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More copies of this ISBNMemories of My Melancholy Whores: A Novelby Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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In Memories of the My Melancholy Whores, García Márquez demonstrates that, even in his late seventies, he remains one of world literature's most intelligent and passionate writers. Review-A-Day"As in One Hundred Years of Solitude, his masterpiece, the clarity, precision, and unblinking authority of his voice make García Márquez one of the finest storytellers ever born. A table, too, can sometimes be a miracle." Scott Raab, Esquire (read the complete Esquire review) Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Memories of My Melancholy Whores is Gabriel García Márquez's first work of fiction in ten years, written at the height of his powers, the Spanish edition of which Ilan Stavans called, "Masterful. Erotic. As hypnotizing as it is disturbing" (Los Angeles Times).
On the eve of his ninetieth birthday, our unnamed protagonist?an undistinguished journalist and lifelong bachelor?decides to give himself "the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin." The virgin, whom an old madam procures for him, is splendidly young, with the silent power of a sleeping beauty. The night of love blossoms into a transforming year. It is a year in which he relives, in a rush of memories, his lifetime of (paid-for) sexual adventures and experiences a revelation that brings him to the edge of dying?not of old age, but, at long last, of uncorrupted love. Memories of My Melancholy Whores is a brilliant gem by the master storyteller. Review:"Garcia Marquez's slim, reflective contribution to the romance of the brothel, his first book-length fiction in a decade, is narrated by perhaps the greatest connoisseur ever of girls for hire. After a lifetime spent in the arms of prostitutes (514 when he loses count at age 50), the unnamed journalist protagonist decides that his gift to himself on his 90th birthday will be a night with an adolescent virgin. But age, followed by the unexpected blossoming of love, disrupts his plans, and he finds himself wooing the allotted 14-year-old in silence for a year, sitting beside her as she sleeps and contemplating a life idly spent. Flashes of Garcia Marquez's brilliant imagery — the sleeping girl is 'drenched in phosphorescent perspiration' — illuminate the novella, and there are striking insights into the euphoria that is the flip side of the fear of death. The narrator's wit and charm, however, are not enough to counterbalance the monotony of his aimlessness. Though enough grace notes are struck to produce echoes of eloquence, this flatness keeps the memories as melancholy as the women themselves. 250,000 first printing." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"The Colombian master storyteller's latest novel is grounded in the steamy atmosphere and gamey politics of his native country; at the same time, in the universality of its theme, it transcends the peculiar traits of his bougainvillea-filled homeland....Garcia Marquez's beautiful, poignant story both avoids sentimentality and escapes salaciousness." Booklist (Starred Review) Synopsis:A cause for celebration, this is the Nobel laureate's first work of fiction in ten years--a masterpiece by the master storyteller of our time. About the AuthorGabriel García Márquez was born in 1927 near Aracataca, Colombia. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. Edith Grossman is widely recognized as the preeminent Spanish-to-English translator of our time. Gabriel García Márquezs Living to Tell the Tale, The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Love in the Time of Cholera, News of a Kidnapping, and The General in His Labyrinth are available in Vintage paperback. Vivir para contarla, El amor en los tiempos del cólera, Crónica de una muerta anunciada, El general en su laberinto and Memorias de mis putas tristes are available in Vintage Español. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 4 comments:  
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