The Banana Trilogy

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Another masterpiece of Miguel Asturias is an epic trilogy about the abuse and exploitation of the native Indians on banana plantations. The trilogy, which is composed of the novels The Cyclone (1950), The Green Pope (1954), and lastly, The Eyes of the Interred (1960) ? all translated in English, depicts a fictional story explaining the results of foreign power and control over the banana industry in Central America. Initially, the volumes were published in small numbers in his native land of Guatemala. His smart critique about the banana industry and how the natives were oppressed finally earned him the Lenin Peace Prize, the Soviet Union?s most respected award. Furthermore, the recognition labeled him as one of the few writers to be acknowledged both in the West and in the Communist bloc through the Cold War era.