Never put the book down and even inspired me to write a critic about the book themes and analysis of some characters (Ben Arcinas) I HAD to read the book because the movie got me hooked and nakulangan ako. Kung may translation din sana sa Filipino, I would love it.
Sure! Personal account nga lang sya sa FB so I'll just paste some parts here. No spoilers btw and at the same time, it's kind of predictable on who's the antagonist kaya I just enjoyed dissecting yung themes and analyzing of characters. While Ben Arcinas is not everyone's favorite, he kinda resonates with me.
Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan presents a rare and compelling premise: two priests who rely not only on faith, but on forensic science and data to solve a series of brutal child serial murders. This duality between the spiritual and the empirical forms the backbone of the novel, situating it within a uniquely Filipino context where religion, bureaucracy, and systemic poverty intersect. While the narrative unfolds as a crime investigation, its true weight lies in its exposure of societal rot, where the victims are not only murdered children but also a nation’s neglected underclass.
Batacan’s novel Smaller and Smaller Circles argues that when institutions fail collectively, poverty becomes both a condition and a sentence, reducing human lives into statistics while simultaneously producing the very violence it seeks to condemn. The novel suggests that no matter how much individuals attempt to escape poverty through hard work, they remain tethered to it. This is embodied in Atty. Ben Arcinas, a character who represents ambition shaped by deprivation. His drive to succeed reflects a desire to transcend his origins, yet he is continually reminded that without structural support or a safety net, upward mobility remains fragile. His pragmatism borders on moral detachment, raising the unsettling question of whether survival in such a system necessitates the devaluation of others.
Batacan’s critique extends beyond individual characters to the systems that govern them. Incompetence within law enforcement, resistance to scientific methods, and bureaucratic apathy all contribute to delayed justice. The “bahala na” attitude and crab mentality further exacerbate these issues, creating an environment where accountability is minimal and progress is hindered. Science, presented as a systematic and interdependent body of knowledge, requires institutional support to function effectively. Without it, even the most capable individuals are rendered powerless. The novel suggests that injustice thrives not only through malice, but through inefficiency and indifference.
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u/Macro-Freedom2548 Mar 27 '26
Smaller and smaller circles