Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’ Depicts Manila as ‘Gates of Hell’

[Fade Away]

What are your thoughts about this?

Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’ Depicts Manila as ‘Gates of Hell’

“It’s more fun in the Philippines,” the Southeast Asian nation’s tourism mantra proclaims.

For Dr. Sienna Brooks, the heroine in bestselling-author Dan Brown’s “Inferno,” the latest book on the adventures of art historian and Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon, the country certainly offered more — but it wasn’t fun.

The 32-year-old, blond-haired English doctor describes her experience there in terms of “horror”: the city is defined by six-hour-long traffic jams, suffocating pollution and a miserable six trade; she says she “has never seen poverty on this scale.”

“I’ve run through the gates of hell,” says Dr. Brooks at the end of her experience.

This isn’t the first time that Manila has been at disparaged. And it surely won’t be the last.

But for a country seeking to make tourism a strong pillar of its economy, Philippine officials won’t take this sitting down, work of fiction or not.

Francis Tolentino, chairman of Metro Manila Development Authority, a government official whose job is the take care of the capital, was quick to express his disappointment and displeasure over Mr. Brown’s “inaccurate portrayal of our beloved metropolis.


From another blog:


MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Dan Brown's description of Manila as "the gates of hell" in the American novelist's latest book has not gone down well with officials in the Philippine capital.

The book "Inferno," which is being sold in the Philippines, describes a visitor to the city who is taken aback by poverty, crime and prostitution.

The chairman of metropolitan Manila, Francis Tolentino, wrote an open letter to Brown on Thursday, saying that while "Inferno" is fiction, "we are greatly disappointed by your inaccurate portrayal of our beloved metropolis."

Tolentino objected to the "gates of hell" description, and to Manila being defined by what he calls terrible descriptions of poverty and pollution.

He said that the novel fails to acknowledge Filipinos' good character and compassion.

"Truly, our place is an entry to heaven," Tolentino said. "We hope that this letter enlightens you and may it guide you the next time you cite Manila in any of your works."

Brown's publisher, Doubleday, declined comment when contacted by The Associated Press.

"Inferno" is already a best-seller a little over a week since its debut. The story drawn partly from Dante's epic again features Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, the protagonist for Brown's blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code" and its follow-up "The Lost Symbol."

In the book, Langdon's companion depicts Manila as a city of "six-hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution, horrifying six trade."

"I've run through the gates of hell," she said.

It's not the first time that authorities have been angered by an unflattering description of the sprawling city of some 12 million people, where urban shanties and the homeless exist side by side with glitzy shopping malls and walled residential compounds.

In 1999, then-President Joseph Estrada banned Hollywood actress Claire Danes, who shot the movie "Brokedown Palace" in Manila, from entering the country after she said in an interview that the city was smelly, weird and full of rats.

Estrada was elected mayor of Manila in last week's elections on a promise to reverse the city's decay.

[Prime™]

I see.. that's one persons opinion. Big deal. Fiction novel pa. Syempre Dan Brown pa saksakan talaga ng OA yan.

Anyway Dan Brown is a joke. Intellectually dishonest and he needs sensationalism and the publicity that these morons in charge naman are giving him for free.

And..

Manila is gateway to heaven? You have got to be kidding me.

[jasmine]

Medyo may katotohanan naman talaga except sa OA naman yung 6 hours traffic, 3 hours lang po Mr. Brown.

Kung may mga nakakatakot man na place, ndi naman the whole Manila, yung reaction naman ni MMDA chairman, kala mo naman superganda.

[heyo_pineapple]

True oa nga hindi naman 6 hours yung traffic at hindi din puro daga, ipis lang haha.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[jasmine]

Sabi nga nung friend ko na blogger:

May matinding polusyon lang at bugawan, ‘gates of hell’ kaagad? ‘Di ba pwedeng purgatoryo muna? Kahit naman saan merong ganito ‘di ba?


