The book written by Zaan Zizg is an old and unique one.

It has a certain charm that attracts readers. The story within its pages unfolds in a way that keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end.

The author's writing style is distinct, adding to the overall allure of the book.

Whether it's the characters, the plot, or the setting, everything seems to come together seamlessly to create a memorable reading experience.

This book is not just a simple read; it's a journey into a different world, filled with emotions, adventures, and surprises.

It has the power to transport the reader to a place they've never been before and make them feel as if they are a part of the story.

Overall, "ძაან ზიზღით დაწერილი,მძიმე და განსხვავებული წიგნია" is a book that is well worth reading.

Dear esteemed friends,

Artemio Cruz is a politician and member of parliament. According to those who live in Iran, he is a revolutionary child... Artemio takes advantage of the corruption of the government and the weakness of the ruling system in Mexico to obtain great power and wealth. Of course, in addition to these, the title of the most popular and widely read newspaper in Mexico should also be added to his possessions.

At first glance, the story has three main parts, which form the present, the future, and the past. But in my opinion, in fact, the story has two parts. One part is tangible and researchable, related to history and events. The other part is not researchable and is related to the mentality and memories of Artemio Cruz, and only he has access to them.

Dear friends, Artemio has revolutionary activities in his youth and fights against the government of that time. It is also during this period that love and affection appear in him, and he falls in love with a girl named Regina. This girl is also a revolutionary like Artemio... This love does not last long, and Regina is killed in street battles... This tragic event has such an impact on Artemio that he forgets love and everything in his life becomes about obtaining power... Over time, Artemio marries Catalina Bernal. Catalina is an aristocratic girl who always looks down on Artemio and humiliates him.

The story depicts various aspects and shows how the youth and the mainstays of the revolution, over time and with the acquisition of power, can betray the revolution. Generally speaking, this novel can be placed in the category of revolutionary novels, and of course, in a smaller category called "revolutionary betrayals". In addition to showing revolutionary events, it also examines the life of the bourgeoisie, family relationships, father-son relationships, love and affection, false beliefs, and religious and doctrinal absurdities... Artemio is Catholic, so he should not seek the truth and fight for it. Now, poor Artemio Cruz, with all his actions, defeats, and victories, must review his entire life and memories on his deathbed, confess his sins, so that he can be purified and clean, and then lay his head on the ground and die!! Is this possible!!! This religion and doctrine will not even let go of the trembling human being at the moment of death.

I hope this review is sufficient and useful for getting to know this book.

Be victorious and be Iranian.

Much has been said to minimize and even condemn the so-called Latin American boom of the last decades of the 20th century. It was linked to commercial success, that the writers were Europeanized Latin Americans, and that it left out women. All valid criticisms. But every time I return to those writers, I cannot help but marvel at their literary technique, experimentation, and the power of their stories.

Artemio Cruz is dying at the age of 71. Laid up and mute, he witnesses the preparations of his indifferent and greedy family for his death. Meanwhile, he reviews the crucial moments of his life, living them as if for the first time, transforming the past into the present and the future. His past as a guerrilla in the Mexican Revolution; the decisions that led him to become the powerful and wealthy man he is; the genuine, imposed, or frustrated loves; and the guilt for the betrayals and oversights that cost him dearly those he knew how to love.

Fuentes constructs with true mastery a wonderfully complex novel, where the fusion of times is expressed in an immaculate use of verb tenses, and the different narrative voices account for the fragmentation of identity. Artemio remembers chaotically, jumping from one era to another, and in that fragmented reconstruction of the past (which also has something of a confession), an extraordinary mural of the contemporary history of Mexico and that sad step that inevitably victorious revolutions take from rebellion to the conservatism of a new social order emerges: "unfortunate country that has to destroy the old owners and replace them with new masters, as rapacious and ambitious as the previous ones." Fuentes' pen is simply dazzling. It is worth delving into the Faulknerian labyrinth he constructs and savoring each paragraph.

