Hatcham Woods
29-03-2004, 13:23
As a spin off from the "Read any good books lately" thread what is your favourite Gabriel Garcia Marquez story, and why?
From the novels for me it's got to be News of a Kidnapping. Not only was I living in Colombia at the time and remember the story vividly, GGM recreats it breathlessly, and as is use usual magical style manages to write a tale, much like Colombia herself, beauty and cruelty waltz hand in hand.
Then there is The General In His Labyrinth, the dying days of Simon Bolivar, deposed from power. He's always been a personal hero, as well as a national one, and it is a sad and moving tale of a broken man, who sees everything he fought for come crashing down around him.
Of the many short stories I would have to pick The Third Resignation, told entirely from the point of view of a corpse slowly decaying in the hot still night, One of These Days which despite being a scant two pages perfectly recreates the timelessness of an isolated Colombian town with a corrupt mayor and a lethargic dentist. Then there's Eva is In Her Cat where a long dead woman ponders the idea of possessing a cat just for one last taste of an orange.
For the fans I would definatly recommend his autobiography Living to Tell The Tale
From the novels for me it's got to be News of a Kidnapping. Not only was I living in Colombia at the time and remember the story vividly, GGM recreats it breathlessly, and as is use usual magical style manages to write a tale, much like Colombia herself, beauty and cruelty waltz hand in hand.
Then there is The General In His Labyrinth, the dying days of Simon Bolivar, deposed from power. He's always been a personal hero, as well as a national one, and it is a sad and moving tale of a broken man, who sees everything he fought for come crashing down around him.
Of the many short stories I would have to pick The Third Resignation, told entirely from the point of view of a corpse slowly decaying in the hot still night, One of These Days which despite being a scant two pages perfectly recreates the timelessness of an isolated Colombian town with a corrupt mayor and a lethargic dentist. Then there's Eva is In Her Cat where a long dead woman ponders the idea of possessing a cat just for one last taste of an orange.
For the fans I would definatly recommend his autobiography Living to Tell The Tale