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Book Review of The Autumn of the Patriarch

The Autumn of the Patriarch
eadieburke avatar reviewed on + 1642 more book reviews


Book Description
One of Gabriel García Márquez's most intricate and ambitious works, The Autumn of the Patriarch is a brilliant tale of a Caribbean tyrant and the corruption of power.
From charity to deceit, benevolence to violence, fear of God to extreme cruelty, the dictator of The Autumn of the Patriarch embodies the best and the worst of human nature. Gabriel García Márquez, the renowned master of magical realism, vividly portrays the dying tyrant caught in the prison of his own dictator-ship. Employing an innovative, dreamlike style, and overflowing with symbolic descriptions, the novel transports the reader to a world that is at once fanciful and real.

My Review
This is a very complex novel and a bit hard to understand because of it's unconventional structure. The sentences are formed with thought after thought and run-on sometimes for a page or two switching from first person to third person. It is full of symbolic description which makes the meaning hard to grasp and should be studied instead of read as a normal novel. I recommend this tale of an immortal and despicable Caribbean tyrant If you are a fan of stream-of-conscious writing otherwise be prepared for challenging read.