''Ermita: A Filipino Novel'' is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by the known Filipino author F. Sionil Jose written in the English language. A chapter of this novel was previously published as a

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

in the books titled ''Two Filipino Women'' and '' Three Filipino Women''.

Characters

;Rojo Family *Maria Ermita (Ermi) is the main character in the novel. *Conchita (Conching) is the mother of Ermi. *Felicitas (Fely) is the rich socialite aunt of Ermi. *Joselito is the businessman uncle of Ermi. ;Servants *Arturo is the driver of the Rojos. *Orang is the wife of Arturo. *Macarthur is the son of Arturo. He is a close friend of Ermi. *Nanet is the daughter of Arturo. *Alejandra ; Friends of Ermi *Rolando Cruz - Professor of History and a frequent customer of Camarin Bar and Restaurant. *Didi - Owner of Camarin Bar and Restaurant. ; Ermi's Customers *The Great Man - Prime Minister of an Asian country. *Senator Andres Bravo *Businessman Eduardo Dantes ;Others *Sister Constancia (Tancing) is the head of orphanage the took care and educated of the child Ermi. *General Bombilla - an honest man who became Marcos' man. *Anita - aging prostitute that Ermi saved from poverty. *Lily - daughter of Anita who became anti-Marcos

Scenes

F. Sionil José brings the reader to a story to a time in Philippine history before the declaration of Martial Law by

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

during the 1950s. José also brings his readers to prewar and post-war Ermita, formerly the district of Manila's elite. The reader is also brought to the Philippines in the year 1941, a country that went through the experience of being attacked and occupied by the Empire of Japan, a nation that suffered the effects of World War II and of going through the regime of the Marcos government.José, F. Sionil. Ermita: A Filipino Novel, Solidaridad Publishing House: Manila, 1988/1994, 258 pages,

Reviews

''Ermita: A Filipino Novel'' was one of the books reviewed by Ian Buruma for '' The New York Review of Books'',"Francisco "Franky" Sionil Jose". Buruma, Ian. ''The Bartered Bride'', The New York Review of Books, Volume 36, Number 9, June 1, 1989
retrieved on March 17, 2008 and was one of the recommended Filipino-authored books to be reviewed under a reading and writing program of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa,List of Filipino Novels in English Suggested for Review, Creating a Learning Community through Peer Support in Philippine Literature, 300-Level Philippine Literature in English (Writing-Intensive), Manoa Writing Program, University of Hawaii, MWP.Hawaii.edu, 2007
, retrieved on March 16, 2008 together with other works by José, together with other long narratives written by Filipino authors such as Nick Joaquin, Bienvenido Santos, Ninotchka Rosca,

Edilberto Tiempo Edilberto Kaindong Tiempo (August 5, 1913 – September 19, 1996) was a Filipino writer and professor. He and his wife, Edith L. Tiempo, are credited by Silliman University with establishing "a tradition in excellence in creative writing and ...

, Alfrredo Navarro Salanga, NVM Gonzales,

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is an author and editor of 20 books. She co-founded PAWWA or Philippine American Women Writers and Artists; and also founded Philippine American Literary House. Brainard's works include the World War II novel, ''When th ...

, Alfred Yuson, Carlos Bulosan, Jessica Hagedorn, Peter Bacho, and Wilfredo Nolledo.

Translation

The novel was published in Korean, in 2007. It was translated from English to Korean by Boo Hee-ryung.Garcia, Cathy Rose. “Author F. Sionil Jose’s Insight on Philippines” (an article about F. Sionil Jose’s novel, Ermita – published in Korean)
Arts & Living, The Korea Times, KoreaTimes.co.kr, April 27, 2007Garcia, Cathy Rose. "Author F. Sionil Jose's Insight on Philippines" (an article about F. Sionil Jose’s novel: Ermita – published in Korean)
BookAsia.org (Korean website), April 27, 2007

References

External links