Men of Maize

work by Asturias

Also known as: “Hombres de maíz”

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June 30, 2026

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Hombres de maíz (1949), or Men of Maize, is a novel by Guatemalan Nobel laureate Miguel Ángel Asturias. Considered his masterpiece, the novel depicts the enduring hardship faced by Indigenous peasant farmers. The work draws on the mysticism of the Maya people and incorporates social protest, reflecting the aspirations of the Guatemalan people. Maize, or corn, was a staple crop for the ancient Maya, who cultivated it alongside beans and squash. Asturias's novel uses this fundamental element of Maya life to explore themes of exploitation and the struggles of Indigenous communities.123

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Miguel Ángel Asturias
In Hombres de maíz (1949; Men of Maize), the novel generally considered his masterpiece, Asturias depicts the seemingly irreversible wretchedness of the Indian peasant. Another aspect of that misery—the exploitation of Indians on the banana plantations—appears in the epic trilogy that comprises the novels Viento fuerte (1950; The Cyclone), El…
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In Hombres de maíz (1949; Men of Maize), the novel generally considered his masterpiece, Asturias depicts the seemingly irreversible wretchedness of the Indian peasant. Another aspect of that misery—the exploitation of Indians on the banana plantations—appears in the epic trilogy that comprises the novels Viento fuerte (1950; The Cyclone), El…
Read More