Tag Archives: Colombian Literature

BOOK: “Of Love and Other Demons” by Gabriel García Márquez

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Of Love and Other DemonsOf Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher – Penguin Random House

This novel revolves around the young daughter of an aristocrat in 18th century Cartagena, Sierva Maria, who is raised by slaves, goes native, and – after being bitten by a rabid dog – is sent to a convent for exorcism. The other central character is the priest, Father Cayetano Delaura, who is dispatched to evaluate the girl and perform the exorcism. Father Delaura doesn’t initially believe the girl is possessed. Sierva Maria speaks the African tribal languages of the slaves who raised her (rather than speaking in tongues as the Nuns believe,) and she is a psychological wreck in large part because the Sisters treat her horribly, believing her to be demon infested. In the process of cleaning Sierva Maria up, tending to her wounds, and coaxing her to speak to him, the priest falls in love with the girl.

It’s a compelling story. Gabriel García Márquez opens the book with a prologue in which he proposes that it was a legend he was told by his grandmother that formed the seed of the story and the real-life discovery of human remains with extremely long hair that trigger his writing. (Sierva Maria has long hair because it was never cut because it was promised to the Saints in prayer when she was saved from choking on her umbilical cord at birth.)

Being set in the 18th century, the book features a fascinating mix of people who believe the problems of Sierva Maria can only be demon possession, an Enlightenment-influenced doctor of the view that it there are more logical explanations, and the many shades in between — epitomized by Father Delaura’s migrating views on the subject.

I’d highly recommend this book for readers of historical fiction.

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BOOK: “The General in His Labyrinth” by Gabriel García Márquez

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The General in His LabyrinthThe General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel García Márquez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Penguin

This is a work of historical fiction by Gabriel García Márquez that tells the story of the last days of Simón Bolívar as the revolutionary hero attempted to flee Latin America toward exile in Europe. (Bolívar led a big chunk of Latin America to independence from Spain and ruled over Gran Colombia — a country that included Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and parts of other adjacent countries.) The story covers a trip up the Magdalena River from Colombia’s interior to the coast and on to Santa Marta, where his trip (and life) would end. [FYI: The title comes from words Bolívar spoke slightly before his death when he was putting together his will in which he said, “…How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?”]

There is some contention about the degree to which the book is historical fiction verses a historical account. It seems there are some fictionalized elements, but because García Márquez leans into the degree to which Bolívar was quite ill during this period the book may be more accurate in some ways than more hagiographic accounts.

The events of the story took place in 1830, and the times present an interesting contrast to our own as Bolívar travels to places that have not yet gotten the news that he is no longer President and treat his visit as one would that of a head of state.

At the book’s end there is a brief epilogue by the author as well as an extensive timeline of Bolívar’s life. The latter is quite useful because this book covers only a short period of time, though one of is great interest.

I’d highly recommend this for readers who enjoy literary fiction and / or are interested in Latin American history.

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