A review by amyappy
The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela

2.0

Perhaps knowing more about the political/social context would have interested me in this more. As it was, I was confused for most of it, and not particularly engaged in it for the rest. The translation had some fine literary moments, especially with descriptive passages at the start and finish of scenes, but I found it hard to appreciate such unlikeable characters as Demetrio and Luis Cervantes. The portrayal and treatment of women in the novel were particularly heinous, but perhaps that may have been the point. Not likely to be pulling this off the shelf to read with my kids any time soon, nor will I be reading this yearly... but that, again, may be a measure of personal taste rather than a reflection on its literary merit.