I've taken interest in Bob Ong back in college. He has always been famous but there was no means for me to read any of his works. I was so fixated with collecting all of Paulo Coelho's books. However, since reading his fifth published work, Stainless Longganisa, I was instantaneously drawn to the mysterious author, whose books are filled with humor, wit, and social commentary, written in conversational Filipino which the younger generation, and the old, could easily relate and understand. No highfalutin Filipino or that elitist kind of literary style.
However, the writer behind Bob Ong has proven over time that he is more than his capability of injecting humor in his every masterpiece. His capacity to write serious and emotional pieces shine every now and then. His tenth book, SI, is definitely a testament to the writer's talent.
SI, is Bob Ong's first novel that tackles on love. It is not a romance novel, though. Bob Ong describes it as a book about our "kakayahan, pagkakataon, pananagutan, at karapatan na magmahal". (Capability, opportunities, commitment, and right to love)
SI is a compelling story of a 72-year-old man and his journey in life. It chronicles his experiences told in snippets from his memories.
Bob Ong's newest masterpiece highlights his ability to effectively captivate your emotions and play with your heartstrings and convey very deep emotions despite his very simple writing aesthetic. And his style in writing the book allows you to appreciate it either way (please purchase a copy of the book to understand what I am talking about).
SI takes you to an emotional rollercoaster that will make you smile, cry, and think. After you had a fill of this new Bob Ong offering, you'll have a more profound appreciation of love and view it beyond the romance aspect of it.
And if I happen to ask you what you want to remember from the entire novel, I hope, just like me, you'll respond like what the main character said: "Lahat."
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