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Joel G

Joel G

I'm a Filipino writer, researcher, activist, neophyte indie book publisher and small entrepreneur.

Our small, upstart indie publishing outfit, Southern Voices Press, has come up with two publications so far.

I've had one essay included (with a co-author) in this... more »
  • Quezon City, MM, Philippines
  • member since October 17 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 16 reviews
  • Rashomon and Other Stories
    • Rated 4 stars

    “This is an esteemed and unprecedented collection of translated works by one of the meteoric stars of modern Japanese literature. But vital as well, this book brings together three heavyweights of Japanese literature: Akutagawa himself; Jay Rubin, a most eminent translator of outstanding Japanese literary works to English; and the current enfant terrible of Japanese literature, Haruki Murakami, who writes a most engaging introduction to this anthology.

    Akutagawa may well have been made a household name outside of Japan due to the critical success of the movie "Rashomon" by the master Japanese filmmaker, the late Akira Kurosawa. But the film bears no resemblance to Akutagawa's similarly-titled short story. It is another story by Akutagawa, "In a Bamboo Grove"--which folllows "Rashomon" in this collection--from which the theme of Kurosawa's gem is drawn.

    This collection proves why Akutagawa's place in the firmament of Japanese literature is well-deserved. He is indeed a master storyteller of the Japanese milieu. He is famed--and rightly so--for his modern folktales of a bygone era of Japan, many of which have been taught at the primary educational level and is thus well-remembered by millions of Japanese who have gone through school. Many of these tales tend to feature grotesque characters, but this may well be part of Akutagawa's polished storytelling technique.

    While these tales capture vividly scenes of pre-modern Japan, the themes they carry find relevance in Akutagawa's own period, which was during the period of modernism and liberalism of the Taisho period (1912-1926), after Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War and right at the cusp of the emergence and eventual dominance of fascism and militarism. Akutagawa's accomplishment is even more impressive given that his mainstream storywriting covered just about twelve years, from around the time "Rashomon" was first published (though it did not receive wide acclaim yet then) until his suicide in 1927,

    Akutagawa is quite fortunate to have found an outstanding translator of his works to English in Jay Rubin. The translator and editor of this compilation, Jay Rubin demonstrates in this compilation his conscientious advocacy of Japanese literature and of Akutagawa. He has not only brought together a compilation of Akutagawa's short stories without precedent, as this includes some of Akutagawa's little-known works. Rubin also provided most relevant information to add the proper context to and enrich our understanding of both the author and his works. He has included a chronology of Akutagawa's life, a list of further readings, and notes on Japanese name order and pronunciation. To facilitate the reader's appreciation of Akutagawa and his works, Rubin has divided the eighteen stories in this collection into four sections: "A World in Decay", "Under the Sword", "Modern Tragicomedy", and "Akutagawa's Own Story". And he has judiciously included relevant endnotes to the stories. All in all, Rubin's informed scholarship shows through and lends great weight to the usefulness of this compilation to understanding Akutagawa's place in Japanese modern literature.

    As if that's not enough, the cherry on top of this luscious literary offering is the meaty introduction written by Haruki Murakami, who may well be the current icon of 21st-century popular Japanese literature. Murakami provides a compelling sweep of modern Japanese literary writing, daring even to make a list of "top ten Japanese writers of national stature" (though he can only come up with nine names). Through his examination of Akutagawa's brief tortured life and exemplary literary lifework, we are also treated to Murakami's take on the dynamic between Japanese literature and Japanese society, focusing on that interesting interregnum of Japanese history known as Taisho democracy.

    Penguin Classics has scored a coup with this selection. This is a must-read for anyone seeking a good introduction to modern Japanese literature.”

    Joel G wrote this review Friday, March 13 2009. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
  • A guide to nuclear Philippines: A guide to the US military bases, nuclear weapons, and what the Filipino people are doing about these (IBON primer series)A guide to nuclear Philippines: A guide to the US military bases, nuclear weapons, and what the Filipino people are doing about these (IBON primer series)Roland G Simbulan
    • Rated 0 stars

    “borrowed by Bantayog”

    Joel G wrote this review Sunday, January 4 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • An anthology of winning worksAn anthology of winning works
    • Rated 0 stars

    “This is the collection of one-act plays in English that won the coveted Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards in the 1980s.”

    Joel G wrote this review Sunday, December 2 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) (Penguin Classics)
    • Rated 5 stars

    “The First Great Filipino Novel. ”

    Joel G wrote this review Thursday, November 8 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Ghost Plane: The True Story of the CIA Torture Program
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This is the book from which much of the material for the current (2007) film "Rendition" starring Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Meryl Streep may well have been drawn. Except that this is the reality part. This is solid proof that the U.S. is actually the No. 1 promoter of human rights violations today, and actually for sometime now. So who again are the real terrorists, the real fascists, the real subverters of democracy and freedom?”

    Joel G wrote this review Thursday, November 8 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • PHILIPPINE SOCIETY AND REVOLUTIONPHILIPPINE SOCIETY AND REVOLUTIONAmado Guerrero
    • Rated 5 stars

    “A classic. Basic reading for anyone who wants to deeply, really understand Philippine society and why social change is necessary. May well be the most influential book in the Philippines during the 20th century.”

    Joel G wrote this review Wednesday, October 31 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Communist Manifesto
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This is must reading for EVERYONE, not just pro-communists or fellow travelers. Start unlearning what's long been shoved up our a**es as to what communism is by reading this, the mother of all things communist. Far from what you may have read or heard, this terse text still strikes at the heart of what's wrong with mankind's plight now, and is still very much relevant.”

    Joel G wrote this review Sunday, October 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Medical Advisor: The Complete Guide to Alternative & Conventional Treatments
    • Rated 4 stars

    “A most useful home reference for those emergencies we hope we shoudn't be having at all. Allows room for preventive action, which is a breath of fresh air.”

    Joel G wrote this review Sunday, October 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence
    • Rated 5 stars

    “A classic that provides a fundamental understanding of the real workings of the CIA. The edition i have though still has some heavily redacted portions. i believe the latest editions (199?) have far less censored places. Wonder what happened to Marchetti and Marks though.”

    Joel G wrote this review Sunday, October 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining America
    • Rated 5 stars

    “This book is my prime reminder that the wave of megacorporate crime that burst history's biggest economic bubble (and attended what Joseph Stiglitz called "the biggest decade of greed") ought to have been the biggest story, and greatest public outrage, in 2001. But 9/11 obliterated that, and the top corporate crooks have no one to thank but the 9/11 perpetrators for denying them their time at the public guillotine. So, can we go over the events of 9/11 again...”

    Joel G wrote this review Tuesday, October 23 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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