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
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16 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 16, 2009 at 5:39 PM

    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

    ReplyDelete
  2. AmyDecember 16, 2009 at 5:45 PM

    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.

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  3. Beth FDecember 16, 2009 at 6:54 PM

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

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  4. Laurel-Rain SnowDecember 16, 2009 at 8:46 PM

    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

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  5. ZiaDecember 16, 2009 at 8:59 PM

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

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  6. Beth(bookaholicmom)December 16, 2009 at 9:04 PM

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

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  7. JoyfulDecember 16, 2009 at 10:07 PM

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

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  8. SherrieDecember 16, 2009 at 10:46 PM

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

    Sherrie
    Just Books

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  9. BethDecember 16, 2009 at 11:45 PM

    I have never read anything by Marquez.

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  10. AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 12:36 AM

    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!

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  11. Book DragonDecember 17, 2009 at 12:58 AM

    I agree with Creations by Laurel-Rain Snow.

    Here's my "S"

    Thanks so much for commenting

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  12. AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 1:46 AM

    Sounds like this is one I should pick up.

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  13. IreneDecember 17, 2009 at 6:48 AM

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

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  14. me againDecember 17, 2009 at 9:54 AM

    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==

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  15. YvonneDecember 17, 2009 at 4:51 PM

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

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  16. Bryan R. TerryDecember 18, 2009 at 4:07 AM

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

    My S Book is HERE

    ReplyDelete