Noli Me Tángere, or the Noli, by Philippine National Hero José Rizal has moved readers and influenced the country since it was first published near the end of the 19th Century.
In this edition, the epic story is shared-retaining all of the essential elements and characters from the text of the Spanish original-in a shortened version in modern English with an introduction and notes by Nicholas Tamblyn.
It contains a full list and descriptions of the characters, the originals and translations of Rizal's quotation and dedication, as well as a lengthy introduction that explores Rizal's life and the book's place in the Philippines' history.
Please note that, in addition to the regular paperback, a Large Print edition of this book is also available on Amazon.
Born of a specific and turbulent time, the interweaving events that comprise the Noli's narrative are timeless. In short, it is a love story, and the depiction of a society steeped in corruption and, to a degree, a resignation or, worse, a hypocritical acceptance of this state of affairs. By showing the abuse of power by friars and Spanish officials, in Spain's only colony in Asia towards the end of the 19th Century (the novel was self-published in March 1887 in Berlin, financed by the author's friend Dr. Maximo Viola), as stated in his dedication Rizal intended to "raise a part of the veil that covers the evil," while also acknowledging that, as a child of his country, he saw that "I also suffer from your defects and weaknesses."
The title, Latin for "touch me not"-in the Bible, at John 20:17, a resurrected Jesus tells the astounded Mary Magdalene: "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father" (also translated as "don't touch me," in the original Koine Greek it is nearest to "cease holding on to me")-likely refers to and is a telling injunction to anyone, especially those thought holy or incorruptible, who through their deceit or brutality is a cause of suffering in others.
A unique and unforgettable classic unlike any other Filipino book, and still at the height of its country's fiction (no other novel can claim its place in Filipino literature), this Noli Me Tángere English version captures the passion of its rare historical fiction and classical romance, and the vital artistic achievement of its author José Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines.
