Chronicle of a Death Foretold is short, and I guess that’s my only real complaint. It’s similar, in a lot of ways, to One Hundred Years of Solitude, minus the vast epicness, which is my favorite thing about that novel. I’m not saying that means I didn’t like this one.
It’s a novel(la?) spiraling around Santiago Nasar, who is killed by two brothers defending their sister’s honor. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about the circumstances and how everyone in town knew exactly what was going to happen but did nothing to prevent it for various reasons. Angela Vicario, just married hours before, is returned to her parents’ home after her new husband discovs that she’s not a virgi. When asked, she says Santiago Nasar took her virginity, so her brothers want to kill him. Marquez is never clear about whether he actually did or not.
Again, it’s short, though I don’t see how a novel like this could be very long, and if it was, it would be tiring. I miss the world of One Hundred Years of Solitude, though I know every Marquez novel can’t rehash that one. He did mention a couple characters from it, though, for all I know, they could be actual historical figures. I know exactly zero about Colombian history. I do know that I’m looking forward to reading more Marquez. I’m spacing him out, though, like Murakami, especially since he’s quit writing.
I haven’t read 100 Years of Solitude yet, but I’m curious how it’s similar to Chronicle. Is it because it’s narrated in a similar chronicle-like style with several different perspectives? ‘Cause I know there isn’t any magical realism in Chronicle, at least not that I recall.
It’s similar because they exist in the same type of world. Chronicle of a Death Foretold, even without the magical realism, could easily exist in the world of One Hundred Years of Solitude.