Job Discussion Forums

[chola]

Hi, I've been following the tread about the desafuero etc. As always, people get passionate when politics is the topic. For those of us who are sincerely interested in learning about Mexican social history/political history, does anyone have any suggestions for reading. Perhaps something a layperson would enjoy--not a series of polemical essays written by a demigogue...nor a simplistic apolitical swipe at a complex subject. Please advise......Thanks.

[moonraven]

From what date in history are you interesting in educating yourself?

I am most up on the XX century (Revolution, Cristero War, 70 years of the PRI.)

Assuming that you will be reading in English, the book that has stood its ground since the mid-60s about the Revolution is John Womack's ZAPATA AND THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION. And for an eyewitness account in the north, John Reed's classic, INSURGENT MEXICO.

Jos� Vasconcelos' autobiography, published in English as MEXICAN ULYSSES, will give you a lot of insight into political issues from the turn of the century to the 1930s.

Don't discount novels--in the main, they actually give a much better picture of Mexican society and politics than most of the history books. Some important ones--am going to give Spanish titles as have no idea if they are available in English: Los de abajo (Mariano Azuela), El �guila y la serpiente and La sombra del caudillo(both by Mart�n Luis Guzm�n), Recuerdos del provenir (Elena Garro), El llano el llamas and Pedro P�ramo (Juan Rulfo), Al filo del agua, Las tierras flacas and Las Vueltas del tiempo (Agust�n Ya�ez), V�monos con Pancho Villa (Rafael Mu�oz), Oficio de Tinieblas (Rosario Castellano), and a host of others. A number of novels were made into films during Mexico's Golden Age of film--with great black and white cinematography by Gabriel Figueroa.

There are literally thousands of options, but I suggest you start with this list.

[MO39]

I agree with MR that you can gain tremendous insight into Mexico through reading novels. One of my all time favorites is La muerte de Artemio Cruz [The Death of Artemio Cruz] by Carlos Fuentes. It is one of those books I first read for a literature class in college but which I happily reread in later years just for the sheer pleasure of it all! It deals with Mexican history of the first half of the twentieth century (from the Revolution up to the 1950s) through the person named in the title.

[moonraven]

The novels of the mysterious B. Traven are also good for insights into southern Mexico, especially (Traven lived for a number of years in Chiapas): Macario, El puente en la selva and others.

[chola]

Hi everyone! Thank you all for taking the time to help me out. I really appreciate your suggestions. I think I'll start with the Artemio Cruz.....or maybe....
... again, thank you!