Vivir para Contarla [Living To Tell the Tale].

GARCIA MARQUEZ, Gabriel.

$2,800.00

Item Number: 132701

Bogota: Grupo Editorial Norma, 2002.

First edition in Spanish of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s memoir. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page with a large drawing of a flower, “Para Juana y Sergio, la flor del carino despues de los postres Gabriel Garcia Marquez Los Angeles, 2004.” (In English it reads, “the flower of love after dessert). Garcia Marquez has also underlined the dedication of this work. The recipient, Sergio Muñoz Bata and his wife Juana, were close friends of Marquez. They met in 1964 in Mexico City in the home of author Carlos Fuentes, who often hosted a literary open house or “salon” on Sundays. At the time, Marquez was largely unknown to the literary world and still a “starving artist.” Even after his fame, however, Marquez remained very down-to-earth, and the men stayed close friends for over 50 years. When Muñoz Bata moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970’s, they continued to get together regularly with their wives after Marquez purchased a home there.  Sergio Muñoz Bata writes a weekly syndicated column published in 18 newspapers across 11 countries in the hemisphere. He is also both a former Los Angeles Times editorial board member and Executive Editor of La Opinión. In near fine condition. A wonderful association copy with great provenance. In near fine condition.

Here is García Márquez's shimmering evocation of his childhood home of Aracataca, the basis of the fictional Macondo. Here are the members of his ebulliently eccentric family. Here are the forces that turned him into a writer. Warm, revealing, abounding in images so vivid that we seem to be remembering them ourselves, Living to Tell the Tale is a work of enchantment.