The book is about the history of Mexico, not a man. Its narrative is told through the life of a man named Artemio Cruz, which is divided into three parts: "I" (the present), "you" (the future), and "he" (the past). The part "I" narrates Artemio Cruz on the verge of death. "You", as a state of abstraction in thought and mind, is told in a disjointed and sequential manner, and the part "he" is a fragmented collection of memories of Artemio Cruz that actually tells the history of Mexico.

One point that exists for me regarding Fuentes is that I like his books and enjoy reading them, and the translator I envision for him in my mind is always Abdolllah Khotri Nazanin. Although I consider Mehdi Sahabi among the best Iranian translators, I still picked up the book with hesitation. But I must say that Sahabi's translation, as always, was excellent and unique. Remembering Fuentes and dear Mehdi Sahabi.

Writing a review for this book really requires courage and claims that I don't see in myself, but it will remain one of the best books I've read.

I can only write a few words about it.

- Intelligent structure.

- Non-linear narrative.

- Multiple story layers.

- Elements of fantasy and reality.

- Reading pleasure.

- Masterpiece.

This book stands out for its unique combination of these features. The intelligent structure guides the reader through the story, while the non-linear narrative adds an element of mystery and keeps the reader engaged. The multiple story layers create a rich and complex world, and the elements of fantasy and reality blend seamlessly, adding depth and interest. The reading pleasure is palpable, and it's no wonder that this book is considered a masterpiece. Overall, it's a book that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and engaging read.

Artemio Cruz, at the age of seventy-one, lies on his deathbed reflecting on his life.

He heads north and aligns himself with the revolutionaries, engaging in battles against General Francisco Villa.

He is captured by Zágal and imprisoned there, where he meets a young educated Native American named Tobias and Gonzalo Bernal.

Gonzalo Bernal challenges him. Artemio makes a deal with Zágal and manages to stay alive.

Artemio goes to Gonzalo's father, marries his sister Catalina, and becomes the owner of the family's wealth.

Catalina never forgives Artemio and holds him responsible for the death of her brother.

Artemio enters politics and becomes corrupt. Along the way, he loses his son Lorenzo and his daughter Teresa despises him.

His life is filled with turmoil, choices, and consequences that have led him to this final moment on his deathbed.

I read a translation by Alfred Mac Adam.

This is the story of Artemio Cruz. As he lies dying, the reader is introduced to him. The story is told through a series of stream of consciousness techniques. Artemio takes us back in his life, not in chronological order, and then back to the sick room where he is surrounded by his wife, daughter, granddaughter, the priest, and Padilla.

The author is actually telling the story of Mexico through the life of Artemio. Artemio Cruz is not a real person, but the revolution is real. He suffers many losses of those he loved, hardens himself to feel nothing, and resolves to never look back. However, on his deathbed, Artemio does look back.

The book starts very slowly, and it is difficult to know where you are. But somewhere along the way, it starts to come together and then it is very good. Because this work looks at time in an illogical way, it is appropriately tagged as magical realism. "Time exists in a kind of timeless fluidity, and the unreal happens as part of reality. Once the reader accepts the fait accompli, the rest follows with logical precision" (Angel Flores, Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction. Magical Realism. Ed. Zamora and Faris, p. 113-116). This work could also be tagged as stream of consciousness, Mexico, Latin American Literature, and historical literature.

Artemio Cruz is lying on his deathbed, suffering from an affliction of unknown causes. He is surrounded by people he doesn't like, although they are part of his family. He is transitioning from sleep to reality, from the past to the present.

"Time... will only exist in the reconstruction of isolated memories, in the flight of isolated desires, which will be lost once the opportunity to live has been exhausted, embodied in this unique individual that you are, a child, now a dying old man..."

His mind travels chaotically from one moment to another of his life. There is no sense in the order in which he recalls the episodes of his life, both personal and social. Past loves, betrayals, escape from poverty and rise in the scale of wealth, the story of his losses comes to him in random flashbacks. And he wakes up and hears fragments of conversation, tries to discern the gestures or physical features of those who surround him in the present and only now is he seeing the invisible threads that connect his life and his rise to the development of the Mexican Revolution and the implicit Mexican history.

