Rating: 
Summary: Day of the Dead
Review: Geoffrey Firmin, the protagonist of "Under the Volcano," is the most convincing drunk I've encountered in literature, but the book isn't even about his drinking; his alcoholism is the symptom, not the disease. The disease is his self-isolation, his inability to give and accept love, and, in broader scope, the world's increasing chaos and man's dehumanization over the course of the first half of the twentieth century.
Firmin is the British Consul of Quauhnahuac, a town in southern Mexico deep in the heart of volcanic mountain ranges and the remnants of ancient Indian civilizations. The novel recounts the events on the last day of Firmin's life, which happens to be the festive Day of the Dead in 1938. England has recently severed its diplomatic ties with Mexico and is recalling all their consuls, so he has no reason to stay except to drink his life away in the town's many cantinas.
Firmin's excessive drinking has caused his wife Yvonne, a former movie actress, to leave him, but she still loves him and has come back to town hopefully to take him away and save his life. Her timing is not perfect because Firmin's half-brother Hugh, a failed songwriter, international drifter, and now a journalist of sorts, is currently living with him, and we learn that there is a certain amount of attraction between Hugh and Yvonne. Also residing in town are Firmin's childhood friend Jacques Laruelle, a film director, and the solicitous Dr. Vigil, who try to help Firmin stabilize his life.The novel's heavy use of symbolism turns this seemingly ordinary day into a kaleidoscopic series of sights, sounds, and images. Firmin, Yvonne, and Hugh's activities throughout the day are narrated as though building to an ominous crescendo of fate: the decor in Laruelle's house, the Peter Lorre movie, the upside-down ride on the "Infernal Machine" at the festival, the dying Indian on the side of the road, the rodeo -- everything seems to be a signpost guiding Firmin, who is too far past the redemption offered by the angelic Yvonne, to his ugly ultimate destiny. Although to an extent the novel reflects Lowry's disillusionment with Mexico's European-influenced political climate, he has an obvious love of the scenery and the native cultures; Quauhnahuac is described so beautifully and vividly, it's practically a character in itself -- a living, vital part of the story. Using some stream-of-consciousness narration, shifting focus, and internal monlogues, the novel's style is almost impressionistic and adds to its complexity, making it a work of unusual distinction and affirming Lowry as an absolutely stunning writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Lethargic and convoluted path of a drunkard
Review: The book chronicles, with occasional reminiscences of its characters, events of one day in which Geoffrey Firmin, an ex-British consul in Mexico, sidled up to this inevitable fatality. His wife Yvonne arrived in Quauhnahuac to rescue him (from alcohol abuse) and their failing marriage at the inspiration of a vision of restarting a life together away from Mexico as well as the circumstances that had so inevitably driven their relationship to the brink of collapse. The presence of Hugh, Geoffrey's half-brother who had a crush on Yvonne, and childhood friend Laurelle further complicated the effort to rescue the ex-consul. Hopelessly morose and alienated, Geoffrey, who experienced a heightened sense of consciousness and the imminence of fatality, had forfeited his trust in Yvonne for she had been with Hugh under the cover of saving him. It is amazing how uneventfully all the events constitute to the entire novel. Under the Volcano is such a powerful, lyrical statement of a chronic drunkard filled with rigid but somewhat fragmented prose. It captures the human conditions and one man's persistent struggle against the elemental forces that threaten to destroy him. The prose pervades a man's battle for the survival of human consciousness. At the same time imbedded in the narrative affords hints of his imminent fatality. Under the Volcano is riddled with an air of lethargy and slowness. A ubiquitous theme is the consul's persistent temptation of getting his next drink. He frequently relapsed into a stream-of-conscious, hallucinatory conversation with a gabbled voice in his head, which pejoratively objurgated his lack of self-control. The volcano, despite its geographical location, might be thought as some abyss into which the consul descended for the harrowing. Other than the rigid prose and symbols that exemplify the main character, Under the Volcano is not a pleasurable read to say the least and it can be exhausting to one's patience. I say you will not be at a loss to pass this one. 2004 (15) ©MY
Rating:
Summary: "The free will of man is unconquerable."
