Living to Tell the Tale

Tracing his personal history through the 1950s, Marquez applies the same skill and lyricism he demonstrates in his fiction to the genre of autobiography. The first in a series of three volumes chronicling his remarkable career, Living to Tell the Tale is a fluid, fascinating account of the Nobel Laureate's upbringing in Colombia and his development as a writer. Unconfined by the bounds of a strict chronology, Marquez offers a meandering account of his childhood and adolescence in a vivid narrative that's filled with anecdotes about his unconventional family, as well as insights into his personal relationships, his work as a journalist and novelist, and the love he feels for his homeland. The book is also a record of a country in a constant state of upheaval, as Marquez provides a survey of contemporary Colombian politics. A reading group guide is available in print and online at www.readinggroupcenter.com.