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What happens to love of country when greed takes hold of power?
First published in 1891, The Reign of Greed brings together José Rizal’s concerns with corruption, rebellion, and patriotism in a historical novel. Its title puts greed at the center, inviting you to approach the story with a question: what happens when the hunger for more becomes a ruling force?
The book’s themes pull in different directions: corruption suggests power turned inward, while patriotism points toward a country beyond the self. Rebellion stands between them as a challenge to the way things are. Read Rizal’s novel to explore that uneasy meeting of private desire and public loyalty.
What you’ll discover
- The reach of greed Explore the force named in the title, with corruption as a central concern.
- Questions of resistance Consider rebellion alongside the abuses of power that call for change.
- Love of country Reflect on patriotism in a novel that places it beside corruption.
- A historical lens Enter a historical novel through enduring questions about power and loyalty.
- A classic by Rizal Discover a work first published in 1891 through its sharply stated central concerns.
Who will love it
Readers who love political fiction, sharp satire and conspiracy stories will enjoy this novel, as will those curious about colonial rule and the tension between reform and revolt.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- One boat reveals a divided colony
- The law turns against Tales
- Basilio refuses Simoun's path
- Wealth becomes a tool of power
- The classroom teaches humiliation
- A polite petition meets evasion
- Control of learning preserves power
- Reform and revolt carry different risks
- Ordinary choices shape the country
Who’s who
- SimounA rich jeweler in blue goggles who advises the Captain-General in public and secretly pursues a plan of vengeance.
- BasilioA careful medical student, raised as a servant, who wants to finish his degree, marry Juli and heal his patients.
- IsaganiA young poet from the coast who loves Paulita Gomez and believes that honest petitions and open argument can win justice.
- Padre FlorentinoIsagani's uncle, a native priest forced into his calling, who lives quietly by the sea and holds to faith and virtue.
- Cabesang TalesA farmer who clears forest land, loses it to a religious corporation and fights the claim through the courts.
- JuliTales's daughter, who pawns herself into service to raise her father's ransom and hopes to marry Basilio.
- Paulita GomezA beautiful, wealthy orphan who is loved by Isagani and courted by his rival, Juanito Pelaez.
- Don CustodioA councilor with many titles and odd projects, who is asked to decide the students' petition and wants to please everyone.
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The Reign of Greed
by José Rizal · 1891
A jeweler in blue goggles travels by steamer up the Pasig while plotting vengeance.
Challenging5–10 hours to read20 languages
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“There are no despots where there are no slaves!”
In short
Picture a squat steamer crawling up the Pasig River on a December morning. On the upper deck, friars, officials and a journalist lounge in comfortable chairs, trailing cigar smoke.
The Reign of Greed at a glance
- Reading time
- About 7 h 20 min5 h 50 min fast, 8 h 45 min slow
- Length
- 104,600 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1891by José Rizal
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A river steamer carries the whole colony
The first chapter puts the whole colony on one boat. The steamer Tabo struggles up the winding Pasig toward La Laguna. Rizal calls it the Ship of State, and its whistle shrieks like a tyrant who believes that shouting is the same as ruling.
The seating plan tells the story. On the upper deck, under an awning, sit friars, clerks and rich men with cigars. Below, among bales and boxes, crowd the brown faces who pay for the trip and do the work. Upstairs the talk is foolish. Don Custodio, who calls himself a liberal, boasts of a plan to clear the river bar with ducks that will eat the snails.
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Details
- First published
- 1891
- Language
- English
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Rizal, José. The Reign of Greed. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-reign-of-greed.
Rizal, J. (2026). The reign of greed. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-reign-of-greed (Original work published 1891)
Rizal, José. The Reign of Greed. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-reign-of-greed.
@book{rizal2026reign,
author = {Rizal, José},
title = {The Reign of Greed},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-reign-of-greed},
note = {First published 1891}
}
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What is The Reign of Greed about?
It follows a jeweler named Simoun, a farmer named Cabesang Tales, and students such as Basilio and Isagani in the Spanish-ruled Philippines. Together they show how greed, fear and unjust power shape education, law and everyday life.
Is The Reign of Greed a sequel to Noli Me Tangere?
Yes, Rizal wrote it as the second novel after Noli Me Tangere. Some characters, such as Basilio and Capitan Tiago, return, and the story carries on with its views about justice and reform. Its scenes are clear enough for new readers.
Who is Simoun in the book?
Simoun is a wealthy jeweler who dresses in English style and wears blue goggles. Manila calls him the Brown Cardinal because he seems to guide the Captain-General. His real purpose is slowly shown through his talks with Basilio and his private plans.
The author
José Rizal
1861–1896 · Filipino novelist and nationalist
José Rizal was born in Calamba, Philippines, in 1861. He lived in the Philippines and Europe and worked as a physician and writer. He wrote the novels Noli Me Tangere, published in 1887, and El Filibusterismo, published in 1891. He was executed in Manila in 1896.
“There are no despots where there are no slaves!”
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