Cuartero, Maejann E. GREATWK - M7211222093 July 20, 2014

In a bookstore, hundreds of books can be found. If one is to pick a book on a shelf, he would choose the one with an artistic cover design and, of course, a captivating title. He would browse through the pages, feel each page, the letters and words. He would read the back cover, imagine the characters and savor on its plot. At times, he would also see the words like “New York Times Best Selling Book”. However, those words are not the only gauge to completely say that that work is a masterpiece. One has to go through the chapters, carefully reading from start to end. Just like a work of art, one can see the whole picture at a single glance. However, the whole picture would possibly be unexplainable without examining the small fine details. While letting the details sink into one’s mind and emotions, he would again scan the entirety of the picture. As he scans, the art converses with the audience; its meaning reflected on one’s mind and has left a mark on one’s heart.

One of the few foreign novels that I have read and considered as a masterpiece is “Please Look After Mom” by Kyung-Sook Shin, a South Korean novelist. However, through this GREATWK course, I was able to read the Philippines’ very own literary masterpiece which is entitled “Tatlong Gabi, Tatlong Araw” by Eros Atalia. With the simplicity of its title comes the complexity of its content. This great work by Eros Atalia has showed depth, as well as, quality all throughout the sixteen chapters of the book. More importantly, the novel has presented different contemporary issues, showed a great literary style and left an impact on the readers thus making it a masterpiece.

The novel which happened for three nights and three days, as the title implies, has showed the different contemporary issues here in the country. It has exposed the different problems encountered in the environment, politics, media and even with the own self. The author was able to bring up alarming issues like illegal logging and mining which can have a disastrous effect if not properly controlled. It also includes new problems like Super Typhoons which resulted from climate change. In terms of politics, it has showed the interests of politicians and how easily they turn to different acts just to gain votes for the election. In the field of media, it revealed the struggles of a journalists, as well as, their methods in order to produce an interesting news. The problems within the self, like keeping a promise and showing love interest, were also manifested in the character of Mong. All of these problems were presented in a light way, but it somehow made the novel more relatable and closer to reality.

Another factor making this novel a masterpiece is the way it was written. The author was able to deviate from the usual flow of a story. He made the known, unknown at first before revealing it all at the end. He was able to intrigue the readers with his writing style by indicating hints and emphasizing phrases. He made a mystery bloom throughout the story. With this writing style, the novel was able to make an impact to the readers, which is the third factor making it a masterpiece. Although, at first, it was confusing, the confusion made the readers itch to find out what really happened. The novel is really mind blowing thus the more chance for it to stick with the readers.

The novel is indeed a masterpiece for it was able to have substance incorporated in a creative writing style which left a memorable mark on one’s mind. Contrary to a newspaper, where simply from the headline, one can tell the gist of the story, the novel laid out the details before revealing the ‘headline’. Moreover, the novel was created not only as a form of entertainment but also an eye opener. Having courses such as GREATWK opened the opportunity for students to

be able to know more about Philippine Literature. With that, we can give credit and open opportunities for talented writers but more importantly, we can enrich our very own form of literature.