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SHERDS
2007 short novel or novelette written by Filipino National Artist for Literature and multi-awarded author F. Sionil José. According to Elmer A. Ordoñez, a writer from The Manila Times, in Sherds José achieved “lyrical effects”, specially in the novel’s final chapters, by putting into “good use” Joseph Conrad’s and Ford Madox Ford’s so-called progression d’effet (literally "progression of the effect"). Sherds is the latest and last novel by José. According to The Atlantic National Correspondent James Fallows, the novel is dedicated to the author’s wife Teresita José. The novel, which can be read in one sitting, was described by Li-an de la Cruz-Busto, a reporter for Sun.Star Davao as “very light but candid and insightful”,[5] a description that complements The Manila Times reporter Perry Gil S. Mallari’s calling José’s Sherds as an “easy read and a guaranteed page-turner”. A novel composed of twelve chapters with a "tight and palpable" narrative pacing, Sherds deals with topics related to "personal conscience, greed and the position of art" in social class struggle, thus serving as a cogitation on "what is wrong" with the Philippines as a nation.
Like José’s other novels and stories such as the Rosales Saga, Sherds is another presentation and “meditation” by the author regarding “class conflict” and “malaise in society” in the Philippines through the use of “non-ideological terms” and sharing of his personal knowledge of the “travails of the original tillers of the soil” and the dispossession of the land-tillers through the workings of the oligarchs.
Employing a story-telling technique that begins with the “ending of the story, in medias res”, José narrates the tale of the discovery made by Peter Gregory Golangco (also known simply as PG Golangco), a pottery-and-ceramics artist, art professor, and aesthete, through the “Pygmalion-like nurturing” of Guia Espiritu, Golangco’s student who has an elemental idea of art that is “grounded in the clay of oppressed people” of the Philippine countryside.
Like José’s other novels and stories such as the Rosales Saga, Sherds is another presentation and “meditation” by the author regarding “class conflict” and “malaise in society” in the Philippines through the use of “non-ideological terms” and sharing of his personal knowledge of the “travails of the original tillers of the soil” and the dispossession of the land-tillers through the workings of the oligarchs.
Employing a story-telling technique that begins with the “ending of the story, in medias res”, José narrates the tale of the discovery made by Peter Gregory Golangco (also known simply as PG Golangco), a pottery-and-ceramics artist, art professor, and aesthete, through the “Pygmalion-like nurturing” of Guia Espiritu, Golangco’s student who has an elemental idea of art that is “grounded in the clay of oppressed people” of the Philippine countryside.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
F. Sionil José
55 books393 followersFrancisco Sionil José was born in 1924 in Pangasinan province and attended the public school in his hometown. He attended the University of Santo Tomas after World War II and in 1949, started his career in writing. Since then, his fiction has been published internationally and translated into several languages including his native Ilokano. He has been involved with the international cultural organizations, notably International P.E.N., the world association of poets, playwrights, essayists and novelists whose Philippine Center he founded in 1958.
F. Sionil José, the Philippines' most widely translated author, is known best for his epic work, the Rosales saga - five novels encompassing a hundred years of Philippine history - a vivid documentary of Filipino life.
In 1980, Sionil José received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
In 2001, Sionil José was named National Artist for Literature.
In 2004, Sionil José received the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award.
F. Sionil José, the Philippines' most widely translated author, is known best for his epic work, the Rosales saga - five novels encompassing a hundred years of Philippine history - a vivid documentary of Filipino life.
In 1980, Sionil José received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
In 2001, Sionil José was named National Artist for Literature.
In 2004, Sionil José received the Pablo Neruda Centennial Award.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 7, 2014
Another fabulous writing by Jose in English, thus I am giving this book 5 stars. PG misses his beloved terra cotta statue, Guia. He thinks he was dreaming instead of the reality of bullets passing him by and perhaps killing his beloved creation, Guia, a terra cotta statue. In the end this is a novella about how a man's creation (PG) loved him so much that she sacrificed her life (terra cotta Guia, for her creators.
