MANILA, Philippines — "Hindi nga lang kami pinagtiyap ng tadhana. Ang amin ay isang epikong kwento ng pag-ibig ..."
The line is lifted from the Filipino translation of John Green's best selling romance novel The Fault in our Stars, a project of National Book Store.
The company announced Monday night the release of the book's Filipino edition translated by Ateneo de Manila University professor and radio host Danton Remoto.
The version is sold for P165 in paperback, while the original costs P399 in paperback and P695 in hardcover.
"In time for the movie adaptation, National Book Store releases the Filipino Edition of John Green’s perennial bestselling novel," it said.
The official synopsis reads as follows:
Kahit na nabigyan ng ilang taong palugit dahil sa milagrong medical na nagpaliit ng kanyang tumor, hindi naman talaga naging terminal si Hazel. Ang kanyang huling yugto’y nakaukit pa rin sa dayagnosis. Pero nang biglang magpakita sa Cancer Kid Support Group ang guwapong nagpaliko sa banghay na nagngangalang Augustus Waters, aba'y biglang maiiba ang kuwento ni Hazel nang kumpletong-kumpleto.
The Fault in our Stars has been translated into different languages including Dutch, German, Spanish, French, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Hebrew, Chinese, and Portuguese.
The big screen adaptation, meanwhile, is set to hit local theaters on Wednesday.
Also read: 'The Fault in our Stars' greatest love story in 10 years by Raymond de Asis Lo
National Book Store's Facebook page, meanwhile, has been swamped with reactions from debating users, some of whom oppose the book's local rendering.
"The author wrote it in English. What the author writes is his soul. If you translate it in Pilipino then it's not him already. It's different, it's like someone is retelling the whole story in a whole new version. Get the point?" Theo Sy remarked.
Others, however, defend the move, saying that Filipinos have to love their own national tongue and welcome translations of major literary works.
"It's really sad na ganito kababa yung tingin niyo sa sariling wika Gets naman na marami na sa 'tin ay pinalaki sa English background, pero nakakalungkot talaga na tinuturingan nalang pang-jeje yung wikang Filipino," Jess Vilvestre said in a comment.
A few also said in jest that the book's title can also be translated to "Ang Kasalanan Sa Aming Mga Bituin." - Camille Diola