Under the Volcano is a novel published in 1947 by English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957). The novel tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in the small Mexican town of Quauhnahuac, on the Day of the Dead, November 2, 1938. The book takes its name from the two volcanoes that overshadow Quauhnahuac and the characters, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. Under the Volcano, Lowry's second and last complete novel, is the basis for his reputation as one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century.
The novel, which has never been out of print, was adapted to radio on Studio One in 1947 and made into a film in 1984. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Under the Volcano as number 11 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
Read more about Under The Volcano: Publication History, Structure and Plot, Symbolism and Allusion, Critical Reception, Films, Further Reading