Review: Ligo na ü, Lapit na me

Diary of a loser.

via noypitayo

A picture of a woman with nothing but a towel on, giving a not so attractive guy a pedicure in public for a cover. That should stir some curiosity in you, right?

Back when I was still working as an instructor for an international school, I remember one of my students telling me he was reading Eros Atalia. However, I can't remember what book in particular. When I asked my student how was the book/Atalia, he said something like, "Parang Bob Ong na pilit (Bob Ong wannabe)."

Out of curiosity, I bought a copy of Atalia's 'Ligo na ü, Lapit na me' (Roughly translates to: Take a shower, I'm almost there). I had mixed emotions about this title but the intriguing cover somehow got to me. That and my former student's comment. You see, I just realized that there must be something about Atalia that got him compared to Ong. Heck, even Wikipedia speculates that Atalia and Ong are one and the same. There has to be something about his works. Something worth reading. And that's how I came up with this review.

Ligo na ü, Lapit na me stars Intoy, a guy born in a middle class family and blessed with looks only his mother could love. He is intimately involved with Jen, occasionally going on dates and sleeping with each other, minus the commitment. Thus, they are friends with benefits, or as Intoy puts it, friends with benefits and perks. Together, they deal with the ups and downs of college life and complications brought about by their relationship.

The story is told in Intoy's perspective and much of the humor comes from his ideologies, remarks on the things going on around him, and his struggles with his appearance and financial status. In this regard, this is where Atalia goes Ong, using his protagonist to voice out his opinions on Philippine society in general. Their styles are somewhat similar but Atalia's doesn't pack the punch that makes Ong a cult favorite. Still, it doesn't make his writing less sensible. In fact, he talks about a lot of things that might make you go, "Uh. Wait. What?", like why one kilogram of metal is heavier than one kilogram of cotton ball.

For the aspiring and incumbent insurgents, Intoy tells us what it would take to start a revolution that will change the country forever.

For the alcoholics, Intoy delivers an insightful commentary on alcoholic beverages that will leave you wondering why something bitter is loved, while his inability to hold his drink will leave you laughing.

And for those having problems starting a conversation, he gives us a rundown of questions you should never, ever ask.

However, there are times that Intoy's monologues, considered as the book's strength and major contributor in its entertainment factor, also hurts the flow of the story. Readers can easily get lost in his lengthy train of thought. Intoy has a knack for discussing one thing, then moving on to a slightly related topic, then to another, until the idea moves away from the original topic. And all of a sudden: BAM! He'll be talking about the original topic again. This makes the story a bit difficult to follow at times and you'll end up turning back a page or two so you could remember what it was he was talking about in the first place.

Back to my former student's remark. Here's the thing. When Ong delivers a not so funny punchline, it'll leave a smirk on your face and you'll either take it as it is or take it with a grain of salt, then move on. When Atalia tries to pull off the same gimmick, you'll have animé sweat oozing out of your head.

Did I mention there are lots of typos?

via  tvtropes

Still, Ligo na ü, Lapit na me is a good read. Yes, it's not Bob Ong, but at the very least, it's Bob Ong Lite. If there was anything the likes of Ong left out in their works, Atalia picked them up so he can come up with this title. If you're running out of funny books to read, look no further and grab a copy of this book.







3.5 out of 5 pairs of eyeglasses
(Knock yourself out)