Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Mere Mortals Book Reviews


The Story Of A Shipwrecked Sailor (Gabriel García Márquez) - Book Review

June 15, 2021

What goes through your head when you experience the deepest isolation possible?
'The Story Of A Shipwrecked Sailor' by Gabriel García Márquez is a small book and really the title says it all. It's a true story that occurred when Gabo was a journalist in Bogotá and got the chance to interview Luis Alejandro Velasco. He was the sole survivor of a shipwreck and endured 10 days adrift at sea without having any food to eat or water to drink. Some of the themes from the book are about isolation from all human contact and the crushing impact of boredom.

I summarised the book as follows. "It's a simple tale of endurance. It reminds me of 'Life of Pi' but without the philosophy and magical hallucinations of Pi. It's not dramatic (which is probably quite accurate) but I wonder what thoughts & feelings were left out of the story. I would recommend this for those who want a linear dispassionate account of a shipwreck and the extra historical backstory of the author, survivor and Columbian government."

As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis
(5:17) - Isolation: An introverts holiday
(7:37) - Boredom: The desire for something else
(9:24) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(12:02) - Summary

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