Rating: 
Summary: The Social Cancer
Review:
It's about time this book was reprinted. Written by one of the heroes of the Philippine revolution, this book is a semi-autobiographical account of Philippine society during its days as a Spanish colony. Noli Me Tangere, roughly translated as "Touch Me Not," reflects the hypocrisy and corruption present in that time. Former translations have aptly titled it, "The Social Cancer."
Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, the protagonist, returns to his country after being educated in Madrid, and seeks to marry Maria Clara, a young woman who had been betrothed to him when they were children. He tries to use his education to help the townspeople, but his efforts are thwarted by the clergy. It is these priests who prevent him from learning the true cause of his father's death, and he is eventually labeled as a heretic and is excommunicated from society. He escapes being assasinated and flees, vowing to revenge himself, his father, and Maria Clara.
There is an incredible amount of detail in this novel, and the translation is superb. The characters are vivid -- who can forget Sisa's tragedy and the eerie Father Salvi? You don't have to be a historian or a student to enjoy this novel, and knowing nothing about that place or time period will not affect its intensity and pathos.
Rating:
Summary: The Social Cancer
Review: It's about time this book was reprinted. Written by one of the heroes of the Philippine revolution, this book is a semi-autobiographical account of Philippine society during its days as a Spanish colony. Noli Me Tangere, roughly translated as "Touch Me Not," reflects the hypocrisy and corruption present in that time. Former translations have aptly titled it, "The Social Cancer." Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, the protagonist, returns to his country after being educated in Madrid, and seeks to marry Maria Clara, a young woman who had been betrothed to him when they were children. He tries to use his education to help the townspeople, but his efforts are thwarted by the clergy. It is these priests who prevent him from learning the true cause of his father's death, and he is eventually labeled as a heretic and is excommunicated from society. He escapes being assasinated and flees, vowing to revenge himself, his father, and Maria Clara. There is an incredible amount of detail in this novel, and the translation is superb. The characters are vivid -- who can forget Sisa's tragedy and the eerie Father Salvi? You don't have to be a historian or a student to enjoy this novel, and knowing nothing about that place or time period will not affect its intensity and pathos.
Rating:
Summary: Must-read
Review: Being 16, Filipino, in the US, and interested in my culture, I found turning to a novel by Jose Rizal a natural place to being my study. I already consider myself to have a good knowledge of Spanish occupation within the Philippine Islands, but I did not the severity of the wrongs which Spain and the clergy commited toward the Philippines. Reading Noli Me Tangere truly opened my eyes and has made my admiration for Rizal sky-rocket. The Noli is an amazing book, I didn't expect to be so absorbed in it. The aspects of Philippine life portrayed are really enlightening; and the story of each character's *confusing past* make the novel a great read! EVERY Filipino should read it, especially if you are a teen growing up outside the Philippines! Reading it will give you a lot of insight into our culture. It's simply an awesome book! I love it! Now I'm trying to get a copy of El Filibusterismo (sp?) to read!
Rating:
Summary: A teen's view on the Noli...
Review: Being 16, Filipino, in the US, and interested in my culture, I found turning to a novel by Jose Rizal a natural place to being my study. I already consider myself to have a good knowledge of Spanish occupation within the Philippine Islands, but I did not the severity of the wrongs which Spain and the clergy commited toward the Philippines. Reading Noli Me Tangere truly opened my eyes and has made my admiration for Rizal sky-rocket. The Noli is an amazing book, I didn't expect to be so absorbed in it. The aspects of Philippine life portrayed are really enlightening; and the story of each character's *confusing past* make the novel a great read! EVERY Filipino should read it, especially if you are a teen growing up outside the Philippines! Reading it will give you a lot of insight into our culture. It's simply an awesome book! I love it! Now I'm trying to get a copy of El Filibusterismo (sp?) to read!
Rating:
Summary: Great Story and Great Glimpse into Filipino Society
Review: Being one of the most highly regarded figures in the Philippines, Dr. Jose Rizal is admired as a symbol of Filipinos. His books are well-read in the Philippines, and have been very influential in the history of the Philippines. If nothing else, this book should be read for the historical impact is had and is having on the country. Here are some thoughts on the book.
(1) Though it was written over a century ago, I think the society and mindset of the individual has changed little. Having only lived in the Philippines for about a month, I still recognized many things in the book that seem to be true today. The love of the cockfight, the importance of the family, the corruption of the government, the friendliness of the people, the syncretism of religion, the superstition, and the importance of social status all still appear to be significant parts of the culture today.
(2) Being such a highly esteemed book in the Philippines, it surprised me that it was so anti-Catholic. I truly don't understand or know about the Catholic church today in the Philippines, but this novel expressed a deep resentment toward this religious institution that apparently abused and took advantage of the people of the Philippines. If this was really true, how has Catholicism survived in the Philippines?
(3) The story was great! The plot was interesting, the two heroes of the story (Iberra and Elias) were fun to root for, and the villains of the story were easy to hate (basically the Catholic church).
