On Katrina Tuvera's The Collaborators

 

 

I read Katrina Tuvera's 203-page novel, The Collaborators, simply one of the finest novels you'll lay your eyes on. It traces the intertwining lives of Carlos and Renata, their daughter Brynne, and Jacob, son of Carlos's friend. The story spans key points in Philippine history: from the Japanese occupation, Martial Law, to the end of the 20th century, with President Estrada's impeachment trial in the background. I ordered the novel, along with a few others, a month ago from the Ateneo Press website, without knowing much about her and her genius. Since I'd started reading it last night, I couldn't put it down.

Carlos Armando, 70 years old, will undergo surgery. He looks back at life, feeling the urge to pray. We get the sense that he must be an important man. But even important men must look at mortality at some point. And there he is in the first pages of the novel. He "gazes out the window at a darkening sky and feels the urge to pray. Not a religious act, this praying. Just the mind chanting phrases, altered at times to a slight degree and offered to no one in particular."

Tuvera's vision is panoramic and wise; she writes about her characters in deeply personal and intimate ways. She shows in this piece a keen understanding of the country's sorrows and travails: war, corruption, greed, loyalty, family, and ambition. But there's a love story there, between Carlos and Renata, and his sweet bond with the strong-willed Brynne, who adores him. I also enjoyed the stories of childhood friendships: boys by the stream, playing. Her craftsmanship with words and stories-within-stories, anchored in Philipine history, is a delight to experience. Her sentences are pregnant with nuances and perfect word choices. The dialogues, while in English, sound very Filipino; she writes so effortlessly.

My foray into literature written by Filipinos has been rewarding. I am still slowly reading Gregorio Brillantes's stories, reserving them for when I can enjoy them without distraction. I am a completist; I will likely read everything Katrina Tuvera has written.