General In His Labyrinth (Penguin fiction)

Book Details

• Publisher: Penguin

• Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

• Language: English

• ISBN: 9780140245295

• Pages: 288

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.0 x 0.8 inches

About the Book:

The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a brilliant and poignant fictionalized account of the last months in the life of Simón Bolívar, the legendary figure who led Latin America’s fight for independence. The novel delves into Bolívar’s final days, focusing on the physical and psychological decline of the once-mighty general, who is no longer celebrated as the hero he once was.

At the age of 46, Bolívar, having been rejected as the President of the new Colombian government, embarks on a journey down the coastline of Colombia, hoping to return to Europe. The book explores Bolívar’s complex emotions as he confronts his fading influence, an unspecified illness, and the abandonment by those who once revered him. As the general drifts along the Magdalena River, he is overwhelmed by memories of his former glory and struggles to accept the deepening reality of his political and personal decline.

Through vivid prose and meticulous detail, Marquez examines the themes of power, memory, and the inevitable fall from grace. The General in His Labyrinth portrays Bolívar not as a triumphant hero but as a man lost in a labyrinth of his own reflections, haunted by his inability to control the fate of Latin America, and weighed down by the ghosts of his past decisions.

Marquez’s signature magical realism is woven through the narrative, adding layers of introspection and emotional depth to a figure who, in his last days, comes to terms with both his failure and his legacy. This masterpiece has been translated into numerous languages, making it accessible to readers around the world, and was a New York Times bestseller upon its release.