Teaching a writing class is a hard work. Imagine the tons of papers you have to read and grade, the emails to sort and the attendance to record! But one of the things that I looked forward from this course is the book review of Para Kay B – the first half of my students’ midterm requirement. Aside from its really good story, I long for the memories that book gave me years back when I started reading it.
I remember when I was the student in our Critical Writing class, our professor gave us Para Kay B as a requirement. It was during our Senior Year when Ricky Lee launched his first book, at the Bahay ng Alumni UP Diliman, in presence of his friends, colleagues and fans. I must admit, I am not a fan of his before that launch. I just knew him to be the author of Trip to Quaipo Scriptwriting Manual. To be honest, I attended the event because that’s where we can get our pre-ordered books and we can get it signed. And yes, my “other agenda” is to spot celebrities! Haha! But that afternoon, when Eugene Domingo and four other female celebrities read parts of the five stories to the audience, is when I told myself that I am already a fan and I can’t wait to start reading THAT BOOK!
After watching Twilight with friends that night, I head straight to my dorm room (its past 12midnight) not to sleep but to start reading. That time, Para Kay B is like a drug that kept me awake and alert despite all the activities I did the whole day. My curiosity was piqued first by the title, Para Kay B or Kung Paano Dinevastate ng Pag-Ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin. Imagine that statement, that only one can really be happy in love! For a hopeless romantic like me, that statement is just wrong and I really wanna know why he even mentioned that.
To sum this story up, Para Kay B is a story of love in various forms. Five girls who fell in love, experienced and lived romance and got hurt in the process. But seeing beyond it, the story is about the writer himself. While I got my answer on who B really is, I realized that knowing who B is not the focal point of this story. Rather, it’s the reason why he even produce these stories in the first place.
Para Kay B is a product of a genius mind. Indeed, Ricky Lee just proved that writing is his passion, and his ability to produce written arts are not only limited into stories for TV or film. His attempt to go outside his comfort zone has definitely paid off.
Personally, a great story, be it told in writing or other form of media, is a mixture of creativity, truthfulness and heart. This book gave me just that. Yes, this book used vulgar words. Yes, this book just featured incest, or same sex relationship. But I understand his decision to choose these. Without the use of right words, the story will not be as effective as it is now. Incest and same sex relationship? We may not be open to the idea but we have to admit that this is happening! I am not pro same-sex relationship and definitely nor pro-incest, but what I saw here is the idea that there is always a reason behind a story. And that judgment should not come before knowing the reason behind it. While this is mainly a love story, it is also a story about life. Every person on earth needs to be understood and to understand others. That’s how life works.
If I am to look at the technical side of the book, I would say that I found everything in order. Starting with the language he chose, the story is indeed fit for Pinoy readers since Lee wrote it in Tagalog-English. Easy to understand, and most specifically, direct to the point. Lee chose not to be safe with this novel by choosing bold words that will truly paint a clear picture in every reader’s imagination. This may be new to us and definitely not normal for a publication that is not a pocketbook, but a reader like me understands that his intention here is to give us the right meaning of the story. While some statements and scenes are too bold for us, the impact is there. I cannot imagine this book to be told in too modest way because that’s when I would say that Para Kay B failed to provide the story that it is meant to give the readers.
His style of writing is very cinematic, thanks to his script writing expertise. Para Kay B is like a movie script turned into a novel. Again, his choice of words, the clear setting and the intense way of delivering the story is like watching the story in a screen. Or rather, it’s like you are part of the scene! It is also one of the reasons why this book is a huge success.
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