The Naming of Cats by E.K. Entrada (Philippines Free Press – February 14, 2009)

You know me and realist stories. Either it has to be superbly written or has a subject/topic that completely catches my attention. One such example would be U. Eliserios’ ‘Autos’, that enthralling piece of relationshit and pyromania. I could really see the fire dancing as the character burned away the lives of her victims. Unfortunately, ‘The Naming of Cats’, despite its intriguing title (I was expecting something Calvino-ish or, yes, T.S. Elliot-ish), was a bit of a let down. It’s about a woman struggling to find her place in America, struggling to fit in with her broken English. The subject has been exploited too many times (Filipinos alienated in the States, racist undertones, etc. etc.) so, nothing new here. I don’t know if it would be better if I was familiar with the Possum book. But still, I found the character’s fixation to the book quite endearing, a ‘protective blanket of sorts’ (who was that Peanuts gang character again?). It’s an OK story all in all, just lacking in some parts. Not a total waste of time.