His father was cosmopolitan and allowed his son to finish an architecture degree. B/c of their common love for cultural artifacts, he was his father's favorite child. He is a man who was struck with Polio and now has a cane which is part of his identity. During marshall law though his family, the Golancos benefited from Marcos' rule, he did not like the regime so he lived in San Francisco. He now stays in the Sierra Madre foothills.
Betty Sy convinced him to come out of self-imposed exile back to the Philippines b/c she believed that his brand shines in that he is the only Filipino who understand that culture underpins development so she convinced him to come back to rebuild the Philippines from the rubble of marshall law. He is a good teacher who enjoys when a young freshman, named Guia Espiritu challenged his teaching credentials which he welcomed with relish. She became his most attentive student. He inspires his students to learn by giving them wisdom instead of cramming their head with useless knowledge. He states that creativity and a person's culture defines what he does with space that is given to him to do artistically. He was the brightest and richest faculty member in the university.
Golanco's were virtual hand maidens to people in power. Like so many of the elite, they collaborated with whomever was in power. Golanco's combined the Chinese and Filipino prowess in order to keep their wealth. As capital holders, they hired professionals and paid them well so it is professionalism not genes which determined whether they moved up or not. They developed interpersonal relationships with their employees which in the long run ensured their loyalty. Unlike his family members who Are involved in politics, PG was an aesthete and as such concerned himself only with how the art worked and not politics.
Since he valued his independence, he never married but instead had a number of women across the world, in Manila, it was Betty Sy. He was never short of women be it a day, a week, or a month, he would give them gifts at unexpected times. But in Manila, he limited himself to Betty whom he was comfortable with. Betty hoped that their relationship would develop into something firmer.
Like PG, Betty comes from a wealthy Chinese family from Fukien who came to the Philippines in order to have their entrepreneurial dreams fulfilled. Although crazy wealthy, PG was never ostentatious about his wealth. For 2 a years since he got back from the US, PG had a torrid love affair that ended with passionate love making with Betty. Betty was always effusive with her affections toward PG b/c she knows that he is always loyal to those who helped him succeed. PG took Betty to Elysium restaurant in order to eat and one of his servers was Guia who is a student of his in UP. While Guia says she had too many responsibilities to think about marriage, PG said that he was too wedded to his art think about marriage. They started having a commonality once Guia told him that she too created art through clay when she was younger. He noticed that while he was talking about himself she listened intently. His hospitality made him the favorite of students and faculty alike. While Guia says that she wants to learn art so she could bring it to the people, PG doubted that the masa would appreciate true art.
PG valued his PDA b/c it was useful not b/c it was valuable. B/c he blamed the valet for his things that were stolen, Guia's brother got fired and she is saddened b/c not only did she lose her brother but a source of income to pay their rent. So PG offered to take her into their shack. When Guia told PG that she was thinking of quitting school in order to work back home, he told her no b/c she is bright with artistic talent and she could work for him instead. He even provide lodging for her. Guia attracted him not as a woman but as a protégé who needed help and who could be led to a path of fulfillment. So he took her in as his apprentice. She was irritatingly gay in her art but she said that she wanted to impart joys instead of the hardships of life which the masa knew all too well. He liked that she asked questions of his background that forced him to think of his past in a new and provocative way.
He likes to work with clay b/c it represents a molding of earth with humanity and he likes to give shape to his creation. Guia painted a picture which he considered brilliant b/c behind the happiness of the girl, PG sensed a deep sadness in the painting. Despite his privileged upbringing, PG disdained the son's of the rich who wile away their time while he wants to be the patron of the arts and new artists like Guia. While Guia says that the farmers should own the farms in which they till, PG does not think it is possible in large consumer societies. While his ancestors were a part of the great crime that was the land grab, he did not want to feel guilt so he did not choose to dwell on it. When he asked her what she was really after, she answered with the fact that she wants to teach the youth of her barrio to open up their minds so they can grow.
