Victor Manibo’s Gothic novel The Villa, Once Beloved (November 2024) blends classic Gothic conventions with Filipino folklore and colonial history. Sophie, an ethnically Filipino woman adopted by white Americans, accompanies her boyfriend Adrian to the Philippines for his grandfather’s funeral at Villa Sepulveda. Trapped by typhoon-induced mudslides during Holy Week, Sophie uncovers the family’s dark secrets: their descent from Spanish colonizers, connections to brutal dictators, and exploitation of laborers. Don Raul’s death involves legends of bangungot (nightmare demons) and balbal (corpse-eating entities), suggesting supernatural reckoning for generational sins. As Holy Week progresses through labeled chapters, the isolated household descends into conflict and revelation, questioning whether the current Sepulveda generation can transcend their corrupted legacy or remains complicit in family curses rooted in colonialism and moral decay.
Original article published on The Gothic Library — AI-generated summary.