(4) There were too many characters. I was constantly confusing the different residents of San Diego, and these characters were not well developed. In the first part of the book, I could not keep the different Fathers strait. And in the last part of the book I could not keep the majors and the old women strait.
The book was great and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Philippines. I think it paints a picture of the culture that can only be painted in narrative. A culture book, or an anthropology book cannot express what Jose Rizal expressed in this novel. I can't wait to read El Filebustermo!
Rating:
Summary: Must-read
Review: I myself, am a Filipina. Even if I'm 12 years old, I really appreciate these type of books. Some of you may think it's boring, being written by somebody from the past. But no, it's not. The story is very interesting, and the translations are well-done. A must-read for all ages. (Ibarra+Maria Clara)
Rating:
Summary: A classic of world literature
Review: If you read only one book about the Philippines, let it be this one. Although written over a century ago, the problems it pointed out still exist today (that is, the problems that exist today are the direct results of colonialism). This book was instrumental in ending the Spanish rule of the Philippines. It's a detailed portrait of 19th century Philippine society, an epic story, and a sharp critique of the Spanish friars who supported colonialism. Rizal's message comes out through the moving story involving the characters of Chrisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara, Capitan Tiago, the philosopher Tasio, Sisa and her sons Basilio and Crispin, and the weak and evil Padre Salvi and Padre Damaso. In this translation from the original Spanish, the "flowery" style has been preserved. Although it is sometimes difficult to read, one really gets a sense of the time period. It's especially moving that Rizal was using the Spanish language in order to convince Filipinos to seek independence from Spain, and that many of the Spanish colonizers did not want Filipinos to learn Spanish! In the twists and turns of the plot, Rizal eloquently states how the Filipinos were wronged over and over again. Rizal, who just wanted Filipinos to have equal rights to the Spaniards living in the Philippines, was executed for treason, mainly because of this book. Though he was not as radical as those who wanted complete independence from Spain, he truly deserves to be called a national hero for his many talents (medicine, botany, languages, and sculpture) and for the artistry and ideas in this novel.
Rating:
Summary: The Social Cancer
Review: It's about time this book was reprinted. Written by one of the heroes of the Philippine revolution, this book is a
semi-autobiographical account of Philippine society during its days as a Spanish colony. "Noli Me Tangere," roughly translated as "Touch Me Not," reflects the hypocrisy and corruption present in that time. Former translations have aptly titled it, "The Social
Cancer." Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, the protagonist, returns to his country after being educated in Madrid, and seeks to marry Maria Clara, a young woman who had been betrothed to him when they were children. He tries to use his education to help the townspeople, but his efforts are thwarted by the clergy. It is these priests who prevent him from learning the true cause of his father's death, and he is eventually labeled as a heretic and is excommunicated from society. He escapes being assasinated and flees, vowing to revenge himself, his father, and Maria Clara. There is an incredible amount of detail in this novel, and the translation is superb. The characters are vivid -- who can forget Sisa's tragedy and the eerie Father Salvi? You don't have to be a historian or a student to enjoy this novel, and knowing nothing about that place or time period will not affect its intensity and pathos.
Rating:
Summary: The Social Cancer
Review: It's about time this book was reprinted. Written by one of the heroes of the Philippine revolution, this book is asemi-autobiographical account of Philippine society during its days as a Spanish colony. "Noli Me Tangere," roughly translated as "Touch Me Not," reflects the hypocrisy and corruption present in that time. Former translations have aptly titled it, "The SocialCancer." Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, the protagonist, returns to his country after being educated in Madrid, and seeks to marry Maria Clara, a young woman who had been betrothed to him when they were children. He tries to use his education to help the townspeople, but his efforts are thwarted by the clergy. It is these priests who prevent him from learning the true cause of his father's death, and he is eventually labeled as a heretic and is excommunicated from society. He escapes being assasinated and flees, vowing to revenge himself, his father, and Maria Clara. There is an incredible amount of detail in this novel, and the translation is superb. The characters are vivid -- who can forget Sisa's tragedy and the eerie Father Salvi? You don't have to be a historian or a student to enjoy this novel, and knowing nothing about that place or time period will not affect its intensity and pathos.
Rating: 
Summary: Spellbinding!
Review: Looking for a book that has elements of romance, religion, tragedy, and the like? I highly suggest this book! Having read Rizal's masterpiece as a high school student, I soon realized the brilliance of this authors work for having helped initialize the revolutionary minds behind the Katipuneros struggle against what seemed to be an overwhelming force. It acts as an accurate expose of what the Philippines was subjected through during Spain's colonial period in the Pacific. It isn't an easy read, but if you want to get a glimpse of what Spanish colonialism in the latter half of the 19th century was like, read this book. Ibarra, the main character is rumored to be the pseudonym of the author, which eventually got this and his other works banned by the colonial administration. Try also checking out El Filibusterismo, a follow up to Noli Me Tangere.
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