Books & Literature

I must admit, I’ve paid less attention to El Filibusterismo than I have its predecessor Noli Me Tangere. This is despite having had the same set of circumstances surrounding my introduction to Rizal’s second novel as I did his first --- I had an equally passionate Filipino literature teacher, and I again had the good fortune of witnessing the brilliant John Arcilla breathe life … [Read more...] about El Filibusterismo Index of Chapter Summaries

I wish there’d been more chapters, if only to explore Simoun’s passage to redemption, or at least to discover Basilio’s fate. I wonder if, at this time, Rizal had become too weary to press on. Chapter 36: Ben-Zayb’s Afflictions Ben-Zayb writes an embellished account of what transpired at the wedding party, making the Captain-General appear more heroic and the … [Read more...] about El Filibusterismo Chapter Summaries 36-39

After all that suffering across two books, you’d have hoped the oppressors would have dined on thorny karma by now. But alas, it is only the oppressed that suffer some more. Basilio, Pecson, Isagani, I’m glad you only exist in fiction, or my heart would’ve been doubly shredded by now. Chapter 31: The High Official The girl’s death[1] and even her identity are … [Read more...] about El Filibusterismo Chapter Summaries 31-35

Poor Basilio. After everything he’d been through in the Noli and after that, I wish he’d been given a happier fate, but alas, his approaching end is looking pale and dolorous.   Chapter 26: Pasquinades[1] Basilio sets out early to inquire at the university about his license and to ask Makaraig for help with the costs, having spent most of his money in ransoming … [Read more...] about El Filibusterismo Chapter Summaries 26-30

It takes a unique combination of a person’s life experience and a writer’s style and perspective to make passages personally moving. Here, I found my heart strings tremble, first, at the moving sendoff to the ethereal Maria Clara, second, at Isagani’s affectionate remembrance of the beauty and serenity of a beloved home, an echo of my own distant memories. So if you have … [Read more...] about El Filibusterismo Chapter Summaries 21-25