El Filibusterismo

The story follows the lives of several characters at all levels of society. Some of the most vulnerable are robbed by corrupt officials and cannot afford legal fees, or find a patron to help to get back what is theirs. Students push back against the stultifying school environment that bars them from any practical learning. When their plans for a new school are hampered, they publish protests, and this lands many of them in jail. Meanwhile, Ibarra hopes to unite with his lost love, and develops plans to foment a revolt against the government.

This novel takes a dark turn from the hopeful Noli Me Tangere, where Rizal showed optimism that modest reform could bring about change. Now the character of Ibarra seems to personify Rizal himself as he comes to the conclusion that real change will only come by violent means. While Rizal himself didn’t lead any revolutionary activity, his writings had such an effect that he was exiled and finally executed by the government. Many consider his writings, including El Filibusterismo, to have indirectly inspired the Philippine Revolution.

This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.