No one writes to the Colonel :Book review


 Book review


Title: No one writes to the Colonel

Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Genre: Fiction


No One writes to the Colonel tells the story of a Colonel and his wife who are in dire straits. They are selling off their possessions to make end meets and survive. In the meantime the Colonel makes a visit to the post office everyday in anticipation of receiving his pension letter, which never arrives. Yet he thrives on optimism and decides to keep waiting. 


The story is set in Columbia around the dreary winter months between October to January. The sardonic tone lends to the understanding of the grim situation. Unlike his other works, there is no magical element here. Instead he solely focuses on portraying the harsh realities by tackling the themes of death, poverty, sacrifice and starvation. The changing seasons depicted in the story is in contrast to the lack of change in the Colonel’s grave situation.


Amidst the drudgery of illness and hardships Inder martial rule is a metaphorical depiction of hope in the form of their rooster. The rooster is the last possession of their deceased son. 


It’s this  never say die attitude towards hope that makes this narrative so compelling and a page turner.

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