The Underdogs (Los de Abajo)

By Mariano Azuela

Time Frame:

1913-1915, roughly a little longer than the short-lived presidency of Victoriano Huerta.

Book Description:

The Underdogs (Los de Abajo in Spanish) is the first great novel about the first great revolution of the twentieth century. It has become a classic of Mexican literature and a fundamental work on the Mexican Revolution. Based on the experiences of its author as a military doctor and the anecdotes he heard from his comrades, it stands out from other works of this genre because of its sincere and crude nature, even revealing war crimes committed by the insurgents.

The novel tells the story of Demetrio Macias, a poor, illiterate peasant who joins the revolutionary movement in search of justice and freedom. Courageous and charismatic, he earns a generalship in Pancho Villa’s army, only to become discouraged with the cause when it splinters into factions.

Azuela's work portrays the harshness of war and life in the Mexican countryside during that period. Through Demetrio and other characters, Azuela shows the moral complexities and contradictions of war, as well as the transformation of revolutionary ideals into a struggle for power and survival.

First published in installments in an El Paso newspaper in 1915, this short work has been translated into all the principal world languages and republished many times. Commentary, translator’s notes, and other essays are often included in the various editions.

My Opinion:

I have read The Underdogs twice. The message I came away with the first time is that war is senseless. The second time, I was struck by Azuela’s depiction of the ugliness of war, how all strictures of civilized society get demolished.

Do I recommend this book? That depends. I most appreciate the detailed descriptions Azuela provides. It is easy to “see” where the action is taking place. On the other hand, the novel’s coarse language, violence, and mistreatment of women do not make The Underdogs an enjoyable read.