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Recollections & Digressions
229 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
5 people want to read
About the author
Renato D. Tayag
8 books1 followerRenato “Katoks” Dayrit Tayag was a Filipino attorney and journalist.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 10, 2024
It was during the mid-2010s, now almost a decade ago, that I got acquainted with sir Roy. Because of his book collection, and the affordability of his books, I was invited to explore the world of Filipiniana. I was finally able to purchase an affordable copy of Marcos's Democratic Revolution which sparked my exegesis of his written work and deconstruction of his alleged personality. Recollections & Digressions was one of those purchases that would tangentially contribute to my understanding of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. beyond his dictatorial and megalomaniacal aspects.
Rather than a deconstruction of Marcos, however, this book was a series of vignettes from a capable raconteur. Tayag offered his insights on Guevera's Across Four Generations, which I also read a few years back. His comments on Marcos were limited to appreciation for letting him see his family during the Second World War: he did not, however, comment on the veracity of his war medals or his performance during the war. In one vignette, Tayag contrasted Quezon and Marcos: Quezon maintained nigh absolute control of the Government for over twenty years, surmounting every crisis by sheer political dexterity and adroitness, without resort to force. (p. 41)
He also wrote about the evolution of politics in China from the Mao stranglehold to the Deng thaw, which I think was also a wonderful adventure.
There was one other story that garnered a few laughs from me and impressed upon me most. Tayag expatiated on a lady's comments regarding Filipino men being lousy lovers because they don't read. Aside from proving that he read quite a bit, I was also smug because I have read my share of "de Beauvoir, Einstein, Flaubert, Garcia Marquez, Hesse, Lagerkvist, Mishima, Nakpil, Polotan, Tagore, and Woolf." I might be a lousy lover, but it's definitely not because I don't read.
Rather than a deconstruction of Marcos, however, this book was a series of vignettes from a capable raconteur. Tayag offered his insights on Guevera's Across Four Generations, which I also read a few years back. His comments on Marcos were limited to appreciation for letting him see his family during the Second World War: he did not, however, comment on the veracity of his war medals or his performance during the war. In one vignette, Tayag contrasted Quezon and Marcos: Quezon maintained nigh absolute control of the Government for over twenty years, surmounting every crisis by sheer political dexterity and adroitness, without resort to force. (p. 41)
He also wrote about the evolution of politics in China from the Mao stranglehold to the Deng thaw, which I think was also a wonderful adventure.
There was one other story that garnered a few laughs from me and impressed upon me most. Tayag expatiated on a lady's comments regarding Filipino men being lousy lovers because they don't read. Aside from proving that he read quite a bit, I was also smug because I have read my share of "de Beauvoir, Einstein, Flaubert, Garcia Marquez, Hesse, Lagerkvist, Mishima, Nakpil, Polotan, Tagore, and Woolf." I might be a lousy lover, but it's definitely not because I don't read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review