When Betty found out that PG and Guia were living under the same roof, she was pissed which only assuage after they made love. To PG, Guia was only a student to be molded into her destiny not a woman to covet. PG found that Guia had impeccable taste in clothes when they went shopping together. Guia was excited to be taken to another country outside the Philippines by PG and in the end was awed by wonder their visit to Thailand. Betty was jealous of Guia personal attention towards towards PG so much so that she did not go with him to Kyoto b/c Guia would be there with him.
In Japan, PG and Guia spent a week together b/c there is no other rooms available in the evening. She had a night terror which she warned PG about that she occasionally gets from a PTSD experience which immediately captivated him into wanting to know more about this young ingenue of his. He liked being her teacher and to look through her eyes at the world in which one has a fresh perspective with the inquisitiveness of youth. With her, he is rediscovering the world and all its wonders. They have in common the ability to get lost in the creative process in which creativity takes over them so fully as to make their bodies simply a full expression of the creative process.
While he states that Filipino's excel at intuition, creativity, and improvisation, it really is the sense of professionalism that allows the artist among other things to endure. When she asked him why he hadn't married, he responded with the fact that he is married to his art though he knew that he was in love b/c he has a physical, intellectual, and deep emotional bonds that he knew that he is willing to sacrifice for them. He discovered that they shared a similar virtue in their desire for promptness. Again, what one people consider rebel outlaws another consider heros it all matters in what perspective one comes from. Guia peasant family warred with he being employed by PG who comes from a haciendero family and being fond of her mentor.
Even though Guia had beautiful face, she thought she was ugly (perhaps she was molested as a youth). PG thinks that people fall in love for all the odd reasons including the beloved ones perfect imperfections. Guia past clouds her naturally exuberant personality. It is self satisfaction and accompanying appreciation that he craves greatly. He went to an art exhibition and the Filipino's condemn him for being rich and that they thought he has freedom of expression b/c he is rich. He told the audience to piss off. While PG believes art exists for its own sake, Guia challenges him to think that all art is political. Just as PG challenges Guia to grow the opposite is also true in that Guia challenges PG to grow too. PG says that he can only try to show the masa good art work and work hard in his craft and cannot be responsible for the effects of poverty in pushing peoples mentality down so that the poor will always be with us. PG says art without politics should be good enough and people should be judged by what he has done and how he treats his fellow man instead of who he is related to or how much money he has inherited.
PG lost money again and immediately thought of Guia who was meeting suspicious men at the gate. PG was pissed @ Guia being an ingrate after all he has done for his gifted protégé he could not believe she would steal from him.
The rosary as as form of Mantra that people say to meditate. I understand why mom hires within families she can trust only. It is much for the loyalty to give them jobs as it is to protect her property from theft in a country where there is such a wide gulf between rich and poor every starving person is suspect of stealing to feed his family. After Guia died, PG found out that Guia stole in order to send a child in her village to the hospital. Her brother told her that it was wrong for her to love a man who belongs to a class that oppresses the poor but he concedes that love knows no logic. I wonder of all NPA think like that life is a zero-sum game in which the poor and rich are always at odds? It turns out 5 private security of the hacienderos raped Guia after killing her parents and shooting her twice in the head; thus guilt engulfed PG that his relatives were indirectly responsible for his protégé's rape. Violence of the oppressed only leads to more violence by the oppressed to his oppressors.
After a week, he began missing Guia challenging questions to him like why he never married since she thought what was love that is not sanctioned by marriage? Guia loved that PG was kind to her and broadened her horizons by being in her presence. It was in her absence that he realized that he loved her as much as she loved him. PG learned that Guia was 27 and had to work in order to go to school besides the fact that she was a gifted artist too. Guia's brother blamed PG for the injustices of his class instead of seeing PG as an individual trying to do good in the Philippines. PG thought of Guia as a daughter he never had while he was in love with Betty since he looked on her with lust.
