Lowrys masterpiece. . . has a claim to being regarded as one of the ten most consequential works of fiction produced in [the twentieth] century. -- Los Angeles TimesUnder the Volcano remains one of literatures most powerful and lyrical statements on the human condition, and a brilliant portrayal of one mans constant struggle against the elemental forces that threaten to destroy him.
Geoffrey Firmin, a former British consul, has come to Quauhnahuac, Mexico. His debilitating malaise is drinking, an activity that has overshadowed his life. On the most fateful day of the consuls life--the Day of the Dead--his wife, Yvonne, arrives in Quauhnahuac, inspired by a vision of life together away from Mexico and the circumstances that have driven their relationship to the brink of collapse. She is determined to rescue Firmin and their failing marriage, but her mission is further complicated by the presence of Hugh, the consuls half brother, and Jacques, a childhood friend. The events of this one significant day unfold ag