I've been thinking about Columbian writer Gabriel García Márquez quite a bit since hearing about his passing on April 17th.
My first exposure to Márquez's work was when I read his short
story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." It's a beautiful story
about religion, greed, and humanity (or lack thereof). The story establishes a wonderful social commentary while also utilizing one key element:
magical realism. Márquez often utilized magical realism which meant his
stories contained magical elements but these components were treated as normal parts of the world we live in. He is not alone in this genre (Rudolfo Anaya is another great
author who utilizes this), but his work is eye opening for those willing to
take the time to experience it. As a writer of fantasy, exploring magical
realism is an interesting and educational way to look at utilizing fantastical elements within
a story.
With his passing, Márquez
leaves behind many famous novels such as "Love in the Time of
Cholera," and "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
Unfortunately, as time fills up with other things, we don't always sit down and
spend the time enjoying great literature. It's sad that only when someone has
passed on that we consider reading their work. Well, maybe it's more
bittersweet than sad; his passing is a reminder that his legacy remains, that
his books are still here to show us interesting ways to explore magic in our
lives and our own stories.
If you've got 15 minutes that you can dedicate to reading something by this wonderful author, perhaps a way
to commemorate the man, check out his short story "A
Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" at the link below:
No comments:
Post a Comment