San Antonio College Library

An elderly rich and powerful landowner in modern Mexico recalls his corrupt life after collapsing from an illness while attending a business meeting.

An imaginative portrait of an unscrupulous individual, the story also serves as commentary on Mexican society, most notably on the abuse of power--a theme that runs throughout Fuentes' work. As the novel opens, Artemio Cruz, former revolutionary turned capitalist, lies on his deathbed. He drifts in and out of consciousness, and when he is conscious his mind wanders between past and present. The story reveals that Cruz became rich through treachery,...

"This first English translation makes available to English-speaking readers a powerful modern Mexican novel, first published in 1961. Fernando Benítez, well-known Mexican author, journalist, and winner of Mexico's 1968 best-book award, exploits a true but little-known incident by building it into a tightly structured, tense, and tragic novel of social protest."--Goodreads