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Summary: Chronicle of a death foretold review
Review: Gabriel Garcia Marquez applied his special tatic of mystery and confusion just like the famous boo, ¡°One Hundred Years of Solitude here. It describes a story of the murder case that happened 27 years ago in a town where the narrator, ¡°me¡± of the book grew up. It is based on a true story which the author heard when he grow up. But, the story was modified and fictionalized by him. There are so many characters in the book that the readers have to pay special attention to keep track of all of them; it is very easy to get confused.
Santiago Nasar who is murdered brutally had not even known the reason for his death. He was confused when he was informed that the Vicario brothers wanted to kill him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand a God-damned thing¡±(p.135) The Vicario brothers, Pedro and Pablo feels that they were obliged to kill Santiago since their sister, Angela confesses he was the one who took her virginity. Without any future investigation or proof, they decide to kill Santiago. Angela marries a rich guy named Bayardo San Roman who has just come in to the town looking for a girl to get married. Unfortunately, Bayardo finds out that Angela is not a virgin after the wedding and then returns her home. Angela takes a little time and tells her brothers that it was Santiago. The Vicario brothers feel that Santiago has dishonored their family and that they have to kill him. This news gets spread between townsmen, but nobody dares to take it seriously. The death, which could be prevented, then occurs when the Vicario brothers meet Santiago in front of his house.
The narrator interviews all the people who were involved in that incident 27 years later, but never explain or clarify whether Santiago actually took Angela¡¯s virginity or not. Also, it is not clear why people did not help Santiago.
There has been controversy over whether it rained or not on the day in which Santiago is brutally murdered. Some claims that it rained when the others say it was a beautiful shiny day. Santiago could avoid the murder if he had sat down with his future father-in-law and talk about the murder plan of the Vicario. Extremely confused, he just wanders around and finally finds his house when the Vicario brothers have been waiting for his appearance. It is a mystery who actually took Angela¡¯s virginity. ¡°She looked for it in the shadows, she found it at first sight among the many, many easily confused names from this world and the other¡¦¡±(p. 53) The Townsmen claim that Angela picked Santiago since he was pretty powerful and wealthy guy in the town. They think that there is a secret lover she protected. Santiago faces his death without even knowing why he had to be killed.
Chronicle of a death foretold has a lot of mystery which arouse people¡¯s curiosity. The readers want to read more and more, however, at the end nothing gets clarified. The inhumane `murder of Santiago is the only thing that is explained well.
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Summary: Published right before the Nobel
Review: "On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on..."
Thus begins this novel, published in 1981, a year before its author was awarded the Nobel.
The whole town knows that Santiago will meet his death on that day, but due to the townspeople's indifference and skepticism, as well as a series of strange coincidences which could very well be attributed to destiny, he does not find out until it is too late.
By means of three different perspectives (interviews to the townspeople, the investigation's official records and the narrator), the author recreates 27 years later the events of that day, finding out the motives for this heinous crime. The reader is left with a feeling of doubt regarding the motives, due to the constant doubts and comments of the different characters, who we are at times hesitant to trust. At times we are left with an impulse to yell out of frustration, "Why doesn't anyone say anything??!!", or, "Why the h*** did he make THAT choice??".
On the other hand, it is unovoidable to feel some degree of compassion towards the murderers, who hesitate from the beginning in commiting this crime, which they regard as their duty. It is over and over stated that they "were searching for someone to stop them".
The gallery of characters and the way in which they are related to one another and to the events, makes this novel a quick and entertaining read in which the reader will find him/herself deeply inmersed from the very first page until the final sentence is uttered.
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Summary: Garcia Marquez At His Most Spare
Review: The English translation (by Gregory Rabassa) of this slim "novel" by Nobel Laureate Garcia Marquez was first published in 1983. An excellent example of non-linear storytelling, the story begins with a declaration that Santiago Nasar is about to be murdered. Despite this beginning, this novella-length book is anything but direct. Garcia Marquez takes us on a circuitous route through the circumstances leading up to, surrounding, and following Nasar's death. As in most of the author's work, fate, chance, and the foibles of characters determine the outcome. Irony abounds: the dishonored bride becomes obsessed with the suitor she once disdained; the brothers who are honor-bound to kill Nasar don't want to carry out the duty, and yet do. Honor becomes dishonor, and vice versa. What is most interesting about this work is its spareness, especially in comparison to his earlier One Hundred Years of Solitude.
