The Cotton-Pickers

By B. Traven

Book Overview

The background of The Cotton-Pickers, set in Mexico in the 1920s, is the struggle of the emerging trade unions to end the exploitation of hungry laborers. Gales, a laconic American drifter, turns his hand to anything for a meal and a flea-bitten bunk--he works on a cotton plantation, in an oil field, in a bakery, as a cowboy for a North American ranch owner. Opposing exploitation, he leaves behind him a trail of rebellion. Underlying this lively and funny tale of his adventures is a powerful study of social injustice, and most of all a testament to the strength of human courage and dignity one of Traven's favorite themes. "B. Traven is coming to be recognized as one of the narrative masters of the twentieth century."--New York Times Book Review. "Great storytellers often arise like Judaic just men to exemplify and rehearse the truth for their generation. The elusive B. Traven was just such a man."--Book World.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566630754
• ISBN13: 9781566630757
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
• Length: 207 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Readable Look at Mexican Poverty and Transients

This is an interesting story about poverty and worker exploitation in Mexico during the late 1920's. The story is narrated by Gales, an offbeat American living as a nomad in Mexico and bouncing from one crummy job to another. He picks cotton, works in a bakery, drives cattle, etc. The only jobs available to him, Indians, and other transients offer low pay, long hours, and demeaning conditions. Many jobs also feature crooked employers that cheat their workers. Despite these difficulties, Gales has a sense of freedom, which he greatly values. Also, there are a couple decent employers and some successful strikes by workers. Author B. Traven (1890-1969) had a nicely readable style, a soft heart for underpaid workers, and disdain for the seamier side of capitalism. This isn't his best work, but it's an entertaining story of transient poverty and exploitation in Mexico. Readers should be sure not to miss his TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.

cotton-pickin' cotton pickers

Well, what's there to say? It was written by the same talented writer who wrote Treasure of the Sierra Madre. You won't be disappointed. Traven delivers. Easy read. I read it in a day. The man is always for the underdog--who can't relate to that? The only thing that bothers me at times is Traven's political [views]. Man obviously had an ax to grind--well, ok, I suppose, everyone has an ax to grind about something. But when it comes to poltics and religion--well, two subjects that just sicken me--because you can never get anywhere with that stuff. You can talk about that b.s. until you're blue in the face and still end up nowhere.Other than that--yes, I highly recommend the book.