His sadness for his "adopted" daughter death led him to create a sculpture in Guia's image. He remembered Guia's face well and the laughter in her eyes when she smiled for him and the sadness when she was pensive. But he reference the black and white pictures of her b/c he believed it captured the essence of a person better than color ever did. He made her face look enigmatic so that no one knew what she was thinking true to her life with PG. After he sculpted Guia, he cried out of love for her. The next day he was surprised to find the statue of his creation was alive in the example of art becoming life not just imitating it. He wanted to share with Betty the fruits of his creation. She tells him "if an artist is excellent, his work achieves reality." To which he responds, "how soon reality ends and life becomes just another dream." He was so enamored by his creation that he wanted her all to himself. His Guia sculpture led him to her home deep in the mountainous forrest so that she was able to save him from the soldiers that wanted to kill him. At that moment, he understood the importance of earth to the farmers who tilled it and to people more generally.
His father was cosmopolitan and allowed his son to finish an architecture degree. B/c of their common love for cultural artifacts, he was his father's favorite child. He is a man who was struck with Polio and now has a cane which is part of his identity. During marshall law though his family, the Golancos benefited from Marcos' rule, he did not like the regime so he lived in San Francisco. He now stays in the Sierra Madre foothills.
Betty Sy convinced him to come out of self-imposed exile back to the Philippines b/c she believed that his brand shines in that he is the only Filipino who understand that culture underpins development so she convinced him to come back to rebuild the Philippines from the rubble of marshall law. He is a good teacher who enjoys when a young freshman, named Guia Espiritu challenged his teaching credentials which he welcomed with relish. She became his most attentive student. He inspires his students to learn by giving them wisdom instead of cramming their head with useless knowledge. He states that creativity and a person's culture defines what he does with space that is given to him to do artistically. He was the brightest and richest faculty member in the university.
Golanco's were virtual hand maidens to people in power. Like so many of the elite, they collaborated with whomever was in power. Golanco's combined the Chinese and Filipino prowess in order to keep their wealth. As capital holders, they hired professionals and paid them well so it is professionalism not genes which determined whether they moved up or not. They developed interpersonal relationships with their employees which in the long run ensured their loyalty. Unlike his family members who Are involved in politics, PG was an aesthete and as such concerned himself only with how the art worked and not politics.
Since he valued his independence, he never married but instead had a number of women across the world, in Manila, it was Betty Sy. He was never short of women be it a day, a week, or a month, he would give them gifts at unexpected times. But in Manila, he limited himself to Betty whom he was comfortable with. Betty hoped that their relationship would develop into something firmer.
Like PG, Betty comes from a wealthy Chinese family from Fukien who came to the Philippines in order to have their entrepreneurial dreams fulfilled. Although crazy wealthy, PG was never ostentatious about his wealth. For 2 a years since he got back from the US, PG had a torrid love affair that ended with passionate love making with Betty. Betty was always effusive with her affections toward PG b/c she knows that he is always loyal to those who helped him succeed. PG took Betty to Elysium restaurant in order to eat and one of his servers was Guia who is a student of his in UP. While Guia says she had too many responsibilities to think about marriage, PG said that he was too wedded to his art think about marriage. They started having a commonality once Guia told him that she too created art through clay when she was younger. He noticed that while he was talking about himself she listened intently. His hospitality made him the favorite of students and faculty alike. While Guia says that she wants to learn art so she could bring it to the people, PG doubted that the masa would appreciate true art.
PG valued his PDA b/c it was useful not b/c it was valuable. B/c he blamed the valet for his things that were stolen, Guia's brother got fired and she is saddened b/c not only did she lose her brother but a source of income to pay their rent. So PG offered to take her into their shack. When Guia told PG that she was thinking of quitting school in order to work back home, he told her no b/c she is bright with artistic talent and she could work for him instead. He even provide lodging for her. Guia attracted him not as a woman but as a protégé who needed help and who could be led to a path of fulfillment. So he took her in as his apprentice. She was irritatingly gay in her art but she said that she wanted to impart joys instead of the hardships of life which the masa knew all too well. He liked that she asked questions of his background that forced him to think of his past in a new and provocative way.
