Book: No One Writes to the Colonel by Gabriel García Márquez

No One Writes to the Colonel

Author: Gabriel García Márquez

Genre: Novels / Fiction and Literature / Latin American Literature

Publishing Year: 1961

Language: English / Original Language: Spanish

Original Title: El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba

Description:

The work No One Writes to the Colonel narrates the daily routine of an unnamed military man, a veteran of the last civil war, who has been waiting in vain for fifteen years for the official confirmation of the pension that corresponds to him.

The colonel and his wife, who suffers from asthma, share an existence of extreme poverty, facing daily misery, disdain, and neglect; while they anxiously await the arrival of an official letter that responds to their rightful claim for the rights earned through service to the homeland, which never arrives.

The colonel strives to maintain his dignity by selling his possessions to be able to eat, except for a fighting rooster that he keeps despite the adversities because it belonged to his son who died due to political activities.

The local atmosphere reflects a desolation softened by flashes of humor, without offering concrete details about the urban space. The plot unfolds in a town suffocated by heat and rain, with only a few sparse ornamental details; minimal brushstrokes are enough to adequately complement the description of the setting.

The story takes place in an oppressive and claustrophobic environment, where the colonel and his wife face constant challenges while maintaining hope and dignity amidst adversity.

Although the misfortunes of daily life persist, the fictional and real world of García Márquez, Macondo, resurfaces, completely filling the imaginative space of the writer.

Loneliness, waiting, injustice, misfortune, and the daily struggle for survival that the colonel faces are fundamental elements for the social and literary reach of this novel.