Under the Volcano

Summary

Under the Volcano is a novel by Malcolm Lowry, set in Mexico during the Day of the Dead festival in 1938. The protagonist, Geoffrey Firmin, a former British consul in the quasi-fantastical town of Cuernavaca, struggles with alcoholism and faces a personal crisis following his divorce from his wife Yvonne. The novel explores themes of love, despair, addiction, and politics against the backdrop of impending war and social upheaval. It masterfully depicts the internal dramas of the characters, their reflections, and relationships, intertwined with symbolism and allusions to historical and cultural events of the time.