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Crisostomo Ibarra returns to the Philippines after studying in Europe for seven years. His father has died mysteriously and soon new obstacles appear to his marriage to childhood sweetheart Maria Clara... Noli Me Tangere reflects the society and incidents from the Philippines of Rizal's time, a country ruled by Spanish friars for over 300 years. As a result, many of the characters in the novel have now become woven into the culture. The publication of this book and its sequel El Filibusterismo, led to Asia's first nationalist revolution in 1896. However no writer paid a higher price for self-expression: the Spanish executed Rizal primarily for his writings. But for the same reason, Filipinos embraced him as their national hero.