Truly, our place is an entry to heaven. - MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino


I hope it doesn't mean; Pegasus, Air Force One, Classmates, Miss Universe or The President Tower in Timog Avenue where some Cabinet members and their friends – if rumors are to be believed, have been frequently spotted – daw. Don’t quote me on that please. Baka ipatawag ako ni Presidente.

[salvediaz]

kahit saan naman meron n'yan...kaya lang opinyon yan ni dan brown...magsulat din kau para masunod ang gusto n'yo...wag makikialam sa panlasa ng iba...hehehe

[caligula]

Kung magrereact tayo sa bawat batikos, puna at pintas sa akda lalo na ng isang fiction writer, e we are only confirming our insecurity that somebody from the outside is exposing our own filth.

[Fade Away]

True na nag exag si dan brown pero parang ang insecure naman ng reaction ng ph official, kaya nga fiction writer eh, they're only telling stories not actual facts.

[finalheaven]

si dan brown ay paborito kung author sa totoo lang nabasa ko na ang mga sinulat nya na Da vinci code, angels and demons pinanood ko pa sa sine yung movie at yung huli kong binasa yung The lost symbol (sana magka movie din) yung inferno di ko pa nababasa. sa nasulat nya about sa manila totoo naman yun eh exag lang yung 6 hours pero dapat dinagdagan nya pa na maraming corrupt na officials hehehe.. sana sa mga officials di na sana nagreact ayan tuloy sumikat tayo na ganun ang lugar natin at libreng advertise sa sinulat ni dan brown, dahil nga dito nalaman ko na may bago pala sya.. hahaha

[Fade Away]

naging publicity nga para sa book ni dan brown ginawa ng mga officials natin eh, ayun daming bumibili, dumaan ako ng fullybooked sa greenhills last week, halos lahat ng nakapila sa counter may hawak ng inferno

[finalheaven]

magaling din naman kasi si dan brown kaya nga naging paborito ko yun eh... siguro yung ibang bumibili na curios lang kaya bumili... thanks to our concern kuno na officials lalong sisikat si dan brown...

panu pa kaya kung sinabi pa nya na corrupt ang ibang mga officials? siguro todo defend yang mga yan...

[Prime™]

naging publicity nga para sa book ni dan brown ginawa ng mga officials natin eh, ayun daming bumibili, dumaan ako ng fullybooked sa greenhills last week, halos lahat ng nakapila sa counter may hawak ng inferno

Exactly. Masyado kasi balat sibuyas itong mga ito. Talagang ang gulo gulo naman ng manila eh. There I said it.

Alangan naman lokohin natin sarili natin in the name of misplaced delusional nationalism.

Airport palang ng NAIA tapos na ang usapan.

[amy2004]

baka naman ang figure of speech lang ang Gates of Hell na term sa Manila dahil sa mga hindi magagandang news and reviews na nakukuha nito sa mga tourist mismo. Hindi naman siguro literal na pintuan talaga nang impyerno ang Maynila. Dahil kung totoo ito ibig sabihin tayong mga Pilipino kasama na ang mga Pari at Madre ay kampon ni Taning! 
Ngayon dahil may kasabihan na "Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" Dahil best friend natin ang mga kano ibig sabihin sila ay mga kampon din ni Taning! Wow ibig sabihin hindi alam ni Dan Brown na sya ay isang DEMONYO

[wink27]

sabi nga...to sell your products , kaylangan lagyan mo ng konting spice...pero etong si dan brown, Jalapeño ata ang nilagay...tsk tsk dapat ma banned sya dito sa pinas para lang maipakita natin sa kanya na hindi tayo pumapayag sya opinion nya.

[¿m☺ÿ]

i like Dan Brown as an author but nothing else.... OA naman talaga siya, dami rin namang place sa US, England, Europe ang matraffic eh, bakit hindi niya i-decribe ang New york or yung London ng ganun... anyhow sabi lang naman sa akin ng mga kasama ko ditong kano at bitoy unless OA din silang mag-describe ng traffic jam.... at saka kung ayaw niyang matraffic mag-MRT or LRT sya at least ang description doon is sardines in a can....pero hindi matraffic.....hehehehe.