General in the Labyrinth

His glory had faded, and he was still fumbling in a dream, searching for something that didn't exist.
"Damn it," he sighed, "how do I get out of this labyrinth!"
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◎ Synopsis
"It was as if the devil had controlled all the events of my life."
He liberated vast lands five times the size of Europe from Spanish rule, fighting tirelessly for twenty years to preserve its freedom and unity. But glory was fleeting; he faced defeat and betrayal. Plagued by illness and disillusionment, he decided to leave the base of his glorious cause, never to return. Yet, as he departed, the cries along the road were "tyrant" and "autocrat."
On his last voyage up the Magdalena River, he revisited the cities that had witnessed his failures and triumphs. He bestowed his name upon a crippled, weak, but unyielding mangy dog and made countless extraordinary efforts to ward off the defilement of death. But as fate led him to his final resting place, memories buried deep in oblivion suddenly descended—he realized with a shuddering clarity that his mad pursuit between adversity and dreams had reached its end, and all that remained was darkness.
"Damn it," he sighed, "how do I get out of this labyrinth!"
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◎ Editor's Recommendation
★ "The book of a lifetime" by Gabriel García Márquez, author of *One Hundred Years of Solitude* and Nobel laureate.
*The General in His Labyrinth* is more important than all my other works. It shows that everything I've written conforms to a geographical and historical reality. Ultimately, I've only written one book in my life, and that's the endless book about wandering in a labyrinth. —Gabriel García Márquez
- [Highly acclaimed classic by readers worldwide] Douban 8.7, Amazon 4.5! Translated into 23 languages!
- [A non-magical realism version of *One Hundred Years of Solitude*] More real, more accessible, and smoother to read!
· What is most surprising about *The General in His Labyrinth* is that all the "magical realism" elements are gone. This time, his narration is exceptionally direct, with historical accuracy, concerning the illusion of power and the betrayal of the body, sad and unsettling. —Carlos Fuentes
★ A profound tribute to an extraordinary historical figure, depicting "the most terrifying kind of loneliness."
- [Shattering the heroic myth, revealing the true person: great, glorious, yet fragile and decaying]
Márquez: "I wanted to stick to Bolívar's true nature, because I believe that the closer he is to real life, the greater and more important he becomes, and the more decadent and fragile he is, the more admirable his actions."
- [So this is the General you are!]
· A military genius favored by fate, always on the front lines, yet never suffered even a minor scratch.
· A bad card player, meticulous, losing his temper when losing, brooding over insults from others.
· Romantic and passionate, despite valuing his life and career, the mystery of a beautiful woman attracted him more than anything else.
· Amazingly strong-willed, he dispelled rumors of his imminent death with energetic dancing even when critically ill.
· An idealist "beaten" by reality, who never escaped loneliness whether in power or out of it.
- Gabriel García Márquez has an uncanny ability to make me fall in love with his characters. No, to plunge in headfirst, to love them to death, with my stomach churning and heart contracting. This time, I fell in love with Simón Bolívar. Lonely, dying, with his fighting spirit slowly draining away. Perhaps only then did he truly become great. Or rather, a real human being. —Goodreads reader
★ "Márquez's" golden lines, cutting deep: "Damn it, how do I get out of this labyrinth!"
[Wealth, love, power, dreams—everything you crave could be the labyrinth that traps you!]
· "We've always been poor, but we've lacked nothing," said the servant.
"Quite the opposite," said the general, "we've always been rich, but it was never enough."
· Many women came into his life, some for only a few hours, but he never indicated to any of them that he wanted them to stay. His feelings were less love than vanity.
· "Stay," said the minister, "for the safety of the country, make one last sacrifice."
"No, Herrán," the general replied, "I no longer have a country for which to sacrifice."
· The illusory days when the whole world bowed to him were a distant past, and only he danced in the empty hall with his last partner until dawn.
★ Deservedly the "most accurate" translation, by the renowned Spanish translator Mr. Wang Yongnian. Clear and steady, it recreates Márquez's powerful prose, creating a fluid, immersive reading experience.
★ "Falling into the Labyrinth" themed hardcover with double dust jacket, radiating an unrepeatable life's brilliance amidst the dazzling interplay of glory and darkness!

2025-03-01

南海出版公司

New Classic Culture

288

9787573510624