There’s A Fruitcake For Everybody
Fruitcake was a book I have always wanted to read. It was written by the Eraserheads and was released way back 1997. I was still in high school at the time. When I first heard about it, I tried several bookstores around the city but to no avail. I never found any. Truth be told, I don’t think I could buy a copy even when I found one back then since I didn’t have any money. During those times, the only money I get was my back-and-forth fare for school.
Fast forward to the present, I think its pretty cool that Anvil Publishing released a new edition. Finally getting a copy of Fruitcake means much, much more to me than simply adding another title in my relatively small-yet-steadily-growing personal library. As cheesy as it may sound, it personally means finding a missing puzzle piece of my youth.
Reading Fruitcake, it’s just now that I discovered how closely related it is with the Eraserheads record of the same title. Of course, I knew the entire album were all Christmas-themed tracks but little did I know that it revolved around a singular plot and the songs were actually intended to be a soundtrack for the story.
Who could have guessed that
“Shadow” (track 2) was a dog owned by a girl named Frannie Wei (the main character)? Of course, it would have also been tough to figure out that Bobo the Wiseman was the “Gatekeeper” (track 5) himself, who was also the all-time “Trip to Jerusalem” (Track champion of Fruitcake Heights until… oops! I better end this part here before I spoil it all! Heheheh…
After closing the book and finished reading it for the first time, I think I developed a better appreciation for the album. The story is unmistakably Eraserheads – quirky and filled with tounge-in-cheek names and one-liners. My wishful thinking even tells me it would be cool to see this in an animated musical version. Just in case that happens, I think its just appropriate that Cynthia Bauzon-Arre should also be the one to draw for that. I mean I like her artworks. Her arstyle, for me, is safe enough for kids and cool enough for the grown-ups, if you will – so yes, I admit I want that guitar-weilding star on a shirt!
Now, some might wonder why the heck am I reading a children’s storybook about Christmas when December is easily “lightyears away” (track 13). Does it feel weird reading about Christmas trees, puto bumbong, Santa Claus and styrosnows (track 13) during summertime?
Given the chance to reply (and of course, I will have that chance. This is my blog! My question, my answers! *lol*), I would reply.. “Not by a longshot!”
If you’re a true blue Eraserheads fan, better grab a copy of this book once you see it.
And just take a bite. It’s alright.
“Truth be told, I don’t think I could buy a copy even when I found one back then since I didn’t have any money. During those times, the only money I get was my back-and-forth fare for school.”There are b-sides to every story ika nga sa kanta nila but i know you have a very bright future ahead.
Mayroon pa ba mabibili ng tape version nito?
hi… san ka nakabili ng book (fruitcake)??? meron pa ba??? tnx
Kuya Boyet, naks thanks! About the tape, I’m not sure. Malamang, wala na. Heheh.. By the way, cool yung new blog post mo about Wall-E casing ah
Anonymous, sa NBS ako nakabili. 295. newsprint paper tong edition na to. I think meron pa naman dun.
Alam mo ako at first nag-hesitate na bumili kasi naisip ko money-making scheme lang ng publishers kasi medyo sumikat ulit ‘yung Eheads dahil sa recent concert nila, but after a while I figured, so what? Money-making scheme or whatever, marami tayong fans na hindi nakabili nung original! So I went and bought one for myself, too.
And it was so much fun reading it. Para akong nag-time travel. 
Ida, oo nga. This one’s a treasure and it’s nice to finally get mine. Another fan shared me na she reads this book every Christmas. Hhhmm.. Nice idea diba?