Un juez rural (1924; Country Judge: A Novel of Chile) was thought by some Chilean readers to be an autobiographical account of a period Prado spent as a district judge. The work is generally viewed as a critique of prejudice and injustice. Its protagonist, a judge without a law degree or any formal judicial training, uses common sense, his conscience, and a simple belief in what is just to resolve disputes, but finds himself viciously attacked for his views. Rather than being a narrow, denunciatory work, however, Un juez rural manifests a sense of humor and optimism. --www.enotes.com.