View all 25 comments. May 27, Jim Fonseca rated it really liked it Shelves: We are at the deathbed of a man 71 years old. He reminisces about his life and in the process gives us a mini-history of modern Mexico. He also tells us in overly-medical detail about his pains and symptoms. His wife, daughter and son-in-law are usually by his bedside and he despises all of them. Like many men who were in war, in his old age he goes back to those events as the most significant in his life. He was elected to national politics and promptly used his position to accrue wealth.
He dealt in railroads and timber and minerals and farmland. He bought land outside ever-expanding Mexico City. He married the daughter of a wealthy land owner and took over his estate. He had a son that he encouraged to fight in the Spanish Civil War where the son died. The feeling is mutual. In the last chapter, , we learn details of his birth and childhood at the end of the book Of course he had many mistresses along the way and we learn of his relationships with some of these.
Food and singers and waste all around as low-paid busboys hustle drinks and cooks slave in the kitchen. But all Artemio is left with are memories of the war and of his first love, and the taste of ash. Sep 30, brian rated it liked it. We had both read, recently and with admiration, as well as a touch of envy, Edmund Wilson's portraits of the American Civil War in ''Patriotic Gore. An imaginary portrait gallery immediately stepped forward, demanding incarnation: Polk's Manifest Destiny; or Venezuela's Juan Vicente Gomez, who announced his own death in order to punish those who dared celebrate it; or El Salvador's Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez, who fought off scarlet fever by having street lights wrapped in red paper; or Bolivia's Enrique Penaranda, of whom his mother said, ''If I had known that my son was going to be president, I would have taught him to read and write'' - all of them pose tremendous problems for Latin American novelists: How to compete with history?
How to create characters richer, crazier, more imaginative than those offered by history? Vargas Llosa and I sought an answer by inviting a dozen Latin American authors to write a novella each - no more than 50 pages per capita - on their favorite national tyrant. The collective volume would be called ''Los Padres de las Patrias'' ''The Fathers of the Fatherlands'' , and the French publisher Claude Gallimard took it up instantly.
The Death of Artemio Cruz
Unfortunately, it proved impossible to coordinate the multiple tempos and varied wills of a wide variety of writers who included, if my recall is as good as that of Augusto Roa Bastos' character El Supremo, Mr. When the project fell through, three of these authors went on to write full-length novels of their own: Carpentier ''Reasons of State'' , Mr.
Roa Bastos ''I the Supreme''. View all 4 comments. Dec 12, Ben Winch rated it liked it Recommended to Ben by: It's hard when a good friend recommends a book so highly and you can't come to the party. Artemio Cruz , the great Latin American novel? I can't see it. In synopsis, maybe, it's got everything the genre requires: It's the Citizen Kane of Mexico. But for all that, to me it doesn't have half the p It's hard when a good friend recommends a book so highly and you can't come to the party. But for all that, to me it doesn't have half the power of Juan Rulfo's Pedro Paramo , which treats of similar themes if less explicitly in a third the space, and if you throw in Rulfo's short stories another pages, still less than Cruz 's then I know for damn sure which revolutionary Mexican I'll be siding with.
What's good about Artemio Cruz? It's got some rip-roaring action, some serious drama, mainly in the flashbacks to the Revolution, which take up at least half of the narrative. The words seem to fly off Fuentes's pen; it moves fast. And by the end you're left with an elemental, hard-boiled, cartoon-like tapestry of revolutionary Mexico that is not dissimilar to a Sergio Leone film, though lacking the soundtrack and the humour, and given an extra heft by its aura of historical accuracy and, yes, passion. It's deeply-felt, but as if felt by some autistic given to only one strain of feeling — some bitter sensualist fixated on thwarted love and evil.
Which is fine — of course we need those books too.
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That said, there's some epic sequences here: Still, to this reviewer it all seems kind of pat. The death bed reflections of a corrupt magnate? Yeah, well there'd better be a twist in there. Doris Lessing's Briefing for a Decent into Hell , another hospital-death-bed-interspersed-by-flashbacks story, springs to mind. Tellingly, the third person occupies by far the most space here, and I for one gritted my teeth through the other sections for the sake of a return to this main body of the story.
Now, far be it from me to demand that every sentence in a book be beautiful. Pedro Paramo , for example, has many sentences that, taken alone, don't make much of an impression at all. But they're to the point. That above passage, and pages and pages like it, I'd just as soon Fuentes had thrown in the trash. But you start cutting a big jangled mess like this and you just might find all you have left is a kind of James M. Cain wartime potboiler, and I dare say that's not what Fuentes was going for. Might have made a better read than this, though. Spare me the trimmings.
View all 28 comments. Apr 28, Judy rated it really liked it Shelves: This novel made a huge impression on me. Read as part of my reading list, it was the original translation by Sam Hileman, Fuentes's translator throughout the s. Artemio Cruz was a fictional impoverished mulatto. In his teens, he ran away to fight in the Mexican Revolution but later betrayed the ideals of that conflict and through sharp dealing became a wealthy and influential financier.