He likes to work with clay b/c it represents a molding of earth with humanity and he likes to give shape to his creation. Guia painted a picture which he considered brilliant b/c behind the happiness of the girl, PG sensed a deep sadness in the painting. Despite his privileged upbringing, PG disdained the son's of the rich who wile away their time while he wants to be the patron of the arts and new artists like Guia. While Guia says that the farmers should own the farms in which they till, PG does not think it is possible in large consumer societies. While his ancestors were a part of the great crime that was the land grab, he did not want to feel guilt so he did not choose to dwell on it. When he asked her what she was really after, she answered with the fact that she wants to teach the youth of her barrio to open up their minds so they can grow.
When Betty found out that PG and Guia were living under the same roof, she was pissed which only assuage after they made love. To PG, Guia was only a student to be molded into her destiny not a woman to covet. PG found that Guia had impeccable taste in clothes when they went shopping together. Guia was excited to be taken to another country outside the Philippines by PG and in the end was awed by wonder their visit to Thailand. Betty was jealous of Guia personal attention towards towards PG so much so that she did not go with him to Kyoto b/c Guia would be there with him.
In Japan, PG and Guia spent a week together b/c there is no other rooms available in the evening. She had a night terror which she warned PG about that she occasionally gets from a PTSD experience which immediately captivated him into wanting to know more about this young ingenue of his. He liked being her teacher and to look through her eyes at the world in which one has a fresh perspective with the inquisitiveness of youth. With her, he is rediscovering the world and all its wonders. They have in common the ability to get lost in the creative process in which creativity takes over them so fully as to make their bodies simply a full expression of the creative process.
While he states that Filipino's excel at intuition, creativity, and improvisation, it really is the sense of professionalism that allows the artist among other things to endure. When she asked him why he hadn't married, he responded with the fact that he is married to his art though he knew that he was in love b/c he has a physical, intellectual, and deep emotional bonds that he knew that he is willing to sacrifice for them. He discovered that they shared a similar virtue in their desire for promptness. Again, what one people consider rebel outlaws another consider heros it all matters in what perspective one comes from. Guia peasant family warred with he being employed by PG who comes from a haciendero family and being fond of her mentor.
Even though Guia had beautiful face, she thought she was ugly (perhaps she was molested as a youth). PG thinks that people fall in love for all the odd reasons including the beloved ones perfect imperfections. Guia past clouds her naturally exuberant personality. It is self satisfaction and accompanying appreciation that he craves greatly. He went to an art exhibition and the Filipino's condemn him for being rich and that they thought he has freedom of expression b/c he is rich. He told the audience to piss off. While PG believes art exists for its own sake, Guia challenges him to think that all art is political. Just as PG challenges Guia to grow the opposite is also true in that Guia challenges PG to grow too. PG says that he can only try to show the masa good art work and work hard in his craft and cannot be responsible for the effects of poverty in pushing peoples mentality down so that the poor will always be with us. PG says art without politics should be good enough and people should be judged by what he has done and how he treats his fellow man instead of who he is related to or how much money he has inherited.
PG lost money again and immediately thought of Guia who was meeting suspicious men at the gate. PG was pissed @ Guia being an ingrate after all he has done for his gifted protégé he could not believe she would steal from him.
The rosary as as form of Mantra that people say to meditate. I understand why mom hires within families she can trust only. It is much for the loyalty to give them jobs as it is to protect her property from theft in a country where there is such a wide gulf between rich and poor every starving person is suspect of stealing to feed his family. After Guia died, PG found out that Guia stole in order to send a child in her village to the hospital. Her brother told her that it was wrong for her to love a man who belongs to a class that oppresses the poor but he concedes that love knows no logic. I wonder of all NPA think like that life is a zero-sum game in which the poor and rich are always at odds? It turns out 5 private security of the hacienderos raped Guia after killing her parents and shooting her twice in the head; thus guilt engulfed PG that his relatives were indirectly responsible for his protégé's rape. Violence of the oppressed only leads to more violence by the oppressed to his oppressors.