Review: Under the Volcano represents the ultimate oxymoron: a fun classic. For those who enjoy stellar, if not unpredictable, imagery and use of literary tools to the hilt, this book will energize you. Conversely, for those who are just looking for an engrossing read, this book fits the mold as well. Lowry, in what is still a truly seminal and novel approach, employs an amazingly diverse array of literary elements in a semi-autobiographical manner that make the read more rewarding for the more serious reader. In the first chapter, which begins on the fittingly gloomy Day of the Dead in Quauhnahuac, Mexico, Lowry immediately sets the tone of the entire novel as we encounter our anti-hero, The Consul, in a perpetual drunken stupor. Chapter 2 begins, oddly enough, on the same day -- one year later in 1939. For the remainder of the book, one follows in the wobbly footsteps of the drunken Consul for what amounts to be 12 hours. The reader is led on a meandering, if not convoluted, path between lucid sobriety and hazy drunkenness, between the past and the present, & between an ominous and foreboding sense of impending doom to a renewed feeling of hope -- all in an extraordinarily masterful way. For those who discount this book as simply "a book about a drunk," you do nothing more than flaunt your ignorance; it is, instead, a book that speaks uniquely of the human condition, free will, remorse, reconciliation, duplicity, and the duality of despondency and hope. "The novel can be read simply as a story which you can skip if you want. It can be read as a story you will get more out of if you don't skip. It can be regarded as a kind of symphony, or in another way as a kind of opera--or even a horse opera. It is hot music, a poem, a song, a comedy, a farce, and so forth. It is superficial, profound, entertaining, and boring, according to taste. It is a prophecy, a political warning, a cryptogram, a preposterous movie."
- Malcolm Lowry to his publisher Jonathan Cape, January 2, 1946
Rating: 
Summary: Joyce on mescal
Review: This is a difficult book to read, and in the first 50 pages or so I didn't think it was too interesting. But after a while you start getting into the drunken mumbling and you start enjoying it. I did, anyway. The book is a labour of love, and I think every idea the writer has ever had has found its way into the book, . There are certainly aspects about the book I didn't get (I have a limited intellectual background) but the overall experience of reading this book was pleasant and inspiring. The mescal, the atmosphere, lost love, failure, selfloathing,...
I've read a review from some soulless individual who says you have to be an alcoholic impotent self pitying person to enjoy this... I say you don't have to be, but it helps.... The film is also very good.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Novels of the 20th Century
Review: Malcolm Lowry's "Under the Volcano" is one of the best books I've read in a while. Published in 1947, it's today considered by many (and recently, myself) to be one of the greatest novels written in the English language; Lowry combines elegant poetic prose, first-hand perspectives, and cultured differences to present a mastery of celestial writing in what I found to be a quick read. To give a brief synopsis; a self-deposed Consul living in Mexico becomes an alcholic, and is ignorant to his cheating wife and two-faced friends. This much is assumed when the story starts---it picks up from a point where his wife who has left him returns to Mexico in hopes of pulling him out of his dilemma that he can't do on his own. The whole book takes place on Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, a Latin holiday when all give respect to friends/family/people who have died), 1938, in a town shadowed by two volcanos. "Under the Volcano" is by no means an action book, although it is one of the quicker reads I've had in a while. To quote the afterword given, it is a book that "addresses universal values of love, individual integrity, faith, and brotherhood," while at the same time enveloping the reader in a story that cannot be put down. Some previous reviewers mentioned that the style of writing was difficult to understand. Certain aspects can complicate, but by no means impede, comprehension of his writing. For instance, since the story takes place in Latin America, there is a lot of Spanish used. Being multilingual helps, but I found that had I not understood Spanish, the general idea would have still been portrayed. Then there is also the occasional lack of punctuation, which signifies the "voices" in the Consul's alcoholic psyche. When reading these excerpts, you can find that it not only makes sense, but sheds light on an area that none of us would have been able to understand had we not read it from someone who has experienced these things first hand. As for the actual book, it's quite well put together. It has an attractive cover, an informative introduction and afterword, and an easy to read typeface (I read it in a weekend). One thing that did confuse me was the constant spelling errors. As I mentioned before, there are many times when the books withdraws from normal action into a mental state where confusion in the writing is intended, but I also noticed at least 20 instances where certain words were misspelled, letters were left off, et cetera. By no means does this detract from the book, however. Overall, this is an amazing book, and one that you should definitely purchase---it might even change your outlook on life.
Rating: 
Summary: Mescal, Por Favor.
Review: Where to begin? I finished reading Under the Volcanop three months ago and I am still uncertain about my reaction. On one hand I admire the depth of the novel, but am somewhat disconcerted that it eludes me like a drunken mumble. I am excited by the characters, but I am drained by the plot. Since I am not a moron (I hope), I can only surmise that if the book had less than a compelling effect on me, then this was due to a flaw of creation rather than to a deficiency in my ability to perceive deftly written word, poignant themes and nuanced emotions before me on the page. Thus, I will not accept that this is implicity a "brilliant" book merely because I am frightened to appear otherwise. It is a difficult read, but one that may pay off for the reader if he/she has a tendency to behave in a self-pitying and self-destructive manner. Alcoholic impotence sufferers who have a special affinity for third world dive bars will be especially pleased with a reading. Symbolism about fascism and the coming war in Europe is as graceful and insightful as a patriotic musical written by Soviet copyboys.
