Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A-Z Wednesday: Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez



Title:
Strange Pilgrims
Author: Gabriel García Márquez
ISBN: 9780140239409
Publisher: Penguin Classics/1994
Pages: 208

Strange Pilgrims is a collection of short stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, written over a period of eighteen years.These short stories depict the day by day mystic and beautiful expediency that has made the Nobel Prize-winning author so engaging. All the twelve stories involve Latin American characters that are peripatetic throughout Europe. While some stories may strike the reader as being quite peculiar, others will flummox while demonstrating the splendour of the human spirit. The stories take us on a journey of sort. A whole gamut of emotions and feelings run through us while we reading the unusual stories.

A father moves with the body of his daughter who is just beautiful in death as she was in life, for her to be declared a saint. It’s father love at the ultimate. Then there is an ex-president who is expected to die and is looked after a couple who have little money to spare. A young sent to an asylum for no fault of hers. A panicked husband rushes his wife to a Parisian hospital for treatment of a cut finger, but never sees her again. A man on an overseas plane flight preoccupied in thought about the beauty of a lady passenger as she soundly sleeps next to him. An elderly prostitute trains her obedient puppy to weep at her grave because she has a haunting premonition about her own death and has no one other than the dog to cry at her death. In one story, two little boys experiment with light flowing as water.

Marquez displays his penchant for bringing to mind curiosity in the reader through his use of colourful description and captivating characters. Strange Pilgrims proves, once again, that Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the greatest storytellers of our time. The title of the book is apt as the reader indeed feels as if he is embarking on a pilgrim albeit a strange one.

CymLowell

16 comments:

Unknown said...

I haven't read any Marquez books - not sure why but they scare a bit so maybe short stories would be a good way to start.
Here's my book

Amy said...

I've not read Marquez, actually, I should say I haven't finished any Marquez books. I always seem to get bogged down and never finish. Maybe the short stories would be the way to go.

Beth F said...

I really can't stand Marquez -- but I know I'm in the minority.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

I haven't read any books by this author, but I am curious!

My S book is here:

http://weboftyranny.blogspot.com/2009/12/z-wednesday_16.html

Zia said...

Not normally my cup of tea but thanks for sharing it =)

Beth(bookaholicmom) said...

I have not read any Marquez either but your decription has me interested.

Joyful said...

I Love stories that involve several of our emotions. From laughing to crying to disbelief....

Sherrie said...

Hi!
OH this sounds really good! I'll have to put this on my TBR list. Have a great day!

Sherrie
Just Books

Beth said...

I have never read anything by Marquez.

Anonymous said...

I've just recently started liking short stories. I've never read Marquez, so I'm adding this to my wishlist!

Thanks for playing this week!

Book Dragon said...

I agree with Creations by Laurel-Rain Snow.

Here's my "S"

Thanks so much for commenting

Anonymous said...

Sounds like this is one I should pick up.

Irene said...

I always seem to like your choices, and I suspect this is no exception. Here is my S book.

me again said...

I'm in Amy's camp....I try and try, but I just never finish. I really don't enjoy them. Perhaps I'll try again, with these short stories.
If you want to have a look, here's my S book.
:-)
==lennie==

Yvonne said...

I haven't read this author, but it sounds interesting.

Bryan R. Terry said...

One of these days I should probably read some G.G. Márquez. *sigh* So many books, so little time.

My S Book is HERE