Click Here to get Jose Rizal's Book Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)
"It is by far one of the best I have ever read and I am indebted to the friend who recommended it to me as it is most certainly the finest novel to emerge from the troubled times that produced it."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."