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{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Ilustrado
|reviewer=Robin Leggett
|genre=Literary Fiction
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=320
|publisher=Picador
|date=June 2010
|isbn=978-0330510004
|amazonukcover=<amazonuk>0330510002</amazonuk>|amazonusaznuk=0330510002|aznus=<amazonus>0330510002</amazonus>
}}
In trying to understand Salvador and the forces that shaped his writing and actions, Miguel explores the complex, myriad of factors that make up the Filipino psyche, and in turn, this of course reveals to Miguel something about himself. There are clashes of big business, post colonial independence (several times), religion, communism, and general political corruption and inequalities. Oh, and a lot of rain. But it's mostly a book about ideas rather than character or place.
It's a book that would stand a number of readings, even after you know how it ends. There are countless allusions and allegories in the inserted extracts from Salvador's works. Particularly early on, I'm sure I missed most of them and would be fascinated to go back and re-read this at a later stage. As the story progresses they become more overt, or perhaps I just got used to the style and found them easier to pick up on.
For another literary prize-nominated book about authors (this time the Orange Prize), this book has much in common with [[The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver]], while it's fragmented structure is also present in David Mitchell's [[Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell|Cloud Atlas]]. Another writer of a post-Spanish colonial country Roberto Bolano may also appeal to fans of this book, and [[Amulet by Roberto Bolano|Amulet]] is again about a writer, this time a poet.
{{amazontext|amazon=0330510002}} {{waterstonestextamazonUStext|waterstonesamazon=76383750330510002}}
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