The Death of Artemio Cruz

novel by Fuentes
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Also known as: “La muerte de Artemio Cruz”

The Death of Artemio Cruz, novel by Carlos Fuentes, published in Spanish as La muerte de Artemio Cruz in 1962. An imaginative portrait of an unscrupulous individual, the story also serves as commentary on Mexican society, most notably on the abuse of power—a theme that runs throughout Fuentes’s work. As the novel opens, Artemio Cruz, former revolutionary turned capitalist, lies on his deathbed. He drifts in and out of consciousness, and when he is conscious his mind wanders between past and present. The story reveals that Cruz became rich through treachery, bribery, corruption, and ruthlessness. As a young man he ...(100 of 146 words)