On the Book The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic
Review: The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquin (2017, collection)
Joaquin writes the most elegant prose, but can be too verbose at times. While reading "The Legend of the Dying Wanton" I skipped page after page of Currito's thoughts - partly missing the crux of the story which are the rushing thoughts of a dying man.
Joaquin's stories are unapologetically Filipino and perhaps more than that, entirely feminist. His stories always feature strong women - sometimes in distress, sometimes in pain, but never weak. I have read online that his stories can be viewed (particularly "The Summer Solstice") as anti-feminist - but perhaps I am the fool for missing it, because reading his stories as a collection, you can see how Joaquin placed the role of women on a pedestal.
Joaquin also loves to play with duopoly, from time (Spanish past to American "now") to sex (female and male) to locations (Hong Kong and Philippines) to dispositions (calm and anger, death and life, the religious and the secular). In these duopolies, Joaquin shows both opposites and similarities, but always with the reveal that they are two sides of the same coin; one side shinier than the other, more focused, clearer, but still, the same coin.
If you can, read this book, but be wary, even as a lawyer who loves reading long-winded jurisprudence, Joaquin's works is a testament of its era, requiring focus and dedication (I compare myself to the magi Mateo in "The Mass of St. Sylvester," cutting myself and pouring lime juice to the wounds just to read lines after lines of soliloquy and streams of description). If you do decide to go through the bushes, you can arrive at beautiful splendor.
3.5/5.