A fantastic collection of gritty, noir stories from a variety of authors. Dark, twisted, these stories look at the high and low life of Manila. Before this book, I was not familiar with the city of Manila, but after reading these stories, it seems like a familiar place. I'm hoping to read the collections from other cities. ( )

Every once in a while, I try out a book of short stories, hoping that I will see what those who really enjoy this format do. I was particularly hopeful about this one because I am fond of Manila. Unfortunately, I found the stories generally forgettable, and because they were all "noir," the telling seemed rather one-note with a lack of any nuance.
The two authors that I enjoyed the most from this collection were Rosario Cruz-Lucero and Sabina Murray. I would be interested in reading their novel-length titles.
All in all, Manila Noir is an average collection. ( )

I don’t read a lot of short stories. I usually go for the meatier fare of a novel. But a good short story can be like a good chocolate – a lot of excellent flavor packed into a small bite. The stories in Manila Noir are more savory treats. Best read one or two at a time. They explore the shadowy side of a difficult society. More descriptive of a country I’ve never seen than any travel guide. After the first story, Lysley Tenorio’s Aviary, I put the book aside for a few days just to come back and appreciate it over again. The authors – Tenorio, Jessica Hagedorn, Sabina Murray, Jonas Vitman, Gina Apostol, among others – are not familiar to me but I look forward to exploring their talents further. ( )

Noir is defined as "Of or relating to a genre of crime literature featuring tough, cynical characters and bleak settings; Suggestive of danger or violence." Well, these are that. Not so much bleak as bland, however, and in my opinion classing them as "noir" elevates them to a plane they do not deserve to occupy. For the most part, I found these stories uninspired, pointless and instantly forgettable. With a few exceptions, they suffer from a lack of contrast or subtlety. The evil and violence exist in a world without the hint of an alternative, and therefore lose their impact. The collection does include one graphic piece, a horror komic, featuring Alexandra Trese, a character from a popular Phillipine detective series, which may be brilliant for all I know. I am not a visual reader, and graphic fiction leaves me cold. The editor says in her introduction that "All the fabulous and fearless writers gathered here have a deep connection and abiding love for this crazy-making, intoxicating city. There's nothing like it in the world, and they know it." Unfortunately, for this reader who has no other experience of Manila, they have failed to convey any unique atmosphere or sense of place. ( )

I got this as part of LT giveaway. This was my second experience with the X Noir series. As is normal with such collections, this is a mixed bag. There are some good ones as well as some average fair. However, I will rate the overall collection as above average.

Just a word of caution - considering the theme of these stories, sometimes reading a few in a row do get a little depressing. They require you to step away to catch your breath (aka read lighter fair) before getting back into it. ( )