the one who throws the bomb is an artist

I know it’s a bit late but to celebrate Rizal’s 150th birthday, I’m going to share memorable line from his second novel, El Filibusterismo.

Rizal’s Noli and Fili are standard texts in high school (in the PHL). To be honest, I didn’t read the novels from cover to cover, since (I’m sorry) I found the Tagalog translations quite taxing. So it took me another 4 years to read the Noli & Fili in full from (again) the standard Rizal class in college—in English. LOL!

But anyway, I’m not even sure if this “line” from the novel exists since I don’t know it verbatim, and yeah, I’m too lazy to skim through the whole El Fili to find it—but trust me I was floored when I read it

I don’t know how much got lost in translation from the Spanish it’s either from the Guerrero or Locsin English translation, but I’m sure of one thing—it’s from Simoun, Juan Crisostomo Ibarra’s badass alter ego.

It goes something like:

“Even the most atrocious crimes could be forgiven if done in style.”

Damn!

SPOILER

This is from the part where he tries to justify the bomb he’s going to set off at this party.

It reminds me of a similar sentiment I read from Chesterton—how in (anarchism) the one who throws the bomb is an artist

simply because the explosion gives off a wonderful aesthetic effect.

LOL!

Beware of the Artist!