I’m sure many of us are big fans of the TV series Narcos, but have you read News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel Garcia Marquez? If you are into docudramas or historical narratives, Narcos and News of a Kidnapping are a must. From romances, crime, action, politics, history, drug trafficking to civil wars, Narcos and Marquez will keep you hooked from the beginning till the very end.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of those
novelists whose words will make you slip into the most magical world filled with
romance, wars, impossibilities and fantasy. I remember reading Love in the time of Cholera for the
first time and instantly falling in love with Marquez. The effortless humour
and simplicity with which he narrates the most exciting stories never fail to
make a lasting impression. The novel News
of a kidnapping is a blend of both fiction and non-fiction that focuses on
the series of kidnappings and murders of 10 prominent Colombian individuals and
journalists by Pablo Escobar to expedite his demands to abolish extradition to
the United States. In 1992, at the
height of terror and violence in Columbia, Maruja, Beatrize, Pacho Santos, Diana
and the other hostages were forced to straddle the dangerous line between life
and death. Being under the constant surveillance of Escobar’s army of young,
nihilistic boys who profusely declare their willingness to die for Escobar and
his struggle against the government, their life of captivity is traumatic.
Narcos gives a pretty good sense of how unpredictable and ruthless Escobar’s
henchmen were, so you can imagine the level of horror these hostages had to
endure. Marquez himself mentions how interviewing the survivors and the relatives
of those who did not make it through was the most “heartrending, unforgettable
human experience” for him.
Escobar
uses the hostages as pawns to negotiate his surrender to a private prison built
with his own money, just for himself and his team of drug dealers. The fact
that the government had no other option but to agree to this reflects the aura
of terror and violence he had created in Colombia. The sheer amount of money
and property Escobar owned shows the massive extent to which his drug
operations were carried out. Narcos perfectly
captures the luxurious life he led and the complexity of his character as a merciless
drug lord and a loving husband and father. The moment where Escobar sets fire
to two million dollars to keep his daughter warm while on the run from the police
was one of my favourite incidents from the show that highlights the intricacies
of his character.
While
the novel dives deep into one episode of the war between the drug traffickers
and the government, Narcos covers a
wider span by following the rise of Escobar to the richest and the most
powerful drug lord in Colombia up until his death. This docu-drama balances the
narrative of Escobar and that of the government operations and investigations
of the DEA agents starring Boyd Holbrook as Steve Murphy and Pedro Pascal as Agent
Javier Pena (who is absolutely charming by the way). This is why both the novel and the TV series
go hand in hand and you don’t want to miss out on either one. Colombia is often
referred to as a magical, beautiful land that writers like Marques derive
inspiration from, but the drug menace that has led to the deaths of thousands of
people and continues to haunt the country today is a powerful scar. Marquez’s News of a Kidnapping and Narcos perfectly narrates the struggles
of life within a narco-state.- Sasha Hewa
My personal opinion is that Marquez is indeed a good writer but is an acquired taste or just not for some at all. I personally was taken by his style of writing when I read ''One Hundred Years of Solitude'', especially how it was imaginative but I was not fully on board with it, what with people floating up and away and ants carrying babies off. However, this description of ''News of Kidnapping'' seem to be right up my alley! I enjoy all things related to crime and the blend of fiction and non-fiction intrigues me. I will definitely try this out and give Marquez a second chance!
ReplyDelete- Nipuni
I have to be honest, One Hundred Years of Solitude is the only of Marquez's books that I've ever read and I was not a fan of it. However, I do like docudramas and historical narratives very much! AND I've also been wanting to watch Narcos for a while now. So, like Nipuni has said, I will consider giving Marquez a second chance haha!
ReplyDeleteGosh yes I agree with what Nipuni and Therushie said. One Hundred Years of Solitude is the only book of Marquez that I've ever read as well and I definitely am not a fan of it :3 I'm a huuge fan of the series Narcos. In general, I love documentaries and crime as a genre. So yeah, due to it's interesting content, I will also consider giving Marquez a second chance! :3
ReplyDeleteQuite interesting! I think I fell in love with Marquez after reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, and yes, it did take me a more than one reading to grasp his style, and I too wasn't a huge fan of it then. But when I did, I fell in deep love because the book reminded me a lot of the surrealist artist Salvador Dali's work, which is deeply mesmerizing as whimsical as it is...the book totally reminded me of his painting, The Persistence of Memory, a dreamy painting of languid, fluidly hanging watches. But reading Marquez needs time and dedication to truly feel, to get into his world- I don't find him unrealistic in any sense, rather his magic and fantasy is a product of his culture, an output of who he is as a person- if Harry Potter and Twilight and all the other hundreds of fantasy stories/movies can be appreciated, so can Marquez. It's true that he's a hard read, and definitely not recommended for reading on moving vehicles, but, give me a quiet, cosy room or a patch of shade beneath a tree, Marquez will be a treat! Thanks for this article, I love crime and thrillers and big fights! Will surely give it a go!
ReplyDeleteNuzla Niyas