!! HOW WILL I EVER GET OUT OF THIS LABYRINTH !!. Review on General in His Labyrinth, The - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Reading biographies is not my cup of Tea. That I learnt, after laying my hands on biographies of two of the great figures of the world that I really admire – Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein – and both of them I left midway. Getting to know them at such a minute level makes you realize that their lives too weren’t that extra-ordinary and it was nothing but circumstances that really brought the best out of them. Well, the outcome was I never laid my hands on biographies again.

When I picked ‘The General in His Labyrinth’ (TGIHL), by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, GGM, for my next read, I didn’t know that it’s kind of biographical, on the life of Simon Bolivar. Infact I didn’t even know who Simon Bolivar. (It’s quite possible for someone from this side of the world (Asia) as I guess there will be any there (South America) who won’t have any idea of Mahatma Gandhi.) Well, Simon Bolivar was the General who lead the Freedom Struggle of 5 of South American Nations against Spanish Domination and liberated them from Spanish Rule in early part of 19th Century. He was then named ‘The Liberator’ by the people – and still is known by the same title –and is one of the most prominent figures of American History. His ultimate wish was to extend the war into the south in order to realize the fantastic dream of creating the largest country in the world: one nation, free and united, from Mexico to Cape Horn called BOLIVIA.

"It was the end. He was leaving for ever. He had wrested from Spanish domination an empire five times more vast than all of Europe, he had lead twenty years of wars to keep it free and united, and he had governed it with a firm hand until the week before, but when it was time to leave he did not even take away with him the consolation that anyone believed in his departure. "

During, the years of his rule, as president, he somehow succeeded in the imposition of his will and kept the nations united. But as he lost Power -with people and close associates turning against him; Health – suffering from a deadly disease that still is a mystery; and Life – at an age of close to 50, his dream too died with him. TGIHL covers the last few days of General’s life, as he took his last melancholic voyage down the Magdalena River, revisiting the cities along its shore that he liberated; and reliving the triumphs and victories of those days of freedom struggle. After losing the post of President and the Goodwill of common public, and as the ill-health laid its shadow on General, he wanted to leave the nation and spend some time in Europe. So, he travelled to Caribbean Shores, down the Magdalena River, to catch the ship to Europe. But with declining health and as the fresh hope of becoming a president again emerged, he spent his last days in a small town, Waiting for the News that never arrived, among the very few friends that travelled with him.

Though TGIHL is a story of a real life character, I put my trust on the fact that it’s written by one of my favorite author GGM – works of whom never disappoint me. As always, I didn’t get disappointed this time either. With the magical touch of GGM’s words, the tale of Simon Bolivar has taken altogether a new shape. GGM has done such a good characterization of General – that he seems too good to be true. It’s not that he has brought in too much of heroism in the tale on part of General, on the contrary he has depicted him in quite an opposite fashion – a man suffering from a deadly disease, hardly able to walk, reduced to half of its early self – in terms of size and weight, and lost in the labyrinth of his early glories, merely a shadow of the man, who really was ‘The Liberator’. Be it the Florentino Ariza of ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ or Colonel Aureliano Buendia of ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ or unnamed Colonel of ‘No one writes to Colonel’ - GGMs characters mostly are memorable for the way they radiate hope and love, in the hopeless situations and circumstances as their tale, moves from bad to worst. The General of TGIHL is also one such unforgettable character, with the difference that this General is no fictional character but a real one; a Historical Figure, much respected and adored by many.

Flow is mostly descriptive with hardly much dialogues – mostly of General – and for me that’s what forms the best part of the book. GGM has given such powerful and witty dialogues to him that almost all the quotes that I have from this book are nothing but the dialogues of the General. Other impressive thing is the way GGM has tried to bring commonness in the character of Simon Bolivar, there’s only one instance that he has really named him in the book; otherwise he is always addressed as General.

All along through the last journey of General, narrative provides us with short peeps into his early life, through short snippets of his memories and dreams as well as the characters that come to re-visit him on his last voyage. This results in mention of too many Latin names, which kind of becomes difficult to keep track of, especially for an outsider reader – like me. Other than that, there was no hiccup for me.

Greatest thing about this book is the way it depicts the futility of the achievements of this world. As the general travels down the Magdalena River during his last days, places and people that used to hold celebrations and fiestas on his arrival, hardly turns up to show the same respect and glory.( No matter whom I am with I’ll always be alone.) He spent his last days in solitude, lost in his hallucinations, trapped in the labyrinth of past glories and future plans. But it was in small things of life like Rain, Sun, Nature, company of friends, and memories of his childhood that he discovered the contentment and happiness. That’s the end of all that are gone and that’s going to be the end of us, as well. Will we ever learn to get ourselves free of this labyrinth of past memories and future worries and concentrate on the real life that we have, the gift i.e. PRESENT.

"He was shaken by the overwhelming revelation that the headlong race between his misfortunes and his dreams was at that moment reaching the finish line. The rest was darkness, 'Damn it,' he sighed. 'How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!"

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