Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan
Encyclopedia
Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan (Mama Susan's Friends) is a 2010 mystery
novel by Filipino
writer Bob Ong
published in 2010 by Visprint Inc. It is Ong's eighth book, and his first attempt in the horror/suspense
genre.
The story revolves around Gilberto P. Manansala (Galo), a college
student in an unnamed university in Manila
, and his journal entries that he writes for one of his college instructor
s. In the entries he describes how his everyday situations turn into scary situations, how he uncovers various mysteries and horrors, and how he gets deeply involved in these mysteries and horrors and, in the end, cannot escape them.
Some reviews of the book say that the pace is monotonous; however, it does pick up in the end and cryptic Latin messages embedded in Galo's journal entries add a sense of mystery to the story.
→" O rex ac regina mundi potentissimi, qui nos vi infinita regitis, vos qui matri nostrae potestatem potentiamque quibus corda mentes animas nostrum regamus attribuistis, auxilium vestrum, di magni atque immortales, precamur. Arcete inimicos fidei nostrae nobis. Protegite domus nostras, fundos nostros, pagum nostrum a mutandi evertendique viribus." Some of Mama susan's ritual prayer.
It has become a best seller
, ranking first at most book stores in the Philippines.
Galo: The journal's owner. The story is told from his point of view. He is a student at an unidentified college in Manila, living an ordinary life under the care of his aunt. He has lived with this family since high school
and he says that he is thankful for everything that his aunt's family has provided him. At sixteen he is young for a college student, and mentions that he started school at a very young age. Little is known about his appearance, except that he wears glasses and has a short haircut which causes him to be teased as a military cadet. He can be described as a typical male college student from his first journal entries, despite family matters. It can also be concluded that he is intelligent because, in his journal, he states that even though he spaces out in class while writing in his journal, he still manages to recite and get the correct answer. He also gets an offer from an instructor to write in a publication
. It is hinted that he can play the guitar
.
Tiya Auring(Aunt Auring): Galo's primary guardian and the sister of Galo's mom. She has four children and is aloof and stern, according to Galo's description. He says that he tries not to get involved with his aunt as long as he can get away with it. She is bossy and loud.
Tiyo Dindo(Uncle Dindo): Auring's husband and Galo's uncle, who secretly helps Galo in paying his tuition without the knowledge of Galo.
Mama Susan: Galo's grandmother and the leader of a religious group in their province
. She is sick when Galo returns to her home and she dies near the end of the story.
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
novel by Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
writer Bob Ong
Bob Ong
Bob Ong, or Roberto Ong, is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino author known for using conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippine life. His actual name is not known.-Website:...
published in 2010 by Visprint Inc. It is Ong's eighth book, and his first attempt in the horror/suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
genre.
The story revolves around Gilberto P. Manansala (Galo), a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
student in an unnamed university in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, and his journal entries that he writes for one of his college instructor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s. In the entries he describes how his everyday situations turn into scary situations, how he uncovers various mysteries and horrors, and how he gets deeply involved in these mysteries and horrors and, in the end, cannot escape them.
Some reviews of the book say that the pace is monotonous; however, it does pick up in the end and cryptic Latin messages embedded in Galo's journal entries add a sense of mystery to the story.
→" O rex ac regina mundi potentissimi, qui nos vi infinita regitis, vos qui matri nostrae potestatem potentiamque quibus corda mentes animas nostrum regamus attribuistis, auxilium vestrum, di magni atque immortales, precamur. Arcete inimicos fidei nostrae nobis. Protegite domus nostras, fundos nostros, pagum nostrum a mutandi evertendique viribus." Some of Mama susan's ritual prayer.
It has become a best seller
Best Seller
Best Seller is a 1987 film written by Larry Cohen, directed by John Flynn and starring Brian Dennehy and James Woods. The plot concerns a career hitman, played by Woods, who wants to turn his life story into a book, to be written by Dennehy's character, a veteran police officer turned...
, ranking first at most book stores in the Philippines.
Characters
Most characters in Galo's journal are people he encounters every day, and some are not described other than having their name mentioned. It can be concluded that these people, of whom little is known, are the people that Galo cannot understand very well, and that his thoughts stray away from them because of personal issues.Galo: The journal's owner. The story is told from his point of view. He is a student at an unidentified college in Manila, living an ordinary life under the care of his aunt. He has lived with this family since high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and he says that he is thankful for everything that his aunt's family has provided him. At sixteen he is young for a college student, and mentions that he started school at a very young age. Little is known about his appearance, except that he wears glasses and has a short haircut which causes him to be teased as a military cadet. He can be described as a typical male college student from his first journal entries, despite family matters. It can also be concluded that he is intelligent because, in his journal, he states that even though he spaces out in class while writing in his journal, he still manages to recite and get the correct answer. He also gets an offer from an instructor to write in a publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
. It is hinted that he can play the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
Tiya Auring(Aunt Auring): Galo's primary guardian and the sister of Galo's mom. She has four children and is aloof and stern, according to Galo's description. He says that he tries not to get involved with his aunt as long as he can get away with it. She is bossy and loud.
Tiyo Dindo(Uncle Dindo): Auring's husband and Galo's uncle, who secretly helps Galo in paying his tuition without the knowledge of Galo.
Mama Susan: Galo's grandmother and the leader of a religious group in their province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
. She is sick when Galo returns to her home and she dies near the end of the story.