B. Traven Libros

En 1494, Sebastian Brandt dio a la imprenta el que se había de convertir en uno de los bestsellers más extraordinarios, Das Narrenschiff (La nave de los locos). Traducida a casi todas las lenguas europeas, fue espejo inmisericorde de los vicios y defectos de su tiempo. Quinientos años más tarde, en 1926, un escritor secreto escribía Das Totenschiff (La nave de los muertos), en la que realizaba una crítica feroz de la política al servicio de los poderosos. Gerard Gales, su protagonista, pierde su barco en Amberes y termina embarcándose, tras innumerables peripecias, en el Yorikke, que alberga a todos los marginados sociales sin identidad. La novela, mítica en la historia literaria contemporánea por su extraordinario talento épico y que, como La nave de los locos en su día, adquirió una fama inmensa, engarza la crítica social con la estética del fracaso, en una soberbia y emocionante peripecia que nos abraza con la emoción de las grandes aventuras románticas.

A CULT MASTERPIECE—THE ADVENTURE NOVEL THAT INSPIRED JOHN HUSTON'S CLASSIC FILM, BY THE ELUSIVE AUTHOR WHO WAS A MODEL FOR THE HERO OF ROBERTO BOLAÑO'S 2666 Little is known for certain about B. Traven. Evidence suggests that he was born Otto Feige in Schlewsig-Holstein and that he escaped a death sentence for his involvement with the anarchist underground in Bavaria. Traven spent most of his adult life in Mexico, where, under various names, he wrote several bestsellers and was an outspoken defender of the rights of Mexico's indigenous people. First published in 1935, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is Traven's most famous and enduring work, the dark, savagely ironic, and riveting story of three down-and-out Americans hunting for gold in Sonora.

"In the third of his six Jungle Novels, set in the great mahogany plantations of southern Mexico in the years before the revolution, Traven traces the beginnings of consciousness which led to rebellion by the Indians who worked in debt-slavery."

The Death Ship tells the story of an American sailor, stateless and penniless because he has lost his passport, who is harassed by police and hounded across Europe until he finds an 'illegal' job shoveling coal in the hold of a steamer bound for destruction. The Death Ship is the first of B. Traven's politically charged novels about life among the downtrodden, which have sold more than thirty million copies in thirty-six languages. Next to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, it is his most celebrated work

The Carreta is the second of B. Traven's six Jungle Novels which together form an epic of the birth of the Mexican Revolution. The young Indian who is the hero of The Carreta is an ox-cart driver. More sophisticated than most of his companions who work in debt-slavery in the great mahogany plantations, Andres can read and hopes to go back to his wife. But he labors with no awareness of how really impossible this is. Pressing down on him is the plight of his father, who was also sold to the monteria. Andres believes he can never return to his wife until he repays his father's debt. Traven's purpose in the Jungle Novels is to describe the conditions of a people who are ripe for revolt, and to trace the beginnings of consciousness which result in the determination to revolt. In The Carreta he brings his remarkable narrative talents to bear on the coming of age of Andres and the oppressive world in which he finds he must make his way. "Traven is a very great writer .... His work must be read." New York Times Book Review.

Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution in Chiapas, this novel follows a simple Indian who rises to become "The General," leading a band of Indians in a fierce struggle against the Mexican army. Their audacious tactics allow them to seize weapons, including coveted machine guns, which they turn against their oppressors. With the rallying cry of "Tierra y Libre" (Land and Liberty), the story delves into themes of class struggle and liberation from the ruling elite, offering a gripping and unforgettable narrative.

With the first publication in English of Trozas, B. Traven's legendary Jungle Novels, an epic of the birth of the Mexican Revolution, are complete. Trozas is the fourth of the six Jungle Novels that describe the conditions of peonage and debt slavery under which Mexican Indians suffered during the reign of Porfirio Díaz. The main character of the novel is a young Indian named Andrés Ugaldo, a virtual slave worker in a montería―-mahogany plantation―which is purchased by the profit ?hungry Montellano brothers, widely despised for their brutal treatment of workers. The demands on Andrés and his companions exceed even the usual insufferable conditions in the montería. Trozas (the word means "logs") captures the origins of the rebellious spirit that slowly spread through the labor camps and haciendas, culminating in the bloody revolt that ended Díaz's rule. Traven masterfully evokes the backbreaking daily routine of the montería, brings alive the players in this sordid drama, and tells the story in riveting narrative.

Regarded by many as Traven's finest novel, The Bridge in the Jungle is a tale of how a desperately poor people come together in the face of death. Traven never allows an iota of sentimentality to enter his story, but the reader finishes the book with renewed faith in the courage and dignity of human beings.

Set against the backdrop of the 1912 Mexican Revolution, the story depicts the harsh realities faced by enslaved Indians in mahogany lumber camps. As they endure brutal treatment from overseers, a courageous rebellion emerges, led by three enigmatic figures who inspire the workers to fight for their rights. The central themes of land and liberty resonate deeply, igniting a passionate struggle for freedom and justice. This political fiction immerses readers in the lives of these resilient individuals as they challenge oppression and seek a better future.

Set against the backdrop of war-torn Sarajevo, this true story follows a young woman's transformative journey as she grapples with loss and seeks meaning after being uprooted in 1992. As a refugee, she encounters diverse individuals who share their poignant experiences, revealing a tapestry of conflicting cultures and values. The Bridge, a literal and metaphorical divide, symbolizes both the struggles of humanity and the potential for growth and understanding amidst adversity. Through her journey, she explores the resilience of the human spirit.