Illustrado is essentially a look at the elite of Phillipines society; politicians, writers, political activists and business moguls. The corruption, unrest and personal failure of these people is laid bare.

Syjuco's story starts with the drowning of expat literary lion Crispin Salvador in the Hudson River. His student, Miguel Syjuco, takes it upon himself to research Salvador in order to track down Salvador's missing and controversial final manuscript, while also seeking an answer as to why Salvador would have reached such an end. The story is told via interleaved snippets from Syjuco's biograpy-in-progress, from Salvador's own work and from a third-person narrator. This seems to be pretty effective; apparently many readers have become convinced that Salvador is a real writer.

The construction of this book is clever and the denouement is well done; you can see why it is admired. Unfortunately there was not a single character in this book that I warmed to, empathised with, or cared about. I guess when a first novel wins a prestigious literary award, one approaches it with high expectations, and this book did not live up to that. ( )

When I got to the middle of the book, I suddenly remembered that the life is too short for bad books. I struggled to find an interesting story among the numerous storylines the author had decided to present the reader with in his first novel. The funny story of Erning Isip as a protagonist was my favorite part of the book, but still it was nothing more than copying jokes from standup comedians. And, Mr. Syjuco, you're not William Faulkner, and I think that the effort to read your debut book isn't that much worth it. My opinion is that an authors should respect their readers on the first place. Then they have to know how to tell a story just to justify themselves as writers. And only then they would have allowed themselves to put together a novel like that one: complex, difficult to follow, and leaving the reader lost after reaching the middle of it. ( )

I had mixed feelings about the book. It was hard to get into. It felt slow and uneven. I wasn't draw to the characters. Yet it was masterfully written. Part way through, where Waiting for Godot was quoted, I had to stop and wonder what else was in there for quotes that I was missing.

I read the book in an effort to see the world through different eyes. I am not deeply versed in Pinoy culture, and I wonder what I've missed that way. I wonder about the literary allusions I've missed. I wonder what else I would get from this book if I read it with a bunch of Filipino literature students from Columbia. ( )

This book can be probably best described as an encyclopedic narrative encompassing most of what that genre entails - which would mean not only the 'fun' stuff like the different voices and media, but also the sometimes frustrating stuff - like digressions, obsessive inclusive of details, etc. I feel too it may also be a ghost story, in more ways than one. Because part of it takes on the voice of a young and inexperienced writer, there are parts of this book that are ridiculously (though in my opinion deliberately) overwritten. Still overall this book made me laugh out loud and stays true to the various media it presents, especially blogs and political writing and reporting.

It is one of the more ambitious novels I've read, which means that it manages to do a lot but also leaves some aspects not completely and satisfyingly resolved, which is not always a bad thing. It is also one of the most self-conscious books I've read, which to me flaws an otherwise decent story (and for me story is always paramount). Still, especially if you are interested in the Philippines or Fil-Am literature, this is worthwhile, good for some laughs, often thought-provoking, and a fun read. ( )

This is a uniquely written tale by Miguel Syjuco about a search for details into his mentor's life after a gruesome death that becomes a journey into his own life. Interspersed in the narrative are bits and pieces of his mentor's works (novels, essays, etc.) that highlight the things that are happening during his own quest. Full of information about the Philippines and the people who leave to make their lives elsewhere, I found this book insightful and seemingly personal for the author. As a reader, you are left wondering whether this is a biography or an imagining of the author (in fact, I had to Wikipedia it to make sure!) and it makes the story all the more intense. Well done, Mr. Syjuco. ( )