After a week, he began missing Guia challenging questions to him like why he never married since she thought what was love that is not sanctioned by marriage? Guia loved that PG was kind to her and broadened her horizons by being in her presence. It was in her absence that he realized that he loved her as much as she loved him. PG learned that Guia was 27 and had to work in order to go to school besides the fact that she was a gifted artist too. Guia's brother blamed PG for the injustices of his class instead of seeing PG as an individual trying to do good in the Philippines. PG thought of Guia as a daughter he never had while he was in love with Betty since he looked on her with lust.
His sadness for his "adopted" daughter death led him to create a sculpture in Guia's image. He remembered Guia's face well and the laughter in her eyes when she smiled for him and the sadness when she was pensive. But he reference the black and white pictures of her b/c he believed it captured the essence of a person better than color ever did. He made her face look enigmatic so that no one knew what she was thinking true to her life with PG. After he sculpted Guia, he cried out of love for her. The next day he was surprised to find the statue of his creation was alive in the example of art becoming life not just imitating it. He wanted to share with Betty the fruits of his creation. She tells him "if an artist is excellent, his work achieves reality." To which he responds, "how soon reality ends and life becomes just another dream." He was so enamored by his creation that he wanted her all to himself. His Guia sculpture led him to her home deep in the mountainous forrest so that she was able to save him from the soldiers that wanted to kill him. At that moment, he understood the importance of earth to the farmers who tilled it and to people more generally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2022
Book 67 out of 200 books
"Sherds" by F. Sionil Jose
F. Sionil Jose's more optimistic, more recent novel "Sherds", published in the year 2007, tells the story of Chinese-Filipino family of doctors, but Peter Golangco, the main character, is the family black sheep who pursues painting and arts rather than Medics.
This novel isn't only a panoramic view of the optimistic Filipino, but a story of class struggle, this concept being present in most of F. Sionil Jose's work.a
MY THOUGHTS:
After reading "Sin", I decided to read this more optimistic novel "Sherds". I disliked the former, but liked the latter.
This novel of only 120 or 121 pages, is a great read because the work mirrors the generation gap most Filipinos of all generations are facing. One wants to pursue arts but the parents refuse to fund the course, that is because they believe that there's no income in that.
And the topic of class struggle. It isn't a topic of blood or age or sexual hierarchy, if you were born poor, you will be poor and possibly die at that state, if you were born middle class, you'd stay that way until you change the course of time, then if you were born rich, you'd stay that way but because of external factors, you'd fall off.
See? This book is about the class struggles by most Filipinos, even them not realizing the situation. This book attest to the hardships, even though most of the book actually talks about painting and the main character's desires in life, without his family contradicting.
"Sherds" by F. Sionil Jose
F. Sionil Jose's more optimistic, more recent novel "Sherds", published in the year 2007, tells the story of Chinese-Filipino family of doctors, but Peter Golangco, the main character, is the family black sheep who pursues painting and arts rather than Medics.
This novel isn't only a panoramic view of the optimistic Filipino, but a story of class struggle, this concept being present in most of F. Sionil Jose's work.a
MY THOUGHTS:
After reading "Sin", I decided to read this more optimistic novel "Sherds". I disliked the former, but liked the latter.
This novel of only 120 or 121 pages, is a great read because the work mirrors the generation gap most Filipinos of all generations are facing. One wants to pursue arts but the parents refuse to fund the course, that is because they believe that there's no income in that.
And the topic of class struggle. It isn't a topic of blood or age or sexual hierarchy, if you were born poor, you will be poor and possibly die at that state, if you were born middle class, you'd stay that way until you change the course of time, then if you were born rich, you'd stay that way but because of external factors, you'd fall off.
See? This book is about the class struggles by most Filipinos, even them not realizing the situation. This book attest to the hardships, even though most of the book actually talks about painting and the main character's desires in life, without his family contradicting.
January 8, 2011
Detailed review later
Read
May 7, 2013After reading the book, I was in a "loop" I cannot still figure out how to come out. Worth reading! *thumbs up*
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