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''Sherds'' (“fragments of pottery” or "potsherds") is a 2007 short novel or novelette written by Filipino National Artist for Literature〔Mallari, Perry Gil S. (Sherds: The latest novel of National Artist for Literature Francisco Sionil José ), Fragments of Truth, Book Review, Life & Times, The Manila Times, January 9, 2009, archives.manilatimes.net〕 and multi-awarded〔(Commencement Speaker - Francisco Sionil Jose ), Foundation Time Community Page, negroschronicle.com〕 author F. Sionil José. According to Elmer A. Ordoñez, a writer from ''The Manila Times'', in ''Sherds'' José achieved “lyrical effects”, specially in the novel’s final chapters, by putting into “good use” Joseph Conrad’s and Ford Madox Ford’s so-called ''progression d’effet'' (literally "progression of the effect"). ''Sherds'' is the latest and last novel by José. According to ''The Atlantic'' National Correspondent James Fallows, the novel is dedicated to the author’s wife Teresita José.〔Fallows, James. (Frankie José ), The Atlantic, March 5, 2009, theatlantic.com〕 The novel, which can be read in one sitting,〔 was described by Li-an de la Cruz-Busto, a reporter for ''Sun.Star Davao'' as “very light but candid and insightful”,〔De la Cruz-Busto, Li-an.(Busto: Instant fan ), Choices, Sun.Star Davao, January 17, 2009, sunstar.com.ph〕 a description that complements ''The Manila Times'' reporter Perry Gil S. Mallari’s calling José’s ''Sherds'' as an “easy read and a guaranteed page-turner”. A novel composed of twelve chapters with a "tight and palpable" narrative pacing, ''Sherds'' deals with topics related to "personal conscience, greed and the position of art" in social class struggle, thus serving as a cogitation on "what is wrong" with the Philippines as a nation.〔 José wrote ''Sherds'' while he was in Japan.〔 ==Description== Like José’s other novels and stories such as the ''Rosales Saga'', ''Sherds'' is another presentation and “meditation” by the author regarding “class conflict” and “malaise in society” in the Philippines through the use of “non-ideological terms” and sharing of his personal knowledge of the “travails of the original tillers of the soil” and the dispossession of the land-tillers through the workings of the oligarchs.〔 Employing a story-telling technique that begins with the “ending of the story, in ''medias res''”, José narrates the tale of the discovery made by Peter Gregory Golangco〔 (also known simply as PG Golangco), a pottery-and-ceramics artist, art professor, and aesthete, through the “Pygmalion-like nurturing” of Guia Espiritu, Golangco’s student who has an elemental idea of art that is “grounded in the clay of oppressed people” of the Philippine countryside.〔Ordoñez, Elmer A. (The Education of an Aesthete ), The Other View, Opinion, The Manila Times (2001) January 19, 2008, manilatimes.net〕 As an “art and society” novel, the ninth chapter of ''Sherds'' showed Golangco as an aesthete questioned about his pose and position regarding social protest and his views about Pablo Picasso and Francisco Goya during an art exhibit. Golangco is a believer that “art thrives on freedom”. However, a guest during the exhibition countered Golangco’s belief by saying that freedom is a “political condition” and that Golangco is a free person because of influence and the financial means to buy freedom, which is contrary to the so-called unpampered and unfree “artists of the people”. Despite such "questioning", Golangco was applauded. Surprised, Golangco retreated to Café Guernica, where he became “almost inconsolable” until Golangco was reassured by two female companions. According to Elmer A. Ordoñez, this scene in ''Sherds'', is where Golangco’s “education of the aesthete” started.〔 The novel is full of symbolism. The primary example of such usage of symbolism is the clay used by PG Golangco in making pots. The clay symbolizes the oppressed villagers in Espiritu's barrio. As a symbolic element of the narrative, the clay has a fundamental function at the finale of the novel.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sherds (novel)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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