Today is the Day of the Dead, an event celebrated annually in Mexico, whereby families gather around the family plot in the local cemetery and celebrate those of their family who have gone on to their great reward. it is not a somber occasion, but one filled with music, laughter, and spiritual reflection.

The Day of the Dead is also the background centerpiece of one of my all time favorite novels: Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. The novel details the events of that day in 1938 as experienced by Geoffrey Firmin, a British consul tortured by his alcoholism and his unfaithful wife, Yvonne.

I first read this book when I was in my late twenties and deep into my own alcoholism. Due to that state of being the story resonated heavily with me. Fortunately, later in life, with a clearer head and body, I re-read the book and was able to relate even more to the tragedy of the Consul and his wife and the events of that day.

It is a great read, parts of it told in narrative, and parts of it in stream of consciousness, but all of it beautiful, disturbing, and in the end, a powerful record of a time and a place in the world before the maelstrom of World War Two engulfed the planet.

Check it out!

PS: All thanks to Literary Hub for reminding today of this great book!