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Smaller and Smaller Circles
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[F2F Book Discussions] May 2013: Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan | Moderator: Charles (Flipreads)





Anyway, I think reading the book is support enough for the author.


i like reading books in any form nmn, yung lng the reason why i switched to ebooks kc, hnd xa ma itatapon ng mama ko, or hnd makikita in physical form. so ayun, dont take it negatively na always look for ebooks, if my mom wasnt the kind to throw away books, i'd have brought alot of them already...
nag papaliwang lng po...sorry if i step on some of your toes...

Just a question? Do you think a Pinoy serial killer may exist? I understand a Pinoy that kills out of rage after a pikon moment in a drinking spree turned sour in the kanto, or hired killers especially at times like this, election. Pero a psycho killer?

hmmmm.....makagawa ng fiction story about it......

But we are also changing; new generations are setting different priorities; and most things that motivates and disappoints people now are so far from what they were before. So, we might encounter such in the near future.
What's possible in our country is serial rape. There are hundreds of rape and sexual assaults that remain unrecorded though.
Going back to the book, (view spoiler)


Since Payatas, is a dumping ground for "basura", maybe the killer thought of his victim in that state. Hence he kills him in the same dumping ground, amidst the mountain of garbage. It's not about hiding the smell; it's more like demoralizing the victim...

Hi Doc! Finished reading this last night. Four stars. :)
Anyway, to answer your question. I did consider the setting, but I knew there was a reason for it. I can't remember now if the blurb indicates that the premise of the book is on serial killing, but I didn't raise too many questions while I was reading. I was intent first on finishing it, because I knew that the questions will come up when I close the book. :)
Now I have a question to put to you guys, but only for those who are done reading the book.
(view spoiler)

These are my answers to the questions
1. Ranee: This is the premise of the book, a serial killer. And take note of the setting, Payatas. Ever thought of that, when you started reading the book? Why kill in Payatas?(view spoiler)
2. Monique: (view spoiler)

If I remember my psychology, one theory points to the id, ego, superego model. They happen to have a poor superego, hence they fail to transcend and actualize. Question, how are you today?
Hehe.
Seriously, since we have started dissecting the killer, let us implore further.
Q1. At the start of the book, when the "work" of the killer was described in full details, how empathic were you?
Caution:Open tags if you have finished the book
Q2. (view spoiler)
Q3. (view spoiler)
Q4. (view spoiler)

Ranee (view spoiler)
Q1: For me the empathy was instant.
Q2: (view spoiler)
Q3: (view spoiler)
Q4: (view spoiler)

Doc Ranee's first question, on the setting: (view spoiler)
Atty Monique's: (view spoiler)
Latest questions!
Q1 Very empathic. I was drifting to sleep when I started reading it, but I tried not to because it might reflect in my dreams (I dreamed about something entirely different, thank goodness)
Q2 (view spoiler)
Q3 (view spoiler)
Q4 (view spoiler)

Q1. Empathic, very much. But a part of me is also figuring out the technique, sorry can't help it, the guy knows his way with knives. Hehehe
Q2. (view spoiler)
Q3. (view spoiler)
Q4. (view spoiler)

Question ulet, (view spoiler)
Question pa- The book is just about 155 pages. Short read lang talaga, pero which scene/ chapter was the most unforgettable? Yung tipong when someone mentions Smaller and smaller circles, this is the scene that first enters your mind?
(view spoiler)
And for the ultimate question... Bakit smaller and smaller circles ang title?

As far as I remember, the killer himself mentioned the phrase "smaller and smaller circles" when he realized that the priests were very close to discovering his identity. Literally, he knew that he and his pursuers were moving inside smaller and smaller circles... That they will soon catch him.


I agree with you Blue, never even bothered trying to google translate the French words, so if they were important, kebs!
Baka naman may serial killer na Pinoy talaga, we just lack the people who are there to look for patterns. Kumusta naman kasi ang database natin, most precincts typewritten pa rin ang reports, talo na tayo sa crossmatching of evidences pa lang. Scary, but think, as a society, last thing that we'll think of is a serial killer amongst us. If the usual personality of a psychokiller is antisocial, eh sa atin, branded lang yun na emo, oh di ba? Then again, how well do we know our neighbors? Praning lang, hahaha
Ok we're on the last stretch! Hope to see you this Sunday!
Q1 (view spoiler)
Q2 (view spoiler)
Q3. Do you think this can be made into a movie?

English films, medyo marami na. Of course there's silence of the lambs, Se7en, the bone collector. This one isnot thatfamous but is really good, when the bough breaks

Sorry, Doc Ranee, hindi ko napanood 'yang Pinoy movies na 'yan e. Pero, yes, I think this can be turn into a movie, provided it's done by a good director.

Nakakaloka ang reaction ng photographer sa part na ito. Like really? NBI photographer ka?
There are some things that I don't understand near the ending:
(view spoiler)
I'm tempted to ask if this is going to be made into a film, sinong mga local na artista ang bagay na gumanap sa mga major characters, or para mas masaya, sino sa mga TFG ang bagay sa mga karakter :) haha

On another note -- did anyone else have a desire to watch a CSI episode after reading this? This book revived my little dream of working in forensics...if only I wasn't too queasy. Haha.
Also, I hear the author is writing a prequel. Not sure what's it about, but maybe it's how the priests got to know each other, or how they started doing what they're doing.
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Smaller and Smaller Circles is a Philippine detective novel. It's a short novel, so it shouldn't be a hard read. As a fan of crime procedural shows (hello, CSI), I really enjoyed this novel when I read it in college.
Copies are sort of scarce, so to those who have copies, please share! :D I think there are copies available in NBS Shang? If you spot one, please post here!
I'll stop here and let Charles post about the reading plan + discussion questions.