The General in His Labyrinth [Paperback]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1991

At the age of forty-six General Simon Bolivar, who drove the Spanish from his lands and became the Liberator of South America, takes himself into exile. He makes a final journey down the Magdalene River, revisiting the cities along its shores, reliving the triumphs, passions and betrayals of his youth. Consumed by the memories of what he has done and what he failed to do, Bolivar hopes to see a way out of the labyrinth in which he has lived all his life...'Breathtaking. A superb fictional recreation of Bolivar's last month' - "Observer".

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140245294
• ISBN-13: 978-0140245295
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The General in his Labyrinth, December 16, 2009

By 

Suzanne Pry - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The General in His Labyrinth (Paperback)

The General in his Labyrinth
The General in his Labyrinth was written by Gabriel García Márquez and published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York in 1990. It is the middle of the eighteen hundreds and starts with a man who we know as General Simón Bolívar. He is an old time war hero and is stuck in his glory days when the people of South America believed in his heroism. Everyday he wakes up and tells his most loyal servant that today will be the day when he will finally leave Santa Fe de Bogotá. He has not done so for many years. There have been many attempts on his life; assassins, poisons, and mobs have attempted to take the Generals life but none succeed. The General has been in the front of battles leading the way to the enemy and has never attained even a scratch. Many felt he was invincible.
He finally decides to leave and resigns his presidency. He takes a trip down Magdalena River and remembers all the things that have happened to him when he came here. He also remembers the only goal he has left. He wishes to reunite the "kingdom" he once had. This novel fallows his adventures down the river and through his denial of his own inevitable death and exile, unsure witch fate is worse.
I was not particularly impressed with this book. I enjoy books that are based around an event that has actually occurred but is twisted and changed to be very unrealistic and entertaining. This book, while being modified and yet, still realistic, was too close to reality for my enjoyment. It followed the actual timeline of the life of General Simón Bolívar but did not contain many well written outstanding events in my opinion. To me it seemed that this novel was written, not for the fiction audience, but for the audience of those who wish to know more about General Simón Bolívar. A hero can be great once and lose twice as much as he was great. The General once had life and fame but lost all except his love. One step forward and two steps back
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history in a fashion that is not its raw core but only one view of this many sided event.