Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

I didn't like this book. In fact, I really, really hated it. And what's worse is that I can't place where my hatred is coming from! Nothing seems overtly wrong with this novel; it's not particularly long, nor is it difficult to read. I just couldn't connect with story, and I feel like it's my fault.

Now that I think about it, I think maybe I'm too young to appreciate the complexities of the characters. Consul Geoffrey Firmin, the protagonist of the novel, is an alcoholic who pushes away those who are closest to him. And yet, despite his horrible treatment of his ex-wife and brother, they adore him unconditionally! They literally follow him into the heart of a jungle (an obvious symbol for the depression he's spiraling into) and eventually end up groping through the darkness, while clinging to their last hope of human decency.

Oh, and did I mention that this whole novel takes place on The Day of the Dead? Yeah, that's not foreshadowing at all.

While Under the Volcano is considered a semi-autobiographical novel (with Lowry taking the backseat role of one of Consul Firmin's friends), critics also say that Lowry was inspired by Ulysses by James Joyce. And I definitely found some similarities. Both novels took place during the course of a single day. Both used the stream-of-conciousness technique of storytelling. But, like one amazon.com reviewer said, "[Lowry] aped all of Joyce's worst qualities without recreating any of Joyce's flair for wordcraft."

Hopefully my next book will be a little better.