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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
For me, rereading Márquez is like returning to an old friend. You haven't seen each other in a long time, but you pick up just where you left off, like it was yesterday. I always go back to him whenever I'm in a reading slump or just feel the need for something familiar, but which still keeps me engaged, despite knowing what will happen.
"The General" was the book that made me fall in love with historical fiction, in general, and South-American history, in particular. Others (Allende, Vargas Llosa) followed, but Márquez was my first love. This novel is one of those slow-paced, leisurely journeys where the ending is spelled-out to you right from the beginning (we know the main character dies - not only because he's been actually dead for almost 200 years, but because we are told so from the first pages), but it's still exciting to follow his last journey, his decisions - political and otherwise - as he comes to grips with his own mortality and the slow realization that his dream - that of a united America - is an impossibility.
Márquez humanizes this great hero, he takes him out of the history books and gives him life beyond the battles, the political machinations, the freedom dream. Bolivar is not the dictator anymore - he's a sick man, tired of war and politics, but still not wanting to be forgotten. It's his last scream, his last struggle, his last attempt to get out of the labyrinth.
This is a dense novel, one filled with historical facts - a come-and-go between past and present, with Bolivar rememorating his life just as he slowly reaches its end. I feel there's research needed to understand the historical context, which is why this might feel like a slow read. But it's one of the things I most love about historical fiction.
There's still nothing I can really criticize about Márquez's prose. He's still one of my all-time favourite authors.
"The General" was the book that made me fall in love with historical fiction, in general, and South-American history, in particular. Others (Allende, Vargas Llosa) followed, but Márquez was my first love. This novel is one of those slow-paced, leisurely journeys where the ending is spelled-out to you right from the beginning (we know the main character dies - not only because he's been actually dead for almost 200 years, but because we are told so from the first pages), but it's still exciting to follow his last journey, his decisions - political and otherwise - as he comes to grips with his own mortality and the slow realization that his dream - that of a united America - is an impossibility.
Márquez humanizes this great hero, he takes him out of the history books and gives him life beyond the battles, the political machinations, the freedom dream. Bolivar is not the dictator anymore - he's a sick man, tired of war and politics, but still not wanting to be forgotten. It's his last scream, his last struggle, his last attempt to get out of the labyrinth.
This is a dense novel, one filled with historical facts - a come-and-go between past and present, with Bolivar rememorating his life just as he slowly reaches its end. I feel there's research needed to understand the historical context, which is why this might feel like a slow read. But it's one of the things I most love about historical fiction.
There's still nothing I can really criticize about Márquez's prose. He's still one of my all-time favourite authors.
Look I get it. I get why it is important, why people still read and appreciate it. And I really enjoyed the descriptions of South America, of the travels, of the people and the dose of existential crisis (thank you Alaska Young for that). But perhaps it wasn't for me/ I did not read it at the right time. Nonetheless, I appreciated the reading experience.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"...entonces no se sentirá ni de aquí ni de allá. Se sentirá forastero en todas partes , y eso es peor que estar muerto".
ya había subido esto, pero esta es la edición que leí y me dio cosa, lol.
wow. cuando comencé el libro no tenía idea de lo que me iba a encontrar; la idea de la lectura se dio por buscando a alaska de john green, en donde repetidas veces se menciona el título. pero puedo decir que lo que leí fue una grata sorpresa.
la historia tiene tintes muy melancólicos y algo tristes, teniendo en cuenta la situación del protagonista, pero eso no hace que se pierda la chispa de chisme político que carga también, lol.
la verdad me la pasé bastante bien, y al final me puse poquito triste; yo lo recomiendo :)
btw, JOSÉ PALACIOS ES TODO LO QUE ESTÁ BIEN EN EL MUNDO Y YO LO QUIERO CON TODO MI CORAZÓN.
ya había subido esto, pero esta es la edición que leí y me dio cosa, lol.
wow. cuando comencé el libro no tenía idea de lo que me iba a encontrar; la idea de la lectura se dio por buscando a alaska de john green, en donde repetidas veces se menciona el título. pero puedo decir que lo que leí fue una grata sorpresa.
la historia tiene tintes muy melancólicos y algo tristes, teniendo en cuenta la situación del protagonista, pero eso no hace que se pierda la chispa de chisme político que carga también, lol.
la verdad me la pasé bastante bien, y al final me puse poquito triste; yo lo recomiendo :)
btw, JOSÉ PALACIOS ES TODO LO QUE ESTÁ BIEN EN EL MUNDO Y YO LO QUIERO CON TODO MI CORAZÓN.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finishing this book, is like waking up after a warm and friendly dream. Somehow I don't really remember most of the "plot", though I have to admit it is written beautifully and made an impression on me...Marquez really is gifted.
"The General in His Labyrinth", describes the last days of "The general"/Simon Bolivar, besides it goes through some of his major life events in flashbacks. If you are into South American history, you might no something about him. If you like me, live an ignorant-to-south-american-culture-north-european-life, then you probably haven't (reading on the backflip of the book doesn't count.)
What I liked the most wasn't just the language, but also the topic. Not necesarily the topic of south american military visions a couple of hundred years ago, but more the topic of a great man with a vision and how he handels loosing the power not just over his military accomplishments, but also over his own body. all the obstacles he meets from political enemies who try to attack him when he is the weakest etc.
...But unfortunately, the plot actually did bore my slightly...so if there was on thing that motivated me, it was the beautiful language.
3 out of 5 stars
"The General in His Labyrinth", describes the last days of "The general"/Simon Bolivar, besides it goes through some of his major life events in flashbacks. If you are into South American history, you might no something about him. If you like me, live an ignorant-to-south-american-culture-north-european-life, then you probably haven't (reading on the backflip of the book doesn't count.)
What I liked the most wasn't just the language, but also the topic. Not necesarily the topic of south american military visions a couple of hundred years ago, but more the topic of a great man with a vision and how he handels loosing the power not just over his military accomplishments, but also over his own body. all the obstacles he meets from political enemies who try to attack him when he is the weakest etc.
...But unfortunately, the plot actually did bore my slightly...so if there was on thing that motivated me, it was the beautiful language.
3 out of 5 stars
سه و نیم.
می تونستم بهش چهار هم بدم ولی ترجمه خوب نبود.
+ ریویو باشه برای بعد :)
می تونستم بهش چهار هم بدم ولی ترجمه خوب نبود.
+ ریویو باشه برای بعد :)