La muerte de Artemio Cruz (1962)

The Death of Artemio Cruz turns a dying man's memories into an inquiry into how a revolutionary becomes a wealthy power broker. Land, marriage, business and political connections carry the Mexican Revolution's promises into a very unequal peace. Read it for the accumulation of small choices that makes betrayal into a way of life. Shifts between narrative persons and periods demand attention, rewarding readers willing to assemble rather than simply receive the life story.