Without Seeing the Dawn

The title of Stevan Javellana's only novel in English "Without Seeing the Dawn" was derived from one of José Rizal's character in the Spanish-language novel "Noli Me Tangere" or "Touch Me Not". Javellana's 368-paged book has two parts, namely "Day" and "Night". The first part, "Day", narrates the story of a pre-war barrio and its people in the Panay Island and Iloilo City, and Night, which begins in the start of World War II in both the U.S. and the Philippines, while the second part, "Night" retells the story of the resistance movement against occupying military forces of the barrio people first seen in "Day". His novel sold 125,000 copies in the U.S. and was reprinted in paperback edition in Manila by Alemar's-Phoenix in 1976. [http://www.palhbooks.com/javellana.htm Florentino, Alberto and Francisco Arcellana, Without Seeing the Dawn: A Review ("Javellana: Did He Die Without Seeing the Dawn? - The Odyssey of a Young Writer’s First and Only Novel Without Seeing the Dawn"), PALH Book Reviews (undated)] , retrieved on: June 16, 2007]

The same novel was made into a film by the Filipino film maker and director, Lino Brocka under the title "Santiago!", which starred the Filipino actor and former presidential candidate, Fernando Poe, Jr. and the Filipino actress, Hilda Koronel. It was also made into a mini-series film for Philippine television. The published novel received praises from the New York Times, New York Sun and Chicago Sun. "Without Seeing the Dawn", the novel, became the culmination of Javellana's short-story writing career. The said novel was also known under the title "The Lost Ones".

Plot summary

Stevan Javellana's "Without Seeing the Dawn" was all about the village and the man, the man who lived on the farm but became a rebel when one of the land owner betrayed the farmers. He tried the life on the city, but it was never easy for them.

ee also

*Philippine literature in English
*Literature of the Philippines
*Philippine English

References