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Jim Fonseca's Reviews > Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
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Truth in the title: the title tells us exactly the plot of the novel.
A man is stabbed to death. He’s a fairly wealthy young man (he’s 21) who runs a cattle ranch inherited from his father. There’s an interesting ethnic twist: His father’s family speaks Arabic at home and his family's housekeeper on occasion calls him “white man.� Although the locals call his family ‘Turks,� because they are Catholic, it’s likely they were Lebanese and arrived in Colombia (where the story is set) from the great mixing and melting pot of the Caribbean.
The title tells us all we need to know and very early on in the story we know why he was killed, so I’m not giving away any plot. Another wealthy man in town has just had the most extravagant wedding ever seen in the town. But the next morning the bridegroom ‘returns the bride� to her family because she has been deflowered by the young man who will then be killed by her two brothers.
The day of the murder the brothers make no secret of their intentions. They wander around town telling people what they intend to do. By mid-morning just about everyone in town has heard them say they will kill him.
So why is nothing done? Everyone has an excuse. There’s a big commotion in town because the bishop is coming by riverboat to wave at folks and give the town a blessing. So even the priest thinks ‘this is a criminal matter that doesn’t concern me.' Most folks assume it’s just ‘drunk talk.' The mayor has the police chief take away their hog butchering knives when they are seen sharpening them. (But they have plenty of knives.) Also it’s assumed they are talking to so many folks that someone will stop them --- and maybe they want to be stopped.
The story is told retrospectively from almost 30 years later. A fascinating read that under the author’s masterful writing, makes the entire story perfectly plausible. “We killed him openly,� Pedro Vicario said, "but we’re innocent.�
A good read.
Small town in Colombia from arrangedtravelers.com
Photo of the author from npr.com
A man is stabbed to death. He’s a fairly wealthy young man (he’s 21) who runs a cattle ranch inherited from his father. There’s an interesting ethnic twist: His father’s family speaks Arabic at home and his family's housekeeper on occasion calls him “white man.� Although the locals call his family ‘Turks,� because they are Catholic, it’s likely they were Lebanese and arrived in Colombia (where the story is set) from the great mixing and melting pot of the Caribbean.
The title tells us all we need to know and very early on in the story we know why he was killed, so I’m not giving away any plot. Another wealthy man in town has just had the most extravagant wedding ever seen in the town. But the next morning the bridegroom ‘returns the bride� to her family because she has been deflowered by the young man who will then be killed by her two brothers.
The day of the murder the brothers make no secret of their intentions. They wander around town telling people what they intend to do. By mid-morning just about everyone in town has heard them say they will kill him.
So why is nothing done? Everyone has an excuse. There’s a big commotion in town because the bishop is coming by riverboat to wave at folks and give the town a blessing. So even the priest thinks ‘this is a criminal matter that doesn’t concern me.' Most folks assume it’s just ‘drunk talk.' The mayor has the police chief take away their hog butchering knives when they are seen sharpening them. (But they have plenty of knives.) Also it’s assumed they are talking to so many folks that someone will stop them --- and maybe they want to be stopped.
The story is told retrospectively from almost 30 years later. A fascinating read that under the author’s masterful writing, makes the entire story perfectly plausible. “We killed him openly,� Pedro Vicario said, "but we’re innocent.�
A good read.
Small town in Colombia from arrangedtravelers.com
Photo of the author from npr.com
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
June 24, 2019
–
Finished Reading
June 25, 2019
– Shelved
June 25, 2019
– Shelved as:
spanish
June 25, 2019
– Shelved as:
colombian-authors
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rated it 3 stars
Jun 25, 2019 06:14AM
I’m planning on reading this soon.
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It’s a wonderful book because of how the already known plot unfolds. One of Gabo’s best!
Timothy wrote: "I’m planning on reading this soon."If you do Timothy, I hope you enjoy it
*Swaroop* wrote: "Wonderful, Jim!"Thanks Swaroop!
Andrew wrote: "It’s a wonderful book because of how the already known plot unfolds. One of Gabo’s best!"Yes I thought it was quite good
Thanks for the nice review. One little note: you misspelled Colombia as Columbia in the body of the review.
Thanks for you good review and bringing the novel to my attention. I plan to eventually read most, if not all of this authors books.
When I read this book it stroke me so greatly that I kept thinking –during the reading and later for about a week� "how could people turn a blind eye to something as serious as this" and "why?" I couldn't shake off the overwhelming emotions and the fact that it felt horribly real. And maybe the most striking reference to the story in overall is, as you quoted above, "we killed him openly, but we're innocent."
