- The Lightning of August
- Published by: Joaquin Mortiz
- Level: Intermediate
- First Published in: 1964
The novel presents the fictitious memoirs of General Arroyo, who fights during the revolution and is part of the reconstruction process that follows it. Most of the humor comes from Arroyo’s constant attempts to present himself as a good and respectable man to the reader, when most of his actions demonstrate the opposite, as well as the actions of those surrounding him (most of whom are parodies of actual historical figures).
Jorge Irbargüengoitia was born in 1928, in Guanajuato, Mexico. He started his career writing for theater, and his first play was completed in 1954. He then became a successful writer, though it was not until 1965, eleven years later, that he published his first novel, Los relámpagos de agosto (The Lightning of August). He would go on to write a series of successful novels, short stories, and essays, until his death in 1983.
"Ibargüengoitia, in Los relámpagos de agosto, demystifies the so-called 'heroes' of the Mexican Revolution, who signal one of the biggest problems with Mexican history: everyone, for the sole fact of having participated in an historic event, has become a 'hero' to be praised."
Ibargüengoitia, in Los relámpagos de agosto, demystifies the so-called “heroes” of the Mexican Revolution, who signal one of the biggest problems with Mexican history: everyone, for the sole fact of having participated in an historic event, has become a “hero” to be praised. With a comedic and sharply satirical tone, the author analyzes this era and phenomenon. The novel presents the fictitious memoirs of General Arroyo, who fights during the revolution and is part of the reconstruction process that follows it. Most of the humor comes from Arroyo’s constant attempts to present himself as a good and respectable man to the reader, when most of his actions demonstrate the opposite, as well as the actions of those surrounding him (most of whom are parodies of actual historical figures).
Due to the time period it’s set in, and to the fact that it’s narrated by a military general, most of the language used by Arroyo is at times technical, as he employs military terms like “guarnición” (garrison) or “pasar por las armas” (to execute someone). Often, Arroyo’s expressions are really fancy, not only because of the language typical of his era, but also because he’s constantly trying to convince readers that he’s an honest man. Examples include: “conminar” (threaten), “perentoria” (decisive, final), and “adusto” (plain). However, through his dialogue, much more common words and expressions are used, like “tarugo” (the equivalent of “dumb”) and “quitado la pena” (literally “without any shame,” referring to a person’s overconfidence).
Los relámpagos de agosto might present a challenge to anyone new to Spanish. But people with a little more experience with the language will find a great comedic novel, which shines a satirical light on some of the more obscure processes of Mexican history.