In this random recapitulation of his life, he clings to the memories of people who meant a lot to him: a prostitute he truly loved and not for money and whom he loved more than anyone, his son whom he lost because of the civil war in Spain, his wife Catalina who only pretended to take revenge when she married him and so on. Going back and forth in time, he keeps remembering Regina, the only person who didn't love him for his wealth.

Written in a wonderful narrative style, the story of his life is impressive. The lyricism and the exceptional beauty of the sentences enhance the tragedy of his life through the antagonism:

"It was just past noon: the rays of the setting sun passed through the roots of the tropical leaves like water through a sieve, falling with force. The time of the paralyzed branches, when even the river seemed not to flow."

Everyone says that Fuentes was a genius. Now I know why.

Reading it for the second time, but this time it wasn't as brilliant as I remembered.

Maybe my initial impression was clouded by excitement or anticipation.

As I delved deeper into the text, I noticed some flaws and areas that could have been improved.

The story had its moments, but overall, it didn't quite reach the heights I had expected.

However, I still appreciate the author's effort and the ideas presented.

It's possible that with a bit more polish and refinement, this could have been a truly outstanding piece.

Despite the slight disappointment, I'm glad I gave it a second chance.

Sometimes, a second reading can provide a more accurate assessment and help us see things we missed the first time around.

Overall, I would rate this book 3.8 stars.

It has its strengths, but also some areas that need work.

Nonetheless, it's still a worthwhile read for those interested in the subject matter.

The Death of Artemio Cruz can be regarded as a fictionalized account of Mexico's history. It is told in a disjointed, time-shifting, and stream-of-conscious style, with the character of Artemio Cruz serving as a unifying device. The wealthy newspaperman lies on his deathbed, reflecting on his life, choices, and role in Mexico's history. Despite my initial unfamiliarity with the history, I believe the book deserves the title of a classic. It reminds me of other works such as The Leopard, The Power and the Glory, and Under the Volcano, and has a parallel to Citizen Kane.

The book is not easy to read. Besides the wealth of historical detail, the style was initially challenging. Each chapter is divided into three parts: the present stream-of-consciousness as Cruz suffers, an unnamed second-person voice that triggers memories, and an omniscient third-person view of a critical period. The story spans from the turn of the century to the 1950s, depicting a forceful man who amassed wealth through corruption and oppression, and how the revolution's ideals were lost. However, as I read further, the stylistic intent became clearer, and the difficulty diminished, although I still had to research the history.

Frankly, I'm ashamed of my lack of knowledge about this history. If one were only interested in the history, I'm not sure if I'd recommend Artemio Cruz as a good source, but it definitely piqued my interest in learning more. I've read little literature from this region or further south, but what I have read has been engaging. I look forward to reading more of Carlos Fuentes and re-reading Artemio Cruz in the future.

The Death of Artemio Cruz is an extraordinary book that has left a profound impact on me. It's the kind of literary masterpiece that makes me want to ascend to the rooftop and shout, "Everyone, please go read it!" Carlos Fuentes was truly a genius.

If I were to summarize this book in a single sentence, it would be: "The Mexican Revolution and its consequences are explored through the life of a dying man." Artemio Cruz, once an idealistic revolutionary soldier, became disillusioned by war and transformed into an exploiter of the revolution, a ruthless and corrupt businessman and politician who used the newspaper he owned to blackmail his opponents. As he lies dying, he recalls the crucial events of his life.

This book is highly ambitious, and Fuentes' writing not only meets but exceeds those ambitions. It offers readers a meticulous examination of the inherently corrupt nature of humanity, which conflicts with the idealistic goals of the Revolution, and a scathing critique of the political corruption in post-revolutionary Mexico.

