Under the Volcano

When even the academic writing the introduction to this work notes that he only appreciated it on his third read, you know that the novel is going to be challenging. Lowry acknowledges a clear debt to Melville and Conrad. While there are constant narrative shifts (and while Firmin could in some ways be compared to Kurtz), the more natural antecedent author/work for Lowry would be Joyce's Ulysses. Both can appear impenetrable and are set across a day in Under the Volcano. Each of the segments is narrated by a different character from their perspective, adding potentially to the confusion and discomfort. Lowry — like Firmin in the novel — suffered from alcoholism, and the constant inebriation of the protagonist not only diminishes his likability but reduces the coherence of the novel, whereas Under the Volcano succeeds in evoking an atmosphere/sense of place; of Mexico, its people and its struggles. The parallel with Kurtz is a relevant one, since to focus on the extent that Firmin's actions are a function of having ‘gone native’ provides an intriguing interpretation. While this work would provide ample material for literary criticism, its readability is a very different matter. To the charity shop, 4 out of 10.

By Malcolm Lowry