I received this book on 2/11 from swejeety in WA ... for being Read-n-Swap's MOTM (Member-of-the-Month).

c. 1962 -- 149 pages -- Paperback -- Signet Classics -- Translated by E. Munguia, Jr. -- Illustrated by J. C. Orozco -- with a Foreword by Harriet de Onis -- Original Title: Los De Abajo

Back Cover: Ten years after its publication in a small El Paso paper, "The Underdogs" achieved worldwide renown as the greatest novel of the Mexican Revolution. It is the story of Demetrio Macias, a naive, peace-loving Indian, who is forced to side with the rebels to save his family. In the course of battle, he becomes a compulsive militarist whose courage, almost despite himself, leads to a generalship in Villa's army. But as the Cause suffers defeat after defeat, Macias loses prestige and moral purpose at the hands of turncoats, camp followers, and the peasants who had once loved him. Carleton Beals wrote of this novel, "The scenes have the brutality of Gorky. Azuela is the Mexican Chekhov only in so much as he is a doctor; in all else he is close to Gorky, with a touch of Gorky's terrific pessimism, but none of Gorky's revolutionary optimism."

I finished reading this book today. It was hard for me to get into the theme of the Mexican Revolution and all the killing. However, I did think the ending was moving ... with the outcome for Demetrio.

Used in 2009 Ultimate Challenge ~ June theme ~ Animals (DOG)

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I'm sending a box of 8 books to FourOnTheFloor in NC ... as a RABCK for her Mobile Animal-Themed Bookcrossing Zone.

The box that included this wonderful book has arrived safely!

Cyber-librarian, thank you so much for sending books to Four on the Floor. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!