The General in His Labyrinth

Rating:
Summary: A moving, underappreciated book
Review: What struck me most about the book is what a rich, all-encompassing view of The Liberator it presents. Marquez never flinches as he catalogs the contradictory deeds and impulses that make up every human being. We learn that the General sleeps with young girls and that his unknown sins are so objectionable the priest to whom Bolivar confesses refuses to preside over his services. But we also learn of the General's self-destructive generosity and the dream of a united Latin American for which he vainly gave his life. Marquez never tries to resolve these inconsistencies; instead, he trusts the reader to be intelligent and mature enough to recognize the complexities of the General as universal. Because the book focuses on a narrow slice of time--the last 6 months or so of the General's life--this intricate, thoughtful character study is also a meditation on our inability to confront death and the colossal failures that dot every life.

Rating:
Summary: A moving, underappreciated book
Review: What struck me most about the book is what a rich, all-encompassing view of The Liberator it presents. Marquez never flinches as he catalogs the contradictory deeds and impulses that make up every human being. We learn that the General sleeps with young girls and that his unknown sins are so objectionable the priest to whom Bolivar confesses refuses to preside over his services. But we also learn of the General's self-destructive generosity and the dream of a united Latin American for which he vainly gave his life. Marquez never tries to resolve these inconsistencies; instead, he trusts the reader to be intelligent and mature enough to recognize the complexities of the General as universal. Because the book focuses on a narrow slice of time--the last 6 months or so of the General's life--this intricate, thoughtful character study is also a meditation on our inability to confront death and the colossal failures that dot every life.