Gabriel García Márquez, renowned Colombian writer, passed away Thursday in his home in Mexico City at the age of 87. Long considered to be one of the world's greatest living authors, the loss of his presence as a literary voice and cultural commentator will be greatly felt. While most well known for modern classics, One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera , García Márquez's work as an author, journalist, and pioneer of the Latin American boom included a large number of novels and short stories. He has been called the most influential Spanish-language writer since Miguel de Cervantes of Don Quixote fame, and is widely credited with helping to develop the literary genre of magical realism. Known affectionately as "Gabo" by his many fans, García Márquez was born in Aracataca, Colombia in 1927 -- the town which later became the setting for his 1967 hit, One Hundred Years of Solitude . The same title catapulted him to literary stardom upon its publication, earning international acclaim and millions of readers. He followed up with the also critically acclaimed Love in the Time of Cholera in 1985, after winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982. His other works include The Autumn of the Patriarch, No One Writes to the Colonel, Love in the Time of Cholera, Living to Tell the Tale, and Memories of My Melancholy Whores, in addition to numerous projects in screenwriting, editing, and journalism. Many of his writings were also adapted for TV and feature films.
Posts
