2008 Woodie Awards
Book Review: Chronicle of a Death Foretold
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1981
Jessica Lillie
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Chronicle of a Death Foretold, written by Nobel Prize for Literature winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez, tells a story revolving around a murder in a small town and the many families and individuals involved.
The story is told by Gabriel Garcia Marquez himself, who is visiting the town after 27 years and decides to dig up the old story about the murder of Santiago Nasar. There are a few things that are facts in the town. Other things, however, are less clear and left up to the interpretation of the reader.
It's true that Bayardo San Roman, who came from a wealthy and highly respected family in another city, married Angela Vicario. When he found out on their wedding night that Angela was not a virgin, he returned her to her home, where Angela's mother beat her out of shame.
Her two brothers, Pedro and Pablo Vicario, asked her what man disgraced her, and she replied that it was Santiago Nasar. To defend her honor and the honor of their family, the brothers knew that it was their duty to find Santiago and kill him.
However, it appeared that the brothers didn't want to commit the murder; on their way to Santiago's house, they told everyone they saw what they planned on doing, hoping that someone would put a stop to it.
Many people heard the plans of the brothers, but did nothing. Each character had their own reasons behind the actions that they took - or, in many cases, didn't take - and in the end, the crime was carried through and the brothers became murderers.
The plot of this story is not what is important; we're well aware of what happens to Santiago. The meat of the story is in the different perspectives of the many characters. The book is done in layers that are non-linear and weave in and out of timeframes, and each character holds their own standpoints on what happened and why.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is an examination behind the motives that drive us into, or out of, action, and is also a wide inspection of the complexities that revolve around fate and choice. Marquez plays well in the realm of magical realism in this way, which is a genre that is as hard to define as it is to write in.
Marquez's writing style is sardonic, poking a bit at the way people excuse themselves from responsibility. He does this skillfully and without a hint of didacticism, a skill rarely found in stories that have moral observations involved.
For the reader of average skill, the number of characters involved could become confusing. There are so many players in this story that it's not impossible to lose sight of them all.
It also takes a bit of concentration to keep track of time and place, as the book is written in a non-linear format.
To say the least, this is certainly not a poolside read. But anyone looking for a novel with a bit more depth and a unique view of the world could truly enjoy this tale.
The story is told by Gabriel Garcia Marquez himself, who is visiting the town after 27 years and decides to dig up the old story about the murder of Santiago Nasar. There are a few things that are facts in the town. Other things, however, are less clear and left up to the interpretation of the reader.
It's true that Bayardo San Roman, who came from a wealthy and highly respected family in another city, married Angela Vicario. When he found out on their wedding night that Angela was not a virgin, he returned her to her home, where Angela's mother beat her out of shame.
Her two brothers, Pedro and Pablo Vicario, asked her what man disgraced her, and she replied that it was Santiago Nasar. To defend her honor and the honor of their family, the brothers knew that it was their duty to find Santiago and kill him.
However, it appeared that the brothers didn't want to commit the murder; on their way to Santiago's house, they told everyone they saw what they planned on doing, hoping that someone would put a stop to it.
Many people heard the plans of the brothers, but did nothing. Each character had their own reasons behind the actions that they took - or, in many cases, didn't take - and in the end, the crime was carried through and the brothers became murderers.
The plot of this story is not what is important; we're well aware of what happens to Santiago. The meat of the story is in the different perspectives of the many characters. The book is done in layers that are non-linear and weave in and out of timeframes, and each character holds their own standpoints on what happened and why.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is an examination behind the motives that drive us into, or out of, action, and is also a wide inspection of the complexities that revolve around fate and choice. Marquez plays well in the realm of magical realism in this way, which is a genre that is as hard to define as it is to write in.
Marquez's writing style is sardonic, poking a bit at the way people excuse themselves from responsibility. He does this skillfully and without a hint of didacticism, a skill rarely found in stories that have moral observations involved.
For the reader of average skill, the number of characters involved could become confusing. There are so many players in this story that it's not impossible to lose sight of them all.
It also takes a bit of concentration to keep track of time and place, as the book is written in a non-linear format.
To say the least, this is certainly not a poolside read. But anyone looking for a novel with a bit more depth and a unique view of the world could truly enjoy this tale.
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