Artemio is dying all the way through the novel, but looking back from his sickbed and through the dre This novel made a huge impression on me. Artemio is dying all the way through the novel, but looking back from his sickbed and through the dreams and delirium of illness.
The author therefore becomes the voice of the man, an artful and successful method of unwritten autobiography put down on the page by another. While still a soldier, Artemio finds his first, his one and only love. Once she dies of a bullet wound, his ideals become diluted by sorrow. The rise to power involves him in a loveless marriage as well as shady dealing with American investors. Like any good mogul, he also buys a newspaper by which he can spin events to his own benefit and influence politicians. Despite the despicable nature of Artemio's life, I came to care about this man.
Like many modern novels of today, the time sequence is tangled but creates the effect of a person coming to terms with his life; seeing how his earlier actions influenced later ones; grappling with the tough questions of honor vs power. I want a low table. He's shorter than his brother. They were speaking in a low voice. Let's put the basses on the left. The temperature's fallen below zero. The superintendent lives on the ground floor. What's my bank balance this month? Don't rock in the chair; it's going to break. Three shots were heard. He had three bullet wounds in his chest.
They're giving tickets free. He tried to get her on the phone without success. Can I cash my check in this bank? All the benches are taken. The skirt had three red bands. He wore a red sash across his chest. That band gives me a headache. A gang of thieves works these parts. Please bathe the children. I'm going to take a bath. It's very pretty and besides it's cheap.
They sell things very cheap in this store. There's a sale today in that department store. He eats too much. What he did was an outrage. I like her an awful lot. How many times have you made the trip by boat? We need an iron bar. The spectators cheered the players on. He dicho que te calles. I told you to shut up! Do you have enough money?
She's a rather pretty woman. There wasn't enough food for all. The suit's made of very rough material. Please beat the eggs. He defeated his enemy. They haven't unpacked their trunks yet. He doesn't appreciate favors. The profits were very high. He doesn't know the difference between good and evil. He spoke very well. The beer's very cold. He has a great deal of property. He's rich rather than poor.
All right or Correct. Pay close attention to what I tell you. Have you bought the tickets? Give me the money in fives and tens. You have to put a screen in front of the door. I wish I'd bought a white dress! There are white people, Indians, and Negroes in this city. They hit the target. Leave this sheet blank. They hit the mark three times. The soldiers had target practice in the morning. He didn't open his mouth all afternoon. The subway entrance is on the corner. The child's sleeping on his stomach. He was lying on his back on the beach.
What an embarrassing situation that was! What sultry weather we're having! What a shameful action! Blow the horn so that car'll let us pass. I'm out of breath. Give me that iron ball. We bought some tennis balls. There was a crowd of people at the entrance of the theater.
She carried a silk purse. I need a paper bag to put it in. I don't know what the quotations are on the exchange today. They used a pump to take out the water. The bomb destroyed three houses. It struck like a bombshell! Where is there a filling station? Se puso una bomba. He got drunk [ Am ]. Three bulbs have burned out. Thank you for your kindness. Please wait a moment. He was lying on the bed. Be careful, don't throw away those papers. Look how that ball bounces. I want a can of tomatoes. When he heard it he jumped. The theater was jammed. Be careful, it's a fierce bull. He got very mad.
I don't like this paper; it's too shiny. He gave her a diamond bracelet. Let's drink to your health! I said it as a joke. He takes everything lightly. He's abrupt in his way of speaking. That's a very good car. It was a good opportunity. I'm not feeling very well. Bueno, nos veremos a las cinco. All right, we'll meet at five. He gave it to me willingly. They made a terrible racket.
He went out with a bundle of clothes in his hand. He has a swelling on his head. As soon as he saw what he had to do, he ducked out. They were making fun of him. Put these letters in the mail box. He's a perfect gentleman. Here's your bill, sir. She wears her hair loose. Nothing else will fit in the trunk. The piano won't go through that door. There's no doubt that he's English.
That child has a very large head. He was the leader of the movement. You have to use your brains in this work. He plunged into the water head first. Business is in a mess. He never loses his head. Ese proyecto no tiene pies ni cabeza. There's no rhyme or reason to that plan. From end to end. We can't leave any loose ends. They passed the Cape of Good Hope. He has corporal's stripes. They put an end to the conversation. I know the story from beginning to end. They carried out the plan right away. Take this junk out of here.
Every day he says something different. Every one paid for his own meal. He asks me for it every time he sees me. A heavy rain fell. He dropped to his knees. The suit's becoming to him. His birthday falls on Sunday. He was taken sick a few days ago. I didn't realize it until much later. She fell down the stairs.
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Be careful, don't drop the tray. He was lame after the fall. The opposition of the House caused the fall of the government. He gave her a box. He put a lot of money in the savings bank. They keep their jewelry in the safe. Look and see how much the cash register rings up. We have to see how much cash we have on hand. I'm going to buy a pack of cigarettes. They've lost the key to the drawer. They received a box of books. She turned him down. They flunked him in geometry. He got a cramp while he was swimming. The dagger penetrated to his heart.
