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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Had to go back to the library and I hadn't made progress with it. I liked the first part that I read but I just wasn't in the head space for it.
Erster Eindruck 4 Stern, hat aber kein nachbrennen also erstmal auf drei runter
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"...he was shaken by the overwhelming revelation that the headlong race between his misfortunes and his dreams was at that moment reaching the finish line. The rest was darkness." Gabriel García Márquez and The General and His Labyrinth
The General in "The General and His Labyrinth" is no other than Simón Bolívar, the man who waged wars against Spanish imperialism in South America and then led the country that is now known as Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama. Instead of recounting his glory in politics and wars, Gabo decided to tell the story of the last days in Bolívar's life: when the general had just renounced his power, succumbed to illness, and driven to self-exile to Europe, and yet still trapped in the tumultuous country that he helped forge into being.
Gabo spent years researching for the novel, as this period in Bolívar's life is one of the least documented. The General himself in the novel repeatedly shows his disdain towards memoirs. “They’re nothing but dead men making trouble," he says. Further, Bolívar also asked that his letters be burned after his death -- a request that was fortunately ignored by many since without the documents we wouldn't have any glimpse of the inner workings of his mind.
"The General and His Labyrinth" treads the thin line between a novel and nonfiction. As a former journalist, Gabo had a feat in weaving truth into his story. While he is probably the most renowned for magical realism, it is his journalistic works that truly show his mastery of writing. In an interview with The Paris Review, Gabo said, "In journalism just one fact that is false prejudices the entire work. In contrast, in fiction one single fact that is true gives legitimacy to the entire work. That’s the only difference, and it lies in the commitment of the writer. A novelist can do anything he wants so long as he makes people believe in it."
Simón Bolívar in the book is not a legend resurrected, but a human fleshed out straight from the history. The general is old and weak, he's flawed and paradoxical, and nevertheless, a tragic enigma. The book is such an admirable narrative of Bolívar's life, so much so that almost two centuries after his death, we can nod in agreement that, yes, this is the man who liberated half of the continent and ended up being a prisoner of his own labyrinth of power and politics. May he rest in peace.
The General in "The General and His Labyrinth" is no other than Simón Bolívar, the man who waged wars against Spanish imperialism in South America and then led the country that is now known as Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama. Instead of recounting his glory in politics and wars, Gabo decided to tell the story of the last days in Bolívar's life: when the general had just renounced his power, succumbed to illness, and driven to self-exile to Europe, and yet still trapped in the tumultuous country that he helped forge into being.
Gabo spent years researching for the novel, as this period in Bolívar's life is one of the least documented. The General himself in the novel repeatedly shows his disdain towards memoirs. “They’re nothing but dead men making trouble," he says. Further, Bolívar also asked that his letters be burned after his death -- a request that was fortunately ignored by many since without the documents we wouldn't have any glimpse of the inner workings of his mind.
"The General and His Labyrinth" treads the thin line between a novel and nonfiction. As a former journalist, Gabo had a feat in weaving truth into his story. While he is probably the most renowned for magical realism, it is his journalistic works that truly show his mastery of writing. In an interview with The Paris Review, Gabo said, "In journalism just one fact that is false prejudices the entire work. In contrast, in fiction one single fact that is true gives legitimacy to the entire work. That’s the only difference, and it lies in the commitment of the writer. A novelist can do anything he wants so long as he makes people believe in it."
Simón Bolívar in the book is not a legend resurrected, but a human fleshed out straight from the history. The general is old and weak, he's flawed and paradoxical, and nevertheless, a tragic enigma. The book is such an admirable narrative of Bolívar's life, so much so that almost two centuries after his death, we can nod in agreement that, yes, this is the man who liberated half of the continent and ended up being a prisoner of his own labyrinth of power and politics. May he rest in peace.
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a reread, I read this in high school and feel in love with Bolivar then. Garcia Marquez has a way of alternating between making him more myth than man and then later devastatingly human. Some of the politics in this book can be hard to follow which is why this doesn't get the full five but this book is definitely a masterpiece and a love letter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death
Moderate: Vomit, Murder, War
Minor: Racial slurs
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"To live past the end of your myth is a perilous thing" -Anne Carson