Reid wrote: "Thanks for the nice review. One little note: you misspelled Colombia as Columbia in the body of the review."Thanks Reid and thanks for letting me know the error. I corrected it. Quite a gaffe for a geography professor! I think I'll blame spell check! lol
David wrote: "Great review Jim!"thanks David - a good book by him as usual
George wrote: "Thanks for you good review and bringing the novel to my attention. I plan to eventually read most, if not all of this authors books."You're welcome George, glad you liked the review. Yes, he's a great writer. I have his Love in the Time of the Cholera in my TBR although I read it years ago.
⳾ wrote: "When I read this book it stroke me so greatly that I kept thinking –during the reading and later for about a week� "how could people turn a blind eye to something as serious as this" and "why?" I c..."Yes I guess at that time "honor killings" in that culture were considered if not 'acceptable' - 'understandable.' They know they will not receive harsh sentences.
Did you know this book was based on a real life fact ?
Daily wrote: "Did you know this book was based on a real life fact ?"No, is that true?
Yes. There are actually interviews (in Spanish) with Miguel Reyes Palencia who in the book is Bayardo San Román, the one who marries Angela, where he tells what happened from his perspective. There is also a movie.
Daily wrote: "Yes. There are actually interviews (in Spanish) with Miguel Reyes Palencia who in the book is Bayardo San Román, the one who marries Angela, where he tells what happened from his perspective. The..."
Thank you, fascinating I did not know that. Also I did not know of the movie.
Teresa wrote: "Great review Jim."Thanks Teresa!
Barbara wrote: "Nice review Jim. 😊"Thanks Barbara!
Fab review, Jim. So pleased you enjoyed this vibrantly outrageous classic!
Hi Jim. I’m trying to find a copy of Red Monday and can’t find it anywhere but on Turkish websites. Can you please shed some light as to why and possibly where I can find this book?
Didem wrote: "Hi Jim. I’m trying to find a copy of Red Monday and can’t find it anywhere but on Turkish websites. Can you please shed some light as to why and possibly where I can find this book?"I have not heard of this book - who is the author?
Terrific review, Jim!!😊
Luvtoread wrote: "Terrific review, Jim!!😊"Thanks Luvto!
Great review, Jim! Thank you!
Maricarmen wrote: "Great review, Jim! Thank you!"Thanks Maricarmen, you are welcome!
Nice review, Jim. I've the book on TBR for quite sometime, your excellent review reminds me of picking it up soon, will try to read it in near future as I'm a fan of Gabo, having read his One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Gaurav wrote: "Nice review, Jim. I've the book on TBR for quite sometime, your excellent review reminds me of picking it up soon, will try to read it in near future as I'm a fan of Gabo, having read his One Hundr..."Thanks Gaurav, it's a very good book and, unlike most of Gabo's work, very short
I think it was the housekeeper that called him " white man", not his mother. ( See chapter 1)
Christine wrote: "I think it was the housekeeper that called him " white man", not his mother. ( See chapter 1)"Thanks Christine for pointing that out, I made the change in the review
Very good review. I also found this book wonderful. In latin america, they assigned the name turk to many arabs (and even armenians!) because they arrived with turkish papers, in times in which these countries were part od the Otoman Empire. Regards
Pedro wrote: "Very good review. I also found this book wonderful. In latin america, they assigned the name turk to many arabs (and even armenians!) because they arrived with turkish papers, in times in which the..."Thanks Pedro, very true (about the term Turks) and I think that is the case also throughout the Caribbean
Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a great author. I have read a few of his book such as Love In Time Of Cholera, Hundred Years Of solitude... I want to read this one too. Thanks for posting it.
Utanu wrote: "Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a great author. I have read a few of his book such as Love In Time Of Cholera, Hundred Years Of solitude... I want to read this one too. Thanks for posting it."You are welcome Utanu, yes, he has written many great books
Awesome review! That last quote (“We killed him openly,� Pedro Vicario said, "but we’re innocent.�) really resonated with me. But also, at some point. They said "It is as if we have already done it".Would you agree that they are as innocent as the others are guilty? Cheers!
ã wrote: "Awesome review! That last quote (“We killed him openly,� Pedro Vicario said, "but we’re innocent.�) really resonated with me. But also, at some point. They said "It is as if we have already done it..."Good question ã. I guess we could say they wielded a knife with their words - or lack of action. LOL
Lisa wrote: "Great Review!"Thank you Lisa!
Masterful writing indeed, and based on true events of one of his past relatives. Great review Jim!
Federico wrote: "Masterful writing indeed, and based on true events of one of his past relatives. Great review Jim!"Ah thanks for that info Federico, did not know that. I'm glad you liked the review.
wow, this picture shows exactly how I imagined the town
Violeta wrote: "wow, this picture shows exactly how I imagined the town"Yes, it could have happened there!
