Esteemed writer Gabriel García Márquez, who authored the literary masterpieces One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, passed away in 2014. But before we lost this great writer, García Márquez penned one more book he wrote amidst his struggle with dementia. The renowned author asked his family to destroy the work, but nearly ten years after his death, Gabriel García Márquez’s sons pushed to have Until August published.
Until August
Gabriel García Márquez is a pioneer of magical realism, and his novel One Hundred Years of Solitude sold 50 million copies worldwide. His rediscovered novel, Until August, coming in at 100 pages, will be García Márquez’s only novel, which revolves around a female protagonist. It follows a middle-aged woman and her affair, despite a happy marriage, when she travels solo to visit her mother’s grave.
Gonzalo García Márquez justifies his family’s position to publish Until August by stating that his father wasn’t in the right mindset to judge the novel fairly, blind to the unique perspective he offers in the story and the value it would have provided to himself and his readers. Until August was fully completed by the original author and hadn’t undergone any significant edits before publication. Gonzalo García Márquez believed that the rediscovered novel would ultimately be discovered and released one day, so the family wanted to control which version was released and protect its copyright.
Divided Opinions
There are many opinions for and against the decisions of Gabriel García Márquez’s family. The opposition believes that publishing Until August betrays the late author’s final wishes, a sign of disrespect from the family. Yet, some believe that all work from a writer as great as García Márquez is and will always be appreciated, despite its flaws or deviance from the additional works of the writer. Reviews describe the work as surprisingly poignant, and although only traces of Gabriel García Márquez’s classic voice are evident, it’s a cause of delight among loving fans.
This is not the only time an author’s work has been published posthumously and against their wishes. Revered writers like Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov, and Virgil have all experienced the same situation as García Márquez. Additionally, Netflix has plans to adapt One Hundred Years of Solitude into a Spanish-language series, so if you wish to relish in Gabriel García Márquez’s writings, be sure to tune in.
Click here to stay up to date on book news.
Click here to browse Gabriel García Márquez’s books on Bookstr’s Bookshop.
