The Reign of Greed

Description

The Reign of Greed (El filibusterismo) is a novel by Filipino writer and activist José Rizal, first published in 1891. Also known as The Subversive or The Subversion, it is the sequel to Rizal's novel The Social Cancer (Noli Me Tángere). Set in the Philippines during the late 1800s, during the Spanish colonial period, the story follows the life of Simoun, a wealthy jeweler, who is actually Crisostomo Ibarra, the protagonist of "Noli Me Tangere". He returns to the Philippines after a self-imposed exile, seeking revenge against the Spanish colonizers who caused his family's downfall. Simoun plans to use the revolution as a means to achieve his personal vendetta, and enlists the help of other Filipinos who are also oppressed by the Spanish regime. Due to its depiction of the abuses and corruption of the Spanish government, both this novel and Noli Me Tángere were banned in some regions of the Philippines. Rizal's involvement in organizations that sought to address and reform these issues within the Spanish system, as well as the publication of these works, eventually led to his exile to Dapitan and subsequent execution. Today, both novels, along with Rizal's final poem, are recognized as literary masterpieces of his oeuvre.

This book has 115,472 words, 209 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1891. This translation by Charles Derbyshire was first published in 1912.

Production notes: This ebook of The Reign of Greed was published by Global Grey on the 2nd May 2023. The artwork used for the cover is 'Piazza San Marco' by Ercole Calvi.