Due to copyright restrictions (Ibargüengoitia died in 1983; his works are protected in Mexico and the US until 2033+), is widely available. However, the novel is in print in Spanish from Editorial Joaquín Mortiz / Planeta, and an English translation exists ( The Lightning of August , translated by Irene del Corral). Many university libraries offer digital scans for enrolled students.
The novel critiques the caudillo (strongman) system and how revolutionary leaders became local tyrants. los relámpagos de agosto pdf