▁Background ▁In ▁a ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁interview , ▁the ▁German ▁critic ▁G unter ▁W . ▁Lor enz ▁asked ▁Miguel ▁Áng el ▁Ast ur ias ▁why ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁write ▁and ▁the ▁novel ist ▁replied : ▁▁ ▁This ▁experience , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 8 , ▁led ▁Ast ur ias ▁to ▁write ▁"" ▁(" The ▁Political ▁Beg g ars "), ▁an ▁un pub lished ▁short ▁story ▁that ▁would ▁later ▁develop ▁into ▁his ▁first ▁novel , ▁. ▁Ast ur ias ▁began ▁writing ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁law ▁student ▁in ▁Gu atem ala . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁anth rop ology ▁at ▁the ▁Sor bon ne ▁under ▁George ▁Ray na ud . ▁While ▁living ▁in ▁France , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁also ▁associated ▁with ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Sur real ist ▁movement ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁fellow ▁future ▁Latin ▁American ▁writers ▁such ▁as ▁Art uro ▁U sl ar ▁Piet ri ▁and ▁the ▁Cub an ▁Ale jo ▁Car pent ier . ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁shortly ▁before ▁Ast ur ias ▁returned ▁to ▁Gu atem ala . ▁ ▁Even ▁though ▁ ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁an ▁un named ▁Latin ▁American ▁country , ▁govern ed ▁by ▁an ▁un named ▁President ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁nin ete enth ▁or ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁there ▁is ▁still ▁plenty ▁of ▁support ▁linking ▁the ▁novel ▁to