I also caution the would-be reader that reading this may induce at least one ill-fated experiment with the rough beast of Mescal. Enjoy and bring napkins.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss Reading This Great Classic!
Review: Under the Volcano is one of the towering literary achievements of the 20th century. It is what Ulysses would be if Joyce had been capable of expressing his emotions. Set in Mexico against the backdrop of that country's Day of the Dead Festival, Malcolm Lowry's work focuses on one day--the last day--in the life of Geoffrey Firmin, a man whose past--a past about which we learn very little--has led him to torture both himself and the people who love him through acute alcoholism and by hermetically sealing himself off from human contact. He is a man who set out in his life to make a difference and finds himself in a Hell of his own making instead. This book is complex, containing numerous references and parallels to Dante's Inferno and to the Bible and to God only knows what other heady books, but it is surprisingly fast-paced. The characters and their respective fates will haunt you long after you've put the book down. Don't ignore this neglected masterpiece. Also recommended: I, Claudius by Robert Graves, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: CLASSIC
Review: near ENCYCLOPEDIAN account hillarous TOLD IN DIZZYdroll ATTENTION TO DETAILs HAILShells Bells GLORY DETOXIFICATING, NEAR SUb ATOMIC miniscule AND EPOCH spawning VAST IN ITS hideous UNFOLDING ONEs VERY LONG DAY.ALCHOHOL along excursion EQUAL PARTS folly,[ HAZY BLANK ACCOUNTS OF A SOUL LOST IN PASSAGES LINED WITH DETOURS, NO MANS LAND, FEEbleFALL BUZZ WE GO inEXOTIC] TOURISTugly glory. FOREIGNtoon dig ararchealogy LIMBED LANDSCAPE ever Scared there was ..OF A MIND. CRUMBLING UNDER DISSTRESS, NO DOUBT ABOUT STUMBLE ..bLIND ITSBRILLIANCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF FAYE BOTH HEORIC AND COWARDLY THE CONSUL CLOWN WEAR HIS CONSUL CLOWN ALCHOL[lick] crown OF FOLLY ....EXCESS IN ALL ITS SORDId masOsado glory hell... STUMBLEIN A HAZE SULPHUROUS,ether TRYIN TO MAINTAIN.... aFOCUS,SOME understanding ANCHOR [HIS SORDID sorry remorse .PISSING Festivals UNRAVELING lies[ OF THE LOST,DOOMED OR FORSAKEN], PLAY TOO UNFLINGING UNDER A VOLCANO,on the verge of ERUPTIONS marvelous foretold, often forestalled in emptyBLINDMAD BLANK banality.FLYS forestalled in festoons.LIES.unforgiven.
Rating:
Summary: "No se pueda vivir sin amar" and other truths...
Review: I think this work is a real masterpiece; poignant, dark, strange, rich and even very humourous sometimes. It is not an easy read (especially for me it wasn't because my native language is Dutch and not English) but give it some time, read it carefully and then I think you will enjoy it. It's a multi-layered and rich book so it might help/be intersting to read some secondary literature on it.
So: take some time and explore this treasure. NB: it seems that this edition is not very good. I don't have it but I read some complaints in a customer review about typographic errors on nearly every page. The Pinguin edition is excellent so maybe try to get a copy of that one, inspite of the fact that it's hard to get or even out of print.
Rating:
Summary: Good look into the alcoholic subconscious
Review: Through his stream of conciousness prose, Malcolm Lowry does a great job of getting inside the head of a hopeless alcoholic, British ex-consul Geoffrey Firmin. That and the vivid backdrop of a fictitious Mexican town in the 1930's made this a great read. It was amazing to so vividly experience the insanity of alcoholism. Lowry struck home on the utter confusion associated with being a black-out drunk, whether it be confusion in terms of one's sense of time and place and sequence of events, or the utter self-delusion of one's importance and place in the universe. All this was achieved by Lowry's very "abstract" and fractured writing style, through which he created the extremely amazing, complicated and intriguing character of Geoffrey Firmin. Lowry definitely wrote from experience. The book only gets 4 stars because two of the three main characters (Hugh and Yvonne) were a little one-dimensional for me, and I didn't really get into the book until about halfway through. But it is definitely well worth the effort and was well-deservingly included among the Modern Library's Top 100 novels of the 20th Century.
|
