Penguin Books to publish Rizal’s ‘El Fili’

Another Jose Rizal classic will soon join the ranks of William Shakespeare, John Steinbeck, and Charles Dickens. Three days before the 150th birth anniversary of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal on June 19, Penguin Books will launch its English translation of “El Filibusterismo" by Harold Augenbraum at the Philippine Center in New York City. The paperback version of “El Filibusterismo" will be available on September 1, 2011 according to the Penguin Books website.

Five years ago, Rizal’s first novel “Noli Me Tangere" was also published under the imprint Penguin Classics. The book deals with the themes of love and martyrdom and features the lead character Crisostomo Ibarra, who has just finished his studies abroad and wants to bring education reform to the small town of San Diego. “El Filibusterismo" is the sequel to “Noli Me Tangere." Set 13 years after the events of the first novel, the book revolves around Simoun, a rich jeweler who is bent on starting a revolution. He also wants to rescue Maria Clara, one of the main characters from the first novel who entered the town nunnery towards the end of “Noli Me Tangere." Many of the other characters and settings from the first novel make their reappearance in “El Filibusterismo" albeit with a darker, more sinister air. The second novel’s themes, revenge and obsession, are a stark contrast to the focus of “Noli Me Tangere,’" according to the Penguin Books website. Both however, are generally regarded to have helped push forward the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonizers toward the end of the 19th century. High school and college students in the Philippines are required to study the life and works of Rizal, particularly the two novels, as mandated by Republic Act 1425. Penguin Classics, an imprint of Penguin Books, is known for publishing inexpensive paperback versions. It is “the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world," according to their website. The company is also known for using sleek and modern designs in their editions of popular books. E.V. Rieu’s translation of “The Odyssey" in 1946 was the first book published by Penguin Classics. Authors with the most titles under the brand include William Shakespeare, John Steinbeck, Henry James, Charles Dickens, and Graham Green. Penguin Books’ announcement of the new El Filibusterismo publication is one of many events leading up to Rizal’s birth anniversary. In early May, the Philippine and German governments unveiled plans to restore the original manuscripts of the two novels. The original manuscripts are in danger of being permanently ruined because of poor preservation conditions in the National Library. Malacañang has declared June 20, the day after Rizal’s actual birth date, a special non-working holiday. Click here to watch “Ang Mahiwagang Ngiti ni Rizal," a 2011 documentary by Howie Severino about the photographs of Jose Rizal and the stories behind them. The Penguin Classics translation is now available in the US and the Philippines National Bookstore, Powerbooks and Fullybooked. It will be available starting September 1 in Penguin UK, and will be distributed globally in succeeding months.– Bea Cupin/YA, GMA News