Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Vintage International)

This novella by the nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a stunner! The narration, the plot, the elements of magic realism, the story, the folkloric tinge - everything is masterful and crafted with an adeptness characteristic of this magician of a writer. It grips the reader right from page one, and can be put down only when finished. Take my word - There's no other way to deal with this one. Although short, it is 'as full of incident, as richly and roundly characterised, as many books four, five or possibly ten times its length...' ( Evening Standard) Gabriel Garcia Marquez raises some critical moral debates and brings to fore the collective responsibility of a society towards the crime of honor. What might be misunderstood as misogynistic undertones, is actually the writer's unabashed portrayal of the flaws of patriarchy. The most striking feature of this book is how the mystery is revealed right in the beginning but still it remains as gripping and as engaging had the writer indulged in the mundane practice of weaving events and proofs for later revelation. I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to be lured into the enchanting realms of literature. Tip: It takes only a few hours to be read so pick it on a Sunday or an off day to turn an otherwise lazy day into an exciting adventure.

The ending is mesmerising, unbelievable and shocking at the same time. The mother unwittingly becomes a party to the murder of her son, so sadly discovered later by her! The magical charm of Marquez’s writing drips on every word, every sentence.

I have heard so much about Marquez’s books. He is known to weave his stories wrapped in magical realism. His writing style is one of those that enchant you completely. And to get all those heard words right, I picked up this one as my first Garcia’s read. No wonder he is a Noble Prize Winner in literature. Chronicle Of A Death Foretold is a gripping story that portrays the shame of the society which believes in the virginity of a woman only if she can produce a crimson stain on the white sheet after her first night. This formed the plotline of this book. Angela is returned to her parents’ home after her husband Bayardo discovers that she is not a virgin. Her mother beats her up to get the name out of her mouth who deflowered her. She utters, “Santiago Nasar.” Hearing this, her twin brothers set on a fury mission to kill the young man. They announce their plan of killing Santiago to everyone in the town. Yet he could not be saved from succumbing to the children’s play of stabbing. To know why, read the book. It is a fine piece of literature that develops its story slowly, taking its own sweet time. I liked how the author manages to keep the reader hooked to the book till the last page without any evident suspense. The book keeps its readers attached to it solely on the grounds of its spellbinding narration. The narrative is smooth and the central plot intriguing. Although there were so many characters to puzzle me, in the end, the book did captivate me. I would recommend this book to people who already have a good command over language and possess a habit of reading a little complex literature. For the newbies, wait for a while before you embark on exploring Marquez’s world.

Excellent

So began reading the book late last night and I am done with this book this morning. This is the kind of story that once you start reading it you just can't put it down. Intense, gripping, amazing; these are some of the adjectives you can use with this book. The way Marquez has written the book clearly depicts that this prized journalist is clearly deserving of the noble prize he received in literature. The book is written in a well defined way, and Marquez actually succeeds in recreating the day of the murder down to the last detail. The book is haunting, especially the scene when Nasar is murdered; it leaves you on the edge of your seat, completely horrified and disgusted and breathless. In short, a completely amazing, breathtaking story!

The book that I received had some spelling errors, but I enjoyed the story.

Death is in the title. So, it is no mystery that someone dies. But when the death comes finally, it punches you in the gut and leaves the scars that constantly remind you how well this book is written. The remarkable thing is that the author declares within the first page, who dies and subsequently elaborates beautifully the killers and the motive of murder. The killer declare openly to everyone that they are going to kill. What happens subsequently is the description of efforts people put (or do not put) to save the person. Is the killing justified? Out of the many tragedies that take place, with whom do you sympathize the most? The book is short and can be read in a one sitting. Highly recommended for people who like murder mysteries. This page-turner although is of a completely different kind.

🔪 Angela Vicario is sent back to her parents' house on the night of her wedding to Bayardo San Román as she cannot produce the "stain of honour". Her mother beats her as she has brought shame to the family. And when her twin brothers ask her about the perpetrator, she utters Santiago Nasar's name. After the name is revealed, the twin brothers pick up the best knives and go to kill the sinner and to bring back their sister's honour. On their way they announce openly to everyone they meet that they're going to commit a murder. Even though so many people come to know about this "foretold death", no one can save Santiago from this fatal incident. 🔪 This book portrays how unjust, insensitive and inhumane society can be sometimes. A woman is held guilty just because she cannot produce the crimson stain on her first night. And a man is killed so barbarously on the basis of a mere accusation, without any proof. 🔪 This is an immensely captivating and mind-boggling book. The language is a bit difficult. And there are so many characters that readers may get confused sometimes. But the intriguing plot and the enthralling writing style will keep you hooked to the book until the very end. If you haven't read this book yet, do give it a try