El Llano en llamas
El llano en llamas (translated into English as The Burning Plain and Other Stories, The Plain in Flames, and El Llano in flames) is a collection of short stories written in Spanish by Mexican author Juan Rulfo. The stories were written over several years for different literary magazines, starting in 1945 with They Gave Us The Land. The collection itself was first published in 1953 by the Fondo de Cultura Económica as part of the compendium Letras Mexicanas (lit. Mexican Writings). After its publication, two other stories, The Legacy of Matilde Arcángel and The Day of the Collapse were included in its second edition in 1970.
First edition | |
| Author | Juan Rulfo |
|---|---|
| Original title | El Llano en Llamas (Spanish) |
| Translator | into English: George D. Schade; Ilan Stavans; Stephen Beechinor into French: Gabriel Iaculli |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish translated into French and into English |
| Genre | Short story collection |
| Publisher | Fondo de Cultura Económica |
Publication date | 1953 |
| Pages | 170 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-292-70132-8 |
| OCLC | 20956761 |
The stories in the book are set in the harsh countryside of the Jalisco region where Rulfo was raised, with the context of post-Mexican Revolution events such as the distribution of ejidos after the land reform and the Cristero War. They explore the tragic lives of the area's inhabitants who suffer from extreme poverty, family discord, and crime. With a few bare phrases the author conveys a feeling for the bleak, harsh surroundings in which his people live.