Six Months In Mexico


Read by James K. White

(4.5 stars; 9 reviews)

This is an account of Nellie Bly's travels through Mexico in 1885. The book was originally a series of individual articles that she submitted to the Pittsburgh Dispatch newspaper for publication. In them she described the conditions of the people and the political system she found in Mexico. Her narratives focused mostly on the impoverished and disadvantaged in a country whose government was extremely corrupt.

Bly was perhaps what we now term a feminist, striving for the empowerment and independence of women. She certainly pioneered the field of investigative reporting. Nevertheless, Bly's journalistic objectivity is often tainted by an uninformed, 19th-century, "gringo" world view.

Bly's travels in Mexico ended abruptly after the Dispatch published an article she wrote exposing that government's ill treatment of another journalist who criticized the regime of President Porfirio Diaz. Bly's Mexico articles were later published in book form in 1888. (Summary by James K. White) (8 hr 13 min)

Chapters

Chp. I, Adieu To The United States 6:41 Read by James K. White
Chp. II, El Paso Del Norte 9:02 Read by James K. White
Chp. III, Along The Route 11:49 Read by James K. White
Chp. IV, The City Of Mexico 4:58 Read by James K. White
Chp. V, In The Streets Of Mexico 16:05 Read by James K. White
Chp. VI, How Sunday Is Celebrated 11:11 Read by James K. White
Chp. VII, A Horseback Ride Over Historic Grounds 15:46 Read by James K. White
Chp. VIII, A Mexican Bull-Fight 24:43 Read by James K. White
Chp. IX, The Museum And Its Curiosities 17:13 Read by James K. White
Chp. X, Historic Tombs And Lonely Graves 19:40 Read by James K. White
Chp. XI, Cupid's Work In Sunnyland 14:09 Read by James K. White
Chp. XII, Joaquin Miller And Coffin Street 12:28 Read by James K. White
Chp. XIII, In Mexican Theaters 14:03 Read by James K. White
Chp. XIV, The Floating Gardens 15:36 Read by James K. White
Chp. XV, The Castle Of Chapultepec 14:26 Read by James K. White
Chp. XVI, The Feasts Of The Gamblers 13:22 Read by James K. White
Chp. XVII, Feast Of Flowers And Lenten Celebrations 22:51 Read by James K. White
Chp. XVIII, Guadalupe And Its Romantic Legend 14:37 Read by James K. White
Chp. XIX, A Day's Trip On A Street Car 22:04 Read by James K. White
Chp. XX, Where Maximilian's American Colony Lived 20:17 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXI, A Mexican Arcadia 20:12 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXII, The Wonders Of Puebla 17:34 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXIII, The Pyramid Of Cholula 17:41 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXIV, A Few Notes About Mexican Presidents 14:00 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXV, Mexican Soldiers And The Rurales 10:16 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXVI, The Press Of Mexico 12:28 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXVII, The Ghastly Tale Of Don Juan Manuel 12:48 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXVIII, A Mexican Parlor 6:59 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXIX, Love And Courtship In Mexico 9:09 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXX, Scenes Within Mexican Homes 20:47 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXI, The Romance Of The Mexican Pulque 7:39 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXII, Mexican Manners 8:55 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXIII, Noche Triste Tree 8:36 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXIV, Little Notes Of Interest 9:30 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXV, A Few Recipes For Mexican Dishes 5:10 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXVI, Some Mexican Legends 6:33 Read by James K. White
Chp. XXXVII, Princess Josefa De Yturbide 4:02 Read by James K. White

Reviews

A mixed bag.


(4.5 stars)

Clearly the author did not much like Mexicans and it shows. Sometimes this tone is subtle, hut often it is glaring. Many remarks could easily offend, but might also make one laugh. I usually tried to laugh. Sprinkled amongst the racism are a great deal of interesting "facts". One of these "facts" is that Marijuana puts the smoker in ecstasy for 5 days. After that, I no longer tried to commit any of the "facts" to memory and just went along for the fun. Which is my recommendation to you from the start. The narrator is inhumanly perfect and accent-neutral (I kept picturing a Vulcan). He also smoothly transitions into textbook Spanish pronunciation where required, then back again. This guy is good! Somehow, he made the book even funnier.