press 2006). He is also the current literary editor of The Philippines Free Press.
Lacuesta is also the recipient of several local and international grants and writing fellowships, among them the UP National Writer's Workshop in Quezon City, Philippines (1992), the Siliman National Writer's Workshop in Dumaguete, Philippines (1992), Hawthornden Castle International Retreat for Writers in Lasswade, Scotland (2003) and The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA (2007).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 15, 2015
I deeply appreciate the author's slow-burning writing style, realistic description of things and mastery of the language but these short stories didn't have an impact in me at all. The stories, if not all, were flat. I didn't find myself captivated by this collection of stories. I wanted a climax for every story or even a connection between stories yet I think I got none. But, maybe, it was me who viewed or treated this book in a wrong way.
April 15, 2026
An overall weaker selection of stories compared to Flames (my first Lacuesta read). The quality here is just far less consistent, with stories often pivoting from the gripping and heartfelt to the slow and detached.
Entries like "White Elephants" (2/10), "New Wave Days" (3/10), and "Leather" (1/10) exemplify the latter. These are scattered, seemingly lack a clear focus, and manage to simultaneously tackle everything and nothing. A common critique I have of Lacuesta's style is how he deals with flashbacks, which often feel detached, feckless, and distracting from whatever the main story is. "Leather" is a standout case—reading more like the script of a bag ad rather than a short story (as if advertisements themselves weren't painful enough to sit through).
Several other stories are painfully mid. "Self with Dog, 1997" (3.5/10) just talks about art—and in a manner that is neither fun nor clever. Unfortunately, I lacked the interest to appreciate the topic. I'm sure that somewhere in the meanderings of "Ghosts" (4/10) there's a proper story—it was JUST coherent enough for me to know it's there. "Thousand Year Eve" (5/10), meanwhile, actually tackles something important and little-represented. It strives to be good and resonant, but, both internally and externally, too much nothing happens. The most interesting aspect of the story is the internal—how one reacts or perhaps even learns to reconcile with a disappearance, but we only ever get glimpses of this. I do love the metaphor of likening such people to those being dropped into an entirely new place, "like babies born to a new world" (43). I wish we had delved into the psychology of it even more.
A few other stories, though, actually land. "Rest Stop" (7.5/10) sets a sweet, nostalgic scene where everything is just right—catching up unexpectedly with an old friend and then lamenting over the past. It has just the right amount of chatting, hints of regrets, and present concerns. The sights "Procession" (8/10) inspires are gorgeous. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love stories that stay simple yet manage to charm so sweetly. A group of friends go to the province during the Holy Week and meet one's lola. They stay for the religious procession, (organically) learn a little about the town's history, and overall just have a fun time. Tales like this, as usual, evoke in me that nostalgic feel for the simpler, slower life outside the metro. As someone who loves that life whenever I get it, I can't help but just imagine what happened to these characters that go unsaid within the story—all those little moments between friends during road trips. Delightful! "Nilda" (8.5/10), on the other hand, is certainly the strongest piece in the collection, and could very well have been a full novel. It's a gripping story on the recklessness of adolescence, the brutal dangers of politics, and the fecklessness of forbidden (and inappropriate) affairs. The scenes and settings and storytelling are vivid; it was like I was living AS the narrator all throughout. Finally, in "Untitled" (7/10), chats have chemistry, there are occasional reminiscences (that I wish were far shorter and subtler), and we get to experience the awkward comfort of a secret affair (which Lacuesta seems to excel at executing). I'm glad to have ended on a good note.
A mixed bag, overall weaker than Flames (as a collection), and possessing both highs and lows (in Lacuesta's fashion). I'd recommend giving it a read, although selectively.
Entries like "White Elephants" (2/10), "New Wave Days" (3/10), and "Leather" (1/10) exemplify the latter. These are scattered, seemingly lack a clear focus, and manage to simultaneously tackle everything and nothing. A common critique I have of Lacuesta's style is how he deals with flashbacks, which often feel detached, feckless, and distracting from whatever the main story is. "Leather" is a standout case—reading more like the script of a bag ad rather than a short story (as if advertisements themselves weren't painful enough to sit through).
Several other stories are painfully mid. "Self with Dog, 1997" (3.5/10) just talks about art—and in a manner that is neither fun nor clever. Unfortunately, I lacked the interest to appreciate the topic. I'm sure that somewhere in the meanderings of "Ghosts" (4/10) there's a proper story—it was JUST coherent enough for me to know it's there. "Thousand Year Eve" (5/10), meanwhile, actually tackles something important and little-represented. It strives to be good and resonant, but, both internally and externally, too much nothing happens. The most interesting aspect of the story is the internal—how one reacts or perhaps even learns to reconcile with a disappearance, but we only ever get glimpses of this. I do love the metaphor of likening such people to those being dropped into an entirely new place, "like babies born to a new world" (43). I wish we had delved into the psychology of it even more.
A few other stories, though, actually land. "Rest Stop" (7.5/10) sets a sweet, nostalgic scene where everything is just right—catching up unexpectedly with an old friend and then lamenting over the past. It has just the right amount of chatting, hints of regrets, and present concerns. The sights "Procession" (8/10) inspires are gorgeous. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love stories that stay simple yet manage to charm so sweetly. A group of friends go to the province during the Holy Week and meet one's lola. They stay for the religious procession, (organically) learn a little about the town's history, and overall just have a fun time. Tales like this, as usual, evoke in me that nostalgic feel for the simpler, slower life outside the metro. As someone who loves that life whenever I get it, I can't help but just imagine what happened to these characters that go unsaid within the story—all those little moments between friends during road trips. Delightful! "Nilda" (8.5/10), on the other hand, is certainly the strongest piece in the collection, and could very well have been a full novel. It's a gripping story on the recklessness of adolescence, the brutal dangers of politics, and the fecklessness of forbidden (and inappropriate) affairs. The scenes and settings and storytelling are vivid; it was like I was living AS the narrator all throughout. Finally, in "Untitled" (7/10), chats have chemistry, there are occasional reminiscences (that I wish were far shorter and subtler), and we get to experience the awkward comfort of a secret affair (which Lacuesta seems to excel at executing). I'm glad to have ended on a good note.
A mixed bag, overall weaker than Flames (as a collection), and possessing both highs and lows (in Lacuesta's fashion). I'd recommend giving it a read, although selectively.
April 23, 2016
It's too boring. There are no dialogues almost. The dialogues are contrived and the characters speak in the same manner thus readers can't differentiate one character from the other. The writer uses too many be-verbs and it felt like he had no idea about the conventions of good writing.
November 9, 2012
Interesting collection, first book on Philippine Lit. that I found in English
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews