Rating: 
Summary: A Worthy Book
Review: Upon opening this book it is good to bear in mind that author Mariano Azuela, the so-called first of the "novelists of the Revolution," was born in 1873. Consequently, the text is a little choppy but overall this is a worthy book. "The Underdogs," is a marvelous narrative of the Mexican Revolution. The protagonist is a poor farmer who rises to the rank of guerrilla general with bravery and an endless streak of luck. To that end, the book is a blow by blow account of the brutality of the revolution and the hardships the poor suffered from both sides. However, as the plot unfolds the author skillfully dismantles the lofty liberal idealism of how the revolution improved the quality of life for the masses. Ultimately, the book ends on a moralistic note...lamenting the length and fruitlessness of the conflict.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Message
Review: When I first started reading this book I thought it was really boring, but when I was finished I was glad I read it. I don't know that I like Azuela's writing style, but the message he was trying to convey was wonderful. His message was: power corrupts. This book is centered around a poor Mexican peasant named Demetrio, and his group of men rebelling against the Mexican government. At the beginning of the book the men all want a less oppressive government. Their goals are good, and their ideals are good. But as they gain more power and prestige they become more corrupt. They do cruel things to innocent people, they steal, and they are cruel to each other. Azuela makes the point over and over again that the men are poor and ignorant, they know nothing of politics, and they don't understand why they are fighting. Although I thought this book was boring, it has a very good message. It's worth reading just to understand that message.
Rating: 
Summary: a classic
Review: You have to know something about the Mexican Revolution and, specifically the early period from 1913-1915 to understand this book, because it is aimed at readers who are very familiar with that time period. It explains more clearly than any other book of the time what went wrong with the Mexican Revolution and why it turned out the way it did. The writing style is very innovative for the period in which it's written. It's experimental because it breaks with traditional narrative patterns and is very minimalist at times because it skips over details and presents only little glimpses of what's going on. Azuela chose that style because it conveys the chaos of being in the middle of a revolution, and it also shows the confusion of the characters. Demetrio represents a new trend in fictional characters, because he's got both good and bad qualities. He's not a traditional hero, but he's not a villain either. He's just a confused man who doesn't know what he's fighting for. There is a tragic quality to the story, because people are trapped in patterns they can't break. If you want to understand modern Mexico, this is essential reading. It's not a book you would just sit down and read for fun, but it's worth the effort to read and understand it because it will give you a good feel for what it was like to live in Mexico in the war years.
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