Chronicle of a Death Foretold, a novel by Colombian Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez, is described in its premise as a story where “the more that is learned, the less is understood.” Though proven to be true for many, no general agreement can be reached as to whether or not this is truly a good thing.
Originally written in Spanish and published in New York, the novel was controversial when it first made its debut and continues to be so today. The story is based on the death of Cayetano Gentile Chimento, a childhood friend of Márquez. He is represented by Santiago Nasar, the man that the story revolves around.
The narrator is unnamed as he searches for answers 27 years later, trying to find the full story that proves Santiago’s ‘innocence’. This allows readers with prior knowledge of the story’s origin to assume that Márquez, or a character representing him, is the narrator.
The explanation of the mystery begins when a woman, Angela Vicario, returns to her family after her wedding, her marriage broken off. When she names another powerful man as ‘the reason’ for the broken marriage, the twins don’t shy away from the confession of the crime to be committed, angry at the loss of the powerful marriage. Márquez tells the story of a crime uncomplicated in perpetrators and motives, but with nearly every person aware of the crime about to take place, a question of why it was able to happen in the first place is raised.
As it turns out, it’s nothing big or flashy, with a rather quick reveal leaving some readers with a lingering disapproval about the anti-climactic conclusion. All elements of the crime are given early, while the story drags out. For a story of collective guilt, all the townspeople had the same defensive answer: they didn’t think the brothers were being serious.
However, the biggest issue for many, while the best thing for others, lies in the story’s characterization. The objectification of the female characters makes for a harmful portrayal of women, whose physical appearance seemed to be one of the more important elements of their character. On the other hand, a positive side to this could be that the situation which women such as Angela may be in are brought to light. In the end, though, Angela makes a personally harmful decision, returning to the likely toxic lifestyle she was given freedom from.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold reads like a 15-page story drawn out to its full length, with less being understood—whether that is the reason this was written, or expanded on, or the mystery itself—as more is learned.
