1. Arguilla, Manuel – Literary collections 2. Short stories. Philippine (English). The Essential Manuel Arguilla Reader collects twenty-four stories and an essay in a new and updated edition that reveals Arguilla’s depth and breadth as a writer. This compilation includes Arguilla’s classic short stories “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife,” “Midsummer,” and “Caps and Lower Case.” Featuring pastoral, romantic, and socialist tales, this collection is both beautiful and brutal.