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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 100 years of solitude is in my top 5 favourite books of all time. And I do have a strong interest in historical fiction. But this book was a chore to slog through. I felt I was in labyrinth myself of repetitive days with The General. Letters, visits, illness, politics, repeat. Perhaps that was the point, but it was certainly not a fun voyage. In the final 100 pages I was actually saying to my wife "I wish he would hurry up and die already" which is awful of me.
Another book for the charity shop.
Another book for the charity shop.
Bis jetzt das schlechteste Buch von Marquez, welches ich gelesen habe
4.5 stars!
I must say that I felt a bit lost in the beginning of this extremely well written novel.
Full disclosure...I don't really know anything about Simon Bolivar or his role in history outside a quick search, the chronology of his life by Vinicio Romero Martinez which I found in my book, and what Gabriel Garcia Marquez painted in his story.
BUT, with all this...I ended up feeling sad for Bolivar's tragic end...his way of thinking, his controversies and mysteries, the sheer charm to impose such powerful emotions...were all there on the page.
I guess, we got to know a man, and also not necessary...to be able to express exactly who he was I believe needs a lot of attention, and search. So we can say he was a magnetic soul for friends and foes, and a hand that created history. Most definitely, he was a genius to achieve his dreams even for a moment. Such strength seldom comes to anyone!
Here we find constant jumps to past events, somewhat rushed and vague, a lot of captains, war comrades and dignitaries that lacked the ability to remain in my memory(this is my only complain..and that is unjust...after all, I don't know Latin America's history and I cannot blame an author for not holding my hand).
We also get Jose Palacios, Bolivar's lovers, Manuela Saenz, Ibarra, Fernando, Montilla, Wilson, and Urdaneta, Santander as absent characters. Hmm...it is almost a book about the people around Bolivar and their absolute faith in him! They knew his condition, but their desire and hope to follow him again was sooo much stronger than the sad truth of a man dying from disillusion.
Here we also find an accurate description of denying an inevitable end, a effort to contradict everything that wants to take you down...at such lengths that even enemies are completely sure you are fine and apt for battle. But also, we find a very lonely man, who cannot know a feeling stronger than desire for unification(of what?...I'm not sure he knew...).
This is as rare as it is common...for people to try to outrun their closing chapter, and always failing.
This is a journey to get out of your own labyrinth!
Enjoy!
I must say that I felt a bit lost in the beginning of this extremely well written novel.
Full disclosure...I don't really know anything about Simon Bolivar or his role in history outside a quick search, the chronology of his life by Vinicio Romero Martinez which I found in my book, and what Gabriel Garcia Marquez painted in his story.
BUT, with all this...I ended up feeling sad for Bolivar's tragic end...his way of thinking, his controversies and mysteries, the sheer charm to impose such powerful emotions...were all there on the page.
I guess, we got to know a man, and also not necessary...to be able to express exactly who he was I believe needs a lot of attention, and search. So we can say he was a magnetic soul for friends and foes, and a hand that created history. Most definitely, he was a genius to achieve his dreams even for a moment. Such strength seldom comes to anyone!
Here we find constant jumps to past events, somewhat rushed and vague, a lot of captains, war comrades and dignitaries that lacked the ability to remain in my memory(this is my only complain..and that is unjust...after all, I don't know Latin America's history and I cannot blame an author for not holding my hand).
We also get Jose Palacios, Bolivar's lovers, Manuela Saenz, Ibarra, Fernando, Montilla, Wilson, and Urdaneta, Santander as absent characters. Hmm...it is almost a book about the people around Bolivar and their absolute faith in him! They knew his condition, but their desire and hope to follow him again was sooo much stronger than the sad truth of a man dying from disillusion.
Here we also find an accurate description of denying an inevitable end, a effort to contradict everything that wants to take you down...at such lengths that even enemies are completely sure you are fine and apt for battle. But also, we find a very lonely man, who cannot know a feeling stronger than desire for unification(of what?...I'm not sure he knew...).
This is as rare as it is common...for people to try to outrun their closing chapter, and always failing.
This is a journey to get out of your own labyrinth!
Enjoy!
challenging
informative
reflective
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
Breve pero denso recuento de los últimos días de Simón Bolívar. Difícil saber, cuando se trata de Gabo, cuánto es ficción y cuánto parte de su abrumadora capacidad de investigación. Lamento reportar que este es el primero libro de mi héroe que no me gustó y no sé por qué. Lectura pesada, mucha tristeza en las líneas. O quizá no estaba preparado para él. Disappointing.
Por fin!!! libro tres ready, Garcia Marquez me complico con su narración, pero al final me maravillo y me dejo pensando en que es increíble que conozca mas sobre la vida de un venezolano por alguien "ajeno" al país que por los mismos habitantes.
trigger warning
lethal illness, sexual assault, racism, misogyny
No review, just warnings.
No review, just warnings.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness
Moderate: Violence, Medical content