I highly recommend all of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books. Although I wouldn't suggest Chronicle of a Death Foretold as an introduction to the author's work, it stands well as its own as a powerful, satiric tale of dishonor and the rituals that enable it.
Rating: 
Summary: Bewildering
Review: Yes, this is a story of a murder foretold. In fact the murder from the beginning is so bluntly bore out that the reader knows not what not to expect. It is not suspense that holds the reader to the book. Nor there is anything present out of the ordinary. Rather, it is the rhythm of the narration, the endless chattering of the town's inhabitants, and coincidences so rare that they can only be the consequence of reality that make the book so curiously compelling. It is as if Garciá Márquez had created something out of thin air. This is story telling of the tallest order.
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Summary: A metaphysical murder mystery
Review: A man returns to the town where the murder of Santiago Nasar took place 27 years before. Santiago Nasar got up at five-thirty in the morning on the Monday he was going to be killed by the twins Pedro and Pablo Vicario. The narrator is told by Placida Linero, Santiago Nasar's mother, that within the hour, her 21 year old son would be dead. Why did the twins want to kill the proprietor of The Divine Face, the ranch he had inherited from his father? Why did they chose that particular morning, when the bishop was due to visit the village? Why wasn't Santiago Nasar aware of the fact that somebody had shoved an envelope under the door of his house with a written document warning him that he was going killed, stating in addition the place, the motive and other quite precise details of the plot? How could the murder have been committed despite the fact that nearly all the inhabitants of the town knew that it was inevitably going to happen? The investigation of this murder takes the quality of a hallucinatory exploration into the past. The narrator's quest for the truth leads him into the darkness of human intentions, a truth that perpetually seems to slither away. This small masterpiece is one of the greatest classics of the 20th century.
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Summary: Engaging story about fate, love, women, and culture
Review: This novella just grabs you and sucks you in until you've finished the last page. I read this book for a book club and I think I enjoyed it even more because I had a chance to discuss the engaging language and themes with other readers. After all, there's so much to be said about characters such as Angela Vicario, whose mother said that her daughters were perfect because "any man will be happy with them because they've been raised to suffer." The depiction of women and love is not unique to the Latin American culture, but Gabriel Garcia Marquez's language makes it more vivid and captivating. The story is apparently based loosely on a true event, which makes it all the more intriguing. It's about a man whose imminent death is discussed throughout the town that he lives in, yet no one is able to stop it or at least warn him about it. I started reading it and got to around page 15 when I realized I wasn't paying enough attention and had to start over again from the beginning. I've heard of quite a few people getting off to a slow start with it. There are a lot of different names thrown at you, and though it's a chronicle, it's not chronological, so it's a story that needs to be read with some focus. Once you're in that focused mindset though, it's a quick read and I highly recommend it.
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Summary: A Death Foretold
Review: Not quite a mystery because the readers know who the murderers are on the se3cond page, Garcia-M?rquez writes in his classic newspaper-like narrative style to detail the events leading up to the crime. In a small village with all of the suspicious activity and the murderers even making threats against our primary character (dead on the first page) the narrator is astounded that nobody stopped the crime. Garcia-M?rquez does an excellent job of showing different sides to give a well-rounded perspective of events.Garcia M?rquez is one of the best writers of recent times. This book should be heralded as one of his classics for its straightforward style that does not leave out any details. By the end, the reader feels as if he knows the characters personally. Garcia-M?rquez accomplishes so much in such a relatively short amount of space. Why 5 stars?:
This book gets top marks for its captivating series of events and creative storytelling. The characters are so colorful and so lifelike that the reader will feel as though s/he could converse with them. Anyone interested in being "well-read" or with an interest in world literature should give this book a chance - you'll be hooked on the first page.
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