Résumé
In "Au Pays des Moines" (the French translation of José Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere"), Crisóstomo Ibarra returns to the Philippines after studying in Europe, eager to build a school and reform society, but encounters fierce opposition from corrupt Spanish friars and colonial officials who view his progressive ideas as a threat.
As Ibarra navigates personal betrayals, including the desecration of his father's grave and conflicts involving his fiancée María Clara, he becomes entangled in false accusations of sedition, leading to tragedy for him and those around him.
The novel exposes the abuses of clerical power, social injustices, and the hypocrisies of colonial rule, culminating in deaths and shattered lives that underscore the need for change in Philippine society.