The reading experience was both challenging and captivating. It demanded my full attention, yet it was extremely difficult to put down. The stories are told in non-chronological flashbacks, adding to the complexity. Three different narrative forms and tenses are employed to represent different stages of Cruz's consciousness. The first-person narrative in the present tense conveys his immediate reactions to physical pain and the actions of those around him. The second-person narrative in the future tense indicates a comatose state where his consciousness reflects on and judges his life choices. The stream of consciousness style is prominent in the first and second narratives. The third-person narrative in the past tense presents his key life events in a more conventional manner.

What makes this book so hard to放下 is, above all, Fuentes' prose. It is simply breathtaking, like a fragrant, lush tropical forest - rich and intoxicating. Additionally, Fuentes skillfully weaves clues throughout the stream of consciousness sections, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue. Piecing together these clues is like solving a jigsaw puzzle, but instead of a picture, we uncover the life journey of a complex and multi-faceted character. He is despicable at times, yet we can't help but feel a certain degree of sympathy for him.

I believe this book requires at least two readings to be fully appreciated, as it is packed with so much depth and meaning within its 300 pages. I even debated whether to write a review, feeling that I didn't fully understand everything. However, I decided to record my initial thoughts and perhaps revise them after a second reading. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite books of the year, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

Quotes:

"thick blackened walls raised to protect the Church from Indian attacks and also to link the religious conquest to the military conquest. The rough soldiers, Spanish, the troops of Queen Isabella the Catholic, advance toward your closed eyes with the swelling din of their fifes and drums, and in sunlight you will traverse the wide esplanade with a stone cross at its center and with exterior chapels, the prolongation of the native religion, theatrical and open-air, at its corners. At the top of the church built at the end of the esplanade, the vaults made of tezontle stone will rest on forgotten Moorish scimitars, sign of yet one more bloodline imposed on that of the conquistadors."

"The desert wind shook the curly hair over his eyes, the tatters of his tunic stained with sweat, the strips of his leather puttees. Five days’ growth of beard bristled on his cheeks, and his green eyes were lost behind eyelids covered with dust and dry tears. Standing there in the patio, a solitary hero surrounded by corpses. Standing there, a hero without witnesses. Standing there, surrounded by abandon while the battle raged on outside the town, with a roll of drums."

"You will choose, in order to survive you will choose, choose among the infinite mirrors one only, one only, one that will reflect you irrevocably, that will fill other mirrors with a dark shadow, kill them before offering you, once again, those infinite roads of choice."

"On the other side rose something they hadn’t seen: a huge, bare elm, beautiful and white. It wasn’t covered with snow but with glittering ice. It was so white it glowed like a jewel in the night. He felt the weight of the rifle on his shoulder, the weight of his legs, his leaden feet on the planks; the elm waiting for them seemed so light, luminous, and white."

"They never got the point. I didn’t need them. I created myself by myself. Soldier. Yaqui. Regina. Gonzalo."

The style of Fuentes simply doesn't seem to be for me. I will have to read "Aura" to see how it is in something shorter, but in his long novels, I find it unpleasantly focused on style over substance. Moreover, his prose is not pleasing to me. It seems lifeless and too academic. And, to be honest, I find pretentious the way he simply tries to bring "big ideas" before telling a story.

To be fair, the book had good moments. The relationship of Artemio with his wife seemed to me a very interesting comment on the treatment of women in Mexico. Other sections, particularly those related to Artemio's passage through the revolution, were also very interesting. And I think it is the most specific vision of what it means to age that I have read (which is not pleasant, of course, but I suppose it's worth reading). But the parts in the second person, in particular, seemed unbearable to me. They were too long and too focused on philosophical meditations when there is a story at hand. "The Hallucinating World" by Reinaldo Arenas also uses the three verb tenses in different sections of the discourse, and I thought it was much better because Arenas is much more lively, poetic, and inventive than Fuentes.

This is my opinion of the book, and I would be lying if I said otherwise, although I am also sorry about his recent death. Even though I don't particularly enjoy his style, I think it is a work worthy of respect, and I don't regret having read it. May he rest in peace, Master Fuentes.