I got home drenched. He pulled his hat down to his eyes. Let's figure out the cost of the trip. Please heat the water. They warmed themselves in the sun. He's had a fever for the past few days. Is this good material? Be careful, the soup's very hot. Why are you so quiet? He kept quiet while we were talking. He kept the truth from us. You're talking too much. Se callaron de repente. All of a sudden they stopped talking. What street do you live on? I had no choice but to throw him out. When his business failed he was left penniless.
We're in a blind alley. There was a calm after the storm. He takes his time when he works. These pills will ease the pain. He didn't calm down until much later. I don't like the heat. It's very warm today. Everything he's saying is slander. What size shoe do you wear? I'm going to chock the wheels so the car won't move. Please make my bed. He's been confined to bed for the past three months. What kind of a camera do you have? They were talking together like old pals. The maid hasn't made up the room yet. Ask the waitress for the menu.
I want to reserve a first-class stateroom. He hasn't changed a bit since I saw him. Can you change a ten-peso bill for me? Has there been any change in policy? Do you have any change? What's the rate of exchange on the dollar today? I'll give you this book in exchange for the other one. He's very fond of walking.
You have to move cautiously in this matter. Is the road all right to drive on? I don't know how to go about getting it. They started out the following day. He was in his shirt sleeves. The soldiers will soon return to camp. I didn't hear how many times the clock struck. We lived in the country for many years.
She found her first gray hair. She has a lot of gray hair. We passed through the Panama Canal. The boat was approaching the English Channel. They brought us a basket of fruit. There are tennis courts in this park. What's the latest song hit? Give me a light for my cigarette. They decided to exchange prisoners. This man's very tiresome. It's a very tiring job. She gets tired quickly. He's always harping on the same string. I want to learn that song. The tenor sang very well tonight. I'll have to tell it to him straight from the shoulder. How much do I owe you? He's a singing teacher.
I like folk songs. Stand the book on edge. A lot of sugar cane is grown in Cuba. He carried a cane. They have to fix the water pipe; it's clogged. He bought a double-barreled shotgun. Have you seen the Grand Canyon? He wears a Spanish cape. The door needs another coat of paint. Poor people, they're on the downgrade! This tank has a capacity of thirty liters. He's a very capable business man. I'd like to talk to the foreman.
It's a room large enough for a library. He's not capable of such a low trick. I've been told that he's a very competent person. The company has a capital of a million dollars. They took a trip to the capital. I've read only the first three chapters. Don't pay any attention to her whims. She has a very pretty face. I don't understand the words on the face of the coin. He told him right to his face. He had to face the music. He's a man of very good character. Everything she does shows she has character. You have to put more coal in the stove.
They were splitting their sides. He doesn't have enough money to travel. This mule can't carry a heavier load. It's a cargo ship.
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They're taking the freight out of the car. They loaded the truck. The battery has to be charged. The cavalry charged the enemy. I'm charging this amount to your bill. He was very affectionate with his parents. My best regards to your family. I usually eat meat once a day. This cold weather gives me goose flesh. Do you want beef or pork?
I need a leather briefcase. The correspondence is kept in several files. I like horse races. They live on Third Avenue. He's preparing for a diplomatic career. He wrote it hurriedly. He sprinted to catch up to them. The highways in this country are excellent. There was a mule cart on the road. We're going home by car. I'm going to mail this letter. He received a registered letter. Let's play cards a while. She was carrying a large leather bag under her arm. He took his wallet out of his pocket. Will that briefcase hold many books?
What time does the mailman come?
Will you be at home this afternoon? Are you married or single? This is the priest who married them. These colors don't match well. He'll be married next Sunday.
He married a very young girl. Have you got something to crack these nuts? This orange has a thick rind. Where do I throw these eggshells? You're getting to be an old crab. The soldiers were wearing steel helmets. The ship's hull is damaged. Though you rack your brains over it, you won't solve it.
You very nearly guessed it. There have been several cases of infantile paralysis. I'm going to tell you about a strange incident. In such a case, notify his family. Anyway, we'll see each other tomorrow. He doesn't obey his parents. Don't pay any attention to what he tells you. He has brown hair. He speaks a pure Spanish. He's a real Spaniard. What a coincidence meeting you here! Do you know him, by any chance? He's a professor at the National University. The two are not in the same category.
His rank isn't high enough for that position. He's a man of importance. The family fortune has increased a great deal. The river carries a huge volume of water. He was one of the leaders of the revolution. What was the cause of his delay? It was one of the famous cases of his time. She's caused me a lot of trouble. You have to be careful in business. There's a lot of big game in that forest. The reporters were hunting for news. He transferred his whole estate to his son.
He wouldn't give in. That strong light blinds me. My boss has a grudge against me. They celebrated his birthday with a big party. They all applauded his success. I'm certainly glad to see you. He was the most famous writer of his day. He's a very zealous worker. He's very jealous of his wife. Where did you eat last night? We had fish for supper last night. Mail has to go through censorship. This article has to go through the censor's office. You can't blame her for what she did. There were a hundred people in the hall. People died by the hundreds. Over 20 Hours 1.
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