2.5
The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta
ByPublisher Description
The first novel to feature a Mexican American hero: an adventure tale about Mexicans rising up against U.S. rule in California, based on the real-life bandit who inspired the creation of Zorro, the Lone Ranger, and Batman
With a new foreword by Diana Gabaldon, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone and the rest of the Outlander series
A Penguin Classic
An action-packed blend of folk tale, romance, epic, and myth, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta tells the story of the Gold Rush-era Mexican immigrant Joaquín Murieta, whose efforts to find fortune and happiness are thwarted by white settlers who murder his family and drive him off his land. In retaliation, Murieta organizes a band of more than 2,000 outlaws--including the sadistic "Three-Fingered Jack"--who take revenge by murdering, stealing horses, and robbing miners, all with the ultimate goal of reconquering California.
The first novel written by a Native American and the first novel published in California, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta speaks to the ways in which ethical questions of national security and racialized police violence have long been a part of U.S. history. This edition features excerpts from popular rewritings of the novel, including Johnston McCulley's first novel about Zorro, The Curse of Capistrano (also known as The Mark of Zorro).
For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
With a new foreword by Diana Gabaldon, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone and the rest of the Outlander series
A Penguin Classic
An action-packed blend of folk tale, romance, epic, and myth, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta tells the story of the Gold Rush-era Mexican immigrant Joaquín Murieta, whose efforts to find fortune and happiness are thwarted by white settlers who murder his family and drive him off his land. In retaliation, Murieta organizes a band of more than 2,000 outlaws--including the sadistic "Three-Fingered Jack"--who take revenge by murdering, stealing horses, and robbing miners, all with the ultimate goal of reconquering California.
The first novel written by a Native American and the first novel published in California, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta speaks to the ways in which ethical questions of national security and racialized police violence have long been a part of U.S. history. This edition features excerpts from popular rewritings of the novel, including Johnston McCulley's first novel about Zorro, The Curse of Capistrano (also known as The Mark of Zorro).
For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta Reviews
2.5
“a proto-Western that totally dismantles Western tropes and genre conventions…..chef’s kiss (please talk to me about westerns I love them so bad)”
“Absolutely nothing burger of a book beyond its historical significance— read it for a class.”
“I read this for my California literature class, and I really enjoyed recognizing all the different places mentioned in the story.
Although the story has a lot of violence, including rape early on in the story, it’s more sensationalist than actually horrifying in the way it is depicted. There are also several racist and misogynist parts pf the book. I certainly wish the women had bigger roles in this book.
One thing that shocked me about this book was when I did the conversions for money in that time period and compared it to today. One of their dollars was equivalent to about $43 today!!
Oddly enough, I would recommend Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson if you want to read something with a similar vibe.”
About John Rollin Ridge
John Rollin Ridge (1827-1867), also known as Yellow Bird, was born in Georgia to a Cherokee father, who was murdered by a Cherokee leader for having supported the treaty that led to the Trail of Tears. After killing a man who had stolen his horse, Ridge fled to California, where he identified with Mexican Americans who had been displaced from their land by white settlers. He wrote for the San Francisco Herald, among other publications, and was the first editor of the Sacramento Bee. His only novel, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta, was published in 1854.
Hsuan L. Hsu (editor/introducer) is a professor of English at the University of California, Davis.
Diana Gabaldon (foreword) is the author of the multimillion-copy #1 New York Times bestselling Outlander series. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband.
Hsuan L. Hsu (editor/introducer) is a professor of English at the University of California, Davis.
Diana Gabaldon (foreword) is the author of the multimillion-copy #1 New York Times bestselling Outlander series. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband.
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