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CHAPTER 19El Filibusterismo Published in Ghent (1891)Writing El FilibusterismoBegun writing in October, 1887 while in Calamba practicing medicine.1888 - in London making change in the plot and correcting some chapters and also wrote some chapters in Paris and MadridMarch 29, 1891 Finished the manuscript in Biarritz.All in all, Rizal finished the novel in 3 years.Privations in GhentJuly 5, 1891, Rizal left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university in the city of Belgium.Reasons for moving to Ghent:The cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels.To escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne.In Ghent, he met two compatriotsJose Alejandro (from Pampanga)Edilberto EvangelistaBoth are studying in the University of GhentRizal lived in a cheap boarding house, with Jose Alejandro as a room-mate . They lived a very frugal life, subsisting on the barest necessities. To economize further, they prepared their own daily breakfast.Years later, Alejandro became a general in the Filipino-American war of 1899-1902 and an engineer, recounted their hard life in Ghent (can be read in page 90-91).The printing of El FilibusterismoF. MEYER VAN LOO PRESS, No. 66 Viaanderen Street.He pawned his jewels to pay the down payment and the early partial paymentsRizal became desperate because his funds were running low and the money that he expected from his friends did not arrive. He had received some money from Basa and P200 from Rodriguez Arias for the copies of Morgas Sucesos sold in Manila. But these funds were already used up and much more were needed to pay the printer.July 1981, Rizal wrote to Basa about his predicament in Ghent.August 6, the printing had to be suspended.Ventura, Savior of the FiliRizal almost hurled the manuscript of Fili into the flames, just as he almost did the Noli in BerlinWhen everything seemed lost, help came from an Unexpected source. Valentin Ventura in Paris learned of Rizals situation and immediately sent him the necessary funds. With his financial aid, the printing of the Fili was resumedThe Fili Comes off the PressSeptember 18, 1981, El Filibusterismo came off the pressRizal sent two printed copies to Hong Kong one for Basa and the other for Sixto Lopez.The original manuscript and an autographed printed copy was given to Valentin Ventura.He sent other complimentary copies to Blumentritt, Mariano Ponce, G. Lopez Jaena, T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Antonio and Juan Luna and other friends.The novel was praised by the Filipino patriots in the foreign lands and in the Philippines.Members of the Filipino colony of Barcelona newspaper published a tribute in La Publicidad.Comparable to Alexander DumasLiberal Madrid Newspaper, El Nuevo Regimen serialized the novel on October, 1891.

All copies of the first edition (Ghent edition), almost all were confiscated so the book became rare.

Dedicated to Gom-Bur-ZaHe dedicated El Filibusterismo to themHis dedication can be read on page 193Rizals Historical Inaccuracies

Their martyrdom was on February 17, 1872Father Gomez was 73 years oldFather Burgos was 35 years oldFather Zamora was 37 years oldThe Manuscript and the BookThe original manuscript of El Filibusterismo is now preserved in the Filipiniana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila.It was acquired from Valentin Ventura for 10,000 pesos. The Foreword and the Warning were not included in the printed book to save printed cost.The Foreword can be read on page 194 and the Warning on page 195.The title page of El Filibusterismo contains an inscription by Ferdinand Blumentritt.The inscription can be read on page 195.Synopsis of El FilibusterismoThe Synopsis can be read on page 195-199Like the Noli, El Filibusterismo were drawn by Rizal in real life.Noli and Fili ComparedThe Noli is a romantic novel ; it is a work of the heart a book of feeling; it has freshness, color, humor, lightness and wit.While the Fili is a political novel; it is a work of the head a book of thought; it contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence, and sorrow.The intention was to make the Fili longer but Rizal had to cut down the Fili due to lack of funds. Rizals Unfinished Third NovelOn September 22, 1891, four days after the Fili came off the press, Rizal wrote to Blumentritt about starting a third novel.On October 18, 1891, he boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for Hong Kong.He began writing the novel but for some reason he did not finished it.The unfinished novel has no title. It is preserved in the National Library, Manila.Rizals other unfinished novelsMakamisa, a novel in Tagalog. It is written in a light sarcastic style and is incomplete for only two chapters are finished.Dapitan, written in ironic Spanish. He wrote it during his exile in Dapitan to depict the town life and customsA novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna is also unfinishedAnother unfinished novel written without a title was about Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student who has returned from Europe.Another novel is contained in two notebooks. The author describes the deplorable conditions of the Philippines.ENDThank you for watching (^o^)