Drawing from personal experiences and growing up in Colombia, Gabriel García Márquez was able to craft compelling stories that enthralled the world and continue to impact writers all over the world.
He Won the Nobel Prize for Literature
Márquez won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982 for ‘Cien Años de la Soledad’ (‘One Hundred Years of Solitude‘, 1967)
He was the fourth Latin American to receive such honors, following Guatemalan writer Miguel Ãngel Asturias in 1967, Chilean poets Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda in 1945, and novelist Miguel Ángel Asturias in 1971. This award added to the legend that was Gabriel García Márquez. His success as a writer shot him into international fame, making him one of the most popular Latin American writers of all time.
He was Friends with Fidel Castro
A few years before the Cuban Revolution’s victory, Nicolas Guillén, a poet from Cuba, and García Márquez met in Paris. Guillén informed him that Fidel Castro was a young law student who might be able to topple Fulgencio Batista’s government. After the “triumph” of the revolution in 1959, when Castro invited reporters from all over the world to cover “Operación Verdad,” his scheme to bring Batista’s former allies to justice, Márquez first met Castro.
García Márquez joined other Latin American intellectuals in publicly supporting Castro’s revolution because the victory of the revolution and the establishment of a socialist society corresponded to his expectations for a brighter future for Latin America.
Castro and Márquez became good friends and Márquez even noted that he sent his manuscripts to Castro to proofread them before publishing.
Márquez was Banned from Entering the United States of America
García Márquez was considered subversive by US immigration authorities for many years as a result of his sudden celebrity and his outspoken opinions on US imperialism. The travel embargo was abolished by Bill Clinton after he was elected US president, who also named ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude‘ his favorite book.
He had been denied entry to the United States except under tight conditions imposed by the State Department due to his revolutionary political beliefs and a close acquaintance with Fidel Castro.
García Márquez was only granted a visa to accept an honorary degree at Columbia University in 1971 thanks to the personal involvement of then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who once referenced “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in a speech in Mexico City.
García Márquez was Influenced by His Grandparents
When he was young, his parents left the country. When he was 8 years old, he first met his mother; he didn’t know his father. García Márquez lists his grandparents as the most definitive sources of literary inspiration. His grandma used to give him folktales, superstitions, and ghost stories to enrich his imagination. Most of the characters described in ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ were gotten from bits and pieces of his childhood.
He Started as a Journalist
Before García Márquez took up writing professionally, he was a correspondent for the Colombian newspaper, El Espectador, and worked internationally in Rome, New York, Caracas, Paris, and Barcelona.
García Márquez was Inspired by Franz Kafka
García Márquez read ‘The Metamorphosis‘ by Franz Kafka and was inspired to write his novel. His short stories and novellas all bear a similar structure and narrative to ‘La Metamorfosis’.
He was a Socialist
García Márquez was a staunch socialist. He was a “committed Leftist,” and this made him unpopular in the United States. He frequently praised the works of Fidel Castro’s government in Angola but admitted that the government of Castro could be better.
García Márquez May Have Had an Illegitimate Child
According to rumors in January 2022, García Márquez had a daughter named Indira Cato from an adulterous relationship with Susana Cato, a writer from Mexico, in the early 1990s. In Mexico City, Indira produces documentaries.
Mario Vargas Llosa Punched Márquez In The Face
Mario Vargas Llosa, a fellow Nobel Prize winner from South America once struck Márquez in the eye during a premiere of a movie. Even today, not much is known about the incident other than the fact that Márquez, upon spotting Llosa across the crowd, jokingly yelled “Mario!” provoked the anger of the Peruvian author. Llosa, who was upset, muttered something about his wife Patricia before punching Márquez. It was rumoured that Márquez had had an indiscretion with Mario’s wife.
FAQs
What is Gabriel García Márquez known for?
He is known as a writer and author of the bestselling book, ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ (‘Cien Años de la Soledad‘, 1967).
What genre of books does Gabriel García Márquez write?
His works are typically infused with magical realism. His works involve making extraordinary events seem natural and commonplace.
Who influenced Gabriel García Márquez?
Márquez was influenced by William Faulkner and Franz Kafka in the early stages of his career. He also learned of magical realism from Alejo Carpentier.
Why was Gabriel García Márquez friends with Fidel Castro?
Both were socialists, and Castro was a fan of Márquez’s oeuvre. García Márquez has stated that while he didn’t like everything about Fidel Castro, he believed him to be a good man, deep down.
