Puppy Love and Thirteen Short Stories

Criticism lobbied at F. Sionil Jose is largely warranted where his archaic views on women and the situations by which they are subjected to indentured suffering are seen on full display. That unfortunately makes up crucial stories of this anthology that define his work. For me, it's not something I personally subscribe to for moral reasons, especially as we've progressed past the need to empathize for troubled characters whose priority is to subjugate, rape or make women do things against their will. (One story here includes a woman being forced to take an abortion through emotional reasons)

I will say though, his prose is undeniably attractive. It does remind me sometimes of those old uncles commenting on Facebook walls. Attractive in an archaic sense. Sometimes worth reading, but there's a point where the exhaustion is so tangible. Read with some caution.