Ilustrado
Miguel Syjuco
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
<p>Garnering international prizes and acclaim before its publication, <i>Ilustrado</i> has been called "brilliantly conceived and stylishly executed . . .It is also ceaselessly entertaining, frequently raunchy, and effervescent with humor" (2008 Man Asian Literary Prize panel of judges).</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br>It begins with a body. On a clear day in winter, the battered corpse of Crispin Salvador is pulled from the Hudson River&#8212;taken from the world is the controversial lion of Philippine literature. Gone, too, is the only manuscript of his final book, a work meant to rescue him from obscurity by exposing the crimes of the Filipino ruling families. Miguel, his student and only remaining friend, sets out for Manila to investigate. </p><p><br></p><p><br>To understand the death, Miguel scours the life, piecing together Salvador's story through his poetry, interviews, novels, polemics, and memoirs. The result is a rich and dramatic family saga of four...</br></br></br></br></br></br></p>