Monday, October 09, 2006

Chronicle of a Death Foretold - lunch post I

It is always interesting to read a book that comes with a different style. In this case Gabriel Garcia Marquez let's you know that the character that dominates the first chapter is about to be killed and in what reads almost like a coroner’s report you follow the man from waking up to the moment of murder.

Bullet points from the first chapter

The story starts with Santiago Nasar describing his dreams to his mother and then getting ready to head off in his best clothes to see the Bishop who was coming into the docks on a paddle steamer

Everybody except his family seems to know that there is a plan to kill him and the assassins are waiting with knifes wrapped in newspaper on benches in the square

Santiago sees the bishop sail by and tells the narrator’s sister that he plans a big wedding like the one that the town has just enjoyed and heads back to get changed to enjoy breakfast with the narrator’s family

The narrator’s mother discovers the plot to kill him and heads off to offer her support to the mother and as she gets near the square is told by a passer by that the murder has been committed.