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The Autumn of the Patriarch  By  cover art

The Autumn of the Patriarch

By: Gabriel García Márquez
Narrated by: Michael Manuel
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Publisher's summary

One of Gabriel García Márquez’s most intricate and ambitious works, The Autumn of the Patriarch is a brilliant tale of a Caribbean tyrant and the corruption of power.

From charity to deceit, benevolence to violence, fear of God to extreme cruelty, the dictator of The Autumn of the Patriarch embodies the best and the worst of human nature. Gabriel García Márquez, the renowned master of magical realism, vividly portrays the dying tyrant caught in the prison of his own dictatorship. Employing an innovative, dreamlike style, and overflowing with symbolic descriptions, the novel transports the listener to a world that is at once fanciful and real.

©1976 English translation © 1976 by Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Editorial Review

The Autumn of the Patriarch isn't a title to miss. Gabriel García Márquez's ingenious tale of the corruption of one Caribbean tyrant showcases human nature like he's never done before. The all-powerful leader of this Caribbean nation is singular among characters in literature, surrounded by an air of almost god-like mystique while simultaneously being revealed as achingly flawed and human.
García Márquez himself called this work a "poem on the solitude of power." A stunning portrait of a Caribbean country's fascist tyrant, his eternal dictator is based on a number of actual dictators and real-life despotic leaders. With symbolic descriptions based on the stark reality faced by many around the world, García Márquez's dreamlike style doesn't distract from his exploration of the very real terror and violence of dictatorships.
Even before he was a best-selling author, García Márquez never shied away from strong political messages in his books. He departs from his signature magical realism style in this listen to portray a frank depiction of an autocrat like many others around the world. The Autumn of the Patriarch is a must-listen tale as it exposes the failings of tyrannical governments.
With one other García Márquez title under his belt, narrator Michael Manuel's smooth delivery brings the audiobook’s air of solemnity and desperation to the forefront. You won't want to stop listening for a minute as he unfolds the fascinating tale word by word. — Audible Latino Editor

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An extraordinary journey through the world of a genius

This was a truly remarkable experience. The narrator Michael Manuel has captured the ideal tone and color for this definitely not easy to narrate prose! I highly recommend this audiobook!

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