FAREWELL TO GABO AND MERCEDES

Memoirs are deceptive. What are to be told and what not, create a conflict with the flow of the writer. But this is a diary, where there is no pressure of storytelling on the author.And the best part? This author, or rather this son, writes about his parents, in a language which could have made his father proud of. It's a Gabo language, written for Gabo and his wife, by a beloved son. Go for it.

Rodrigo Marquez has written a truthful and linear account of his father's death and details of his funeral. So far so good. But a reader expects the son of Marquez to give some insights into the mind and writing style of one of the greatest novelists of modern times. This book fails in that aspect. It is sparse on anecdote, very stingy on details of how his father wrote and the no new insight on how his father lived his life. So the book is disappointing. This book is indication that genetic or acquired skills do no necessarily pass on from father to offspring. the writing is poor so are the observations.

One of the best memoirs I’ve read. This text, the author’s memoir of his father, the great Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his mother Mercedes, is a meditation on death, dying, suffering, grief and time. Since it deals with dying and death, it is also a meditation on life and living as you cannot think of death without life and living.For Marquez admirers and scholars, the text offers a lot by way of Marquez’s greatness, his prodigious talents, enviable powers of concentration and tenacity; but most importantly, the text lays bare that Marquez, who was a national icon was human at heart, with all the greatness and frailties of being human.The text can teach a lot about how to deal with the sick with dignity. To the humanity shattered by the Covid pandemic, there can be no better lesson.A must read for anyone wanting to read about Marquez, about fortitude in the face of death; in fact, a beautifully crafted memoir for any sensitive reader. In one word, it humanizes.

A beautiful, touching and heartbreaking account of the last days of Gabriel Marquez (the legendary South American writer) spent with his family in Mexico, from the perspective of his elder son. A farewell to Gabriel Marquez portrays the pendulum of emotions that the narrator goes through while spending the last days of his father by his side.. for years Gabriel Marquez has been a famous public figure garnering attention anywhere he went, resulting in the lives of family also, to an extent, being exposed to the public. The hardships of such a family, especially children, are not documented enough. While this book does not only focus on the public life of Gabriel, it also takes the reader through the influence he had on his children and family and the emotions the family goes through knowing that a terminal illness has now taken over him.

A nice book written by a kin of the celebrated author. A much closer look into the life of Marquez in his old age. A mixture of memoire both from a personal as well as public viewpoint as the author is not only hid son, but a writer himself. photographs are added attraction to the book's charm.

A very good book for Gabo fans. I liked the style of writing. Seems his son is a very good writer too.

Beautiful. Memorable. To be savoured and reread.

Beautiful book writting in a lilting style of melody and beauty very similar to Marquez himself. Really wonderful, quick read

This was my first exposure to Cabo! As a Latino celebrated writer I found him quite interesting and human!This has peaked my interest in reading some of his works.His sons memoir of his mother and father was uplifting, and at times sad.I know we all share some of those experiences in our own life’s journey!

For forever admirers of Gabo, it is an absolute must! A phantastic book that touched me very deeply! Highly recommended!!!

I had just finished watching Rodrigo García‘s excellent film RAYMOND AND RAY. I did a little bit of research on writer/director García’s background. I was surprised to learn he is the son of celebrated novelist Gabriel García Marquez.This particular book is a memoir of events surrounding the deaths of both his father and his mother. The book is tender, profound, sensitive, sad, and occasionally funny. Sometimes it’s all these things at once. The author focuses on personal details about his parents. He strikes a balance between his own feelings about growing up with his famous father and intimate details about his father’s and mother’s last days.Anyone who has experienced the deaths of loved ones will find something recognizable here. Watching the author’s film RAYMOND AND RAY and its tale of two brothers returning for the funeral of their estranged and difficult father, one cannot help but wonder about that film’s numerous unusual vignettes and how they reflect any of the author’s own family experiences.That’s a bit of a rhetorical question. Asking an artist whether personal experiences have influenced his or her own art is a fool’s game. Of course they have, whether or not the artist recognizes it. But how important is it for readers or reviewers to understand this? Shouldn’t art speak for itself and not burden us with having to know intimate back stories of the artists life to appreciate the art?My own reaction: art is always influenced by the artist’s personal history. Understanding an artist’s personal backstory can sometimes help explain some of what the artist is trying to communicate in a particular work. Reading García‘s memoir on the deaths of his parents may help explain some of what we see in Raymond and Ray even if the details of that film and its characters’ actions are imaginary. Garcia through his superb writing and directing imbued the people in Raymond and Ray with real personalities. He reveals in this memoir, at minimum, that some of his artistic sensibilities may have been inherited -- whether he knows that or not.

Soft, tender, insightful and absolutely exquisite. This is a moving tribute of a son to his parents, a reflection on their lives as a family. We are fortunate to have this reflection of Garcia Marquez's last days and a glimpse into the life of his wife, Mercedes, revered by all. There is much to ponder in this short, sweet look at life and death.

I stopped a dozen or so times reading this slim but lovely work. Who doesn't crave a view of this great writer from inside his family? Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his fabulous wife come alive in this tender tribute. You must read it