GAMBUSINO

by Carlos Montemayor ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1997

Another sympathetic portrayal of the hard life endured in Mexico's coal-mining region from the author of (the rather similar) Blood Relations, which appeared in translation in 1995 but was, like this novel, first published in 1982. Chapters entitled ""The Past"" describe the traumatic formative experiences that shaped its prospector (""gambusino"") protagonist Alfredo Montenegro into an outspoken enemy of the corrupt and powerful ASARCO (American Smelting and Refining Company), and juxtaposed ones (""The Present"") trace the unraveling of Alfredo's family ties and hopes for the future. As much sociology as it is fiction, Gambusino somehow survives the thinness of its characterizations and the reductiveness of its conflicts. It's not a really good novel, but its earnestness gets to you.

Pub Date: July 1, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Plover--dist. by Academy Chicago

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997

Categories: FICTION