Boyhood in Monsoon Country (Realms of Myth and Reality, #7) by Maximo D. Ramos

Boyhood in Monsoon Country (Realms of Myth and Reality, #7) Reviews

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  Danél

  Maximo D. Ramos wrote a number of books detailing the history and culture of the Phillipines, all unread by me. Based on this work, which is simply a collection of little essays about village life as a boy, I certainly intend to dive into more of his chronicles. It is not just the content here, which presents a fascinating range of topics from the food to the bird life to even the mythological creatures that kept him and his friends scared of entering into the woods -- what really spoke to me here was the lyrical and conversational quality of the writing. Ramos's observations are often hilarious, often poignant, and always stream of consciousness, like a warm grandfather relaying his adventures to his grandchildren who gather around him to take it all in. As a celebration of a time and culture that I admittedly know little about, he is as accessible as he is warm and inviting. And as he explores his own life and times, his invitation is a simple but profound one: now that he has shared his life, he implores the reader to think about and celebrate their own. Reading this therefore feels like an exchange of lives-- a conversation that lets us into his world, as it encourages us to think of the humanity that unites us all. This was a quick, simple read that was an absolute pleasure, because Ramos isn't just asking us to merely listen to his stories, but also to participate.
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  Ashley LaMontagne

  This was an interesting read, and a bit different from some of his others that I've read. While each chapter stood alone from the others, this book still read a little more like a single story rather than a collection of short stories, and it is seemingly told from Ramos's own perspective, which I didn't expect. Definitely some outdated language and a little slow, but intriguing to read a firsthand account of the details of life that we don't often think about.
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  Paul Elessar Caceres

  This book is more of a short autobiography, really. It's a good insight into the Filipino provincial life of the early 20th century. I would have rated this four stars but Maximo Ramos has the tendency to abuse commas. He sometimes tries to fit too many ideas in one sentence.