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bridgeman98's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
gharialgirl's review against another edition
3.0
i think i didn’t know enough about south america to fully appreciate this. i still found it clever/ poignant/ moving but a lot of it really dragged for me. i would definitely give this a reread in the future and maybe gather some more context or something
linnlivesinbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A 100 guys named jose free the Americas!!!
A book I bought years and years ago after it was mentioned if i remember correctly several times in Lookin for Alaska by an author I no longer support. The last supposed words of the general are “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!"
Now the book is about the last few months in Simon Bolivars life, as he travels the Magdalena river with a few entrusted friends but mostly his servant turned friend José Palacios.
It’s a historical fiction, based on real life events and the true life of the general but liberties were taken, the generals last trip is the least documented part of his life and therefore the author could change something’s, but you never feel that it’s fabricated and I think that the very few things that were added are based on previous patterns and truths of the generals life.
It was at times confusing to read but, which could also have to do with the fact that I read the whole book save for the last 50 pages on the bus. Or the fact that everyone was named José, which I now have to look up to see why?
All the feelings the general and his friends/soldiers tell of are so familiar and heartbreaking. Almost his whole life the general worked to liberate south america from the spanish occupation and to unite them all under one country. During his life the general was president of Colombia, Peru and the country Bolivia which is named after him. And at first I thought the plot was boring, but it really isn’t and the writing proves that he could write anything and make it interesting!!!
The book was a history lesson and a beautiful book all at the same time. In the photos i’ve added some of my favorite quotes. It’s speaks about longing, and in my opinion how the general despite liberating and working his whole life for the americas never felt he belonged. As a girl living in diaspora I certainly felt what he meant.
A book I bought years and years ago after it was mentioned if i remember correctly several times in Lookin for Alaska by an author I no longer support. The last supposed words of the general are “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!"
Now the book is about the last few months in Simon Bolivars life, as he travels the Magdalena river with a few entrusted friends but mostly his servant turned friend José Palacios.
It’s a historical fiction, based on real life events and the true life of the general but liberties were taken, the generals last trip is the least documented part of his life and therefore the author could change something’s, but you never feel that it’s fabricated and I think that the very few things that were added are based on previous patterns and truths of the generals life.
It was at times confusing to read but, which could also have to do with the fact that I read the whole book save for the last 50 pages on the bus. Or the fact that everyone was named José, which I now have to look up to see why?
All the feelings the general and his friends/soldiers tell of are so familiar and heartbreaking. Almost his whole life the general worked to liberate south america from the spanish occupation and to unite them all under one country. During his life the general was president of Colombia, Peru and the country Bolivia which is named after him. And at first I thought the plot was boring, but it really isn’t and the writing proves that he could write anything and make it interesting!!!
The book was a history lesson and a beautiful book all at the same time. In the photos i’ve added some of my favorite quotes. It’s speaks about longing, and in my opinion how the general despite liberating and working his whole life for the americas never felt he belonged. As a girl living in diaspora I certainly felt what he meant.
chez_abaa's review against another edition
5.0
Ky është libri i katërt i Marquez-it që kam lexuar. E kam shijuar shumë për stilin dhe ndërtimin e një personazhi në mënyrë aq të plotë, sa nuk ke zgjedhje tjetër veç admirimit kundrejt tij. Një roman me tipare historike, por që rrëshqet në mënyrë të heshtur dhe pa bujë drejt një drame (tragjedie!) të shpirtit njerëzor, të gërryer pa mëshirë nga tradhëtitë, humbjet dhe mbi të gjitha prej shkëlqimit të humbur. Prekja e trajtës më të fshehur të një embleme si Simon Bolivari, asaj që ai u pëpoq aq shumë ta fshehë pas shpërthimeve të papërmbajtshme dhe kllapive të tuberkulozit.
morganwc's review against another edition
3.0
I read parts of it in Spanish and parts in English and also skimmed a lot because it was hard to make myself pay attention.
Basically Simón Bolívar is really sick and weak, has a lot of lovers (of questionable ages), and cannot go to Europe like he wants because he doesn’t have a passport, and then he dies. The politics and travel and characters were so boring that the repeated mentions of gonorrhea were the highlight for me.
Basically Simón Bolívar is really sick and weak, has a lot of lovers (of questionable ages), and cannot go to Europe like he wants because he doesn’t have a passport, and then he dies. The politics and travel and characters were so boring that the repeated mentions of gonorrhea were the highlight for me.
jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy this fictional piece about Simon Bolivar's last days as much as I had enjoyed the other novels by Gabriel García Márquez that I have read. "The General in His Labyrinth" is missing some of the magic that I love Marquez for.
isac's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
pkiwi's review against another edition
4.0
This book is extremely hard to get into, possibly because of my utter lack of knowledge of the history of South America. However, when I finished the book I was sad to depart Marquez' world and wanted to read it again (feeling I might understand it better and appreciate it more a second time around). 3,5 stars.