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A review by brendamn
A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: A Son's Memoir of Gabriel García Márquez and Mercedes Barcha by Rodrigo García
3.0
I had expected this memoir to be a more general account from Rodrigo on the life of and his relationship with Gabriel García Márquez. In reality it is a recounting of the events leading up and including his death a point from Rodrigo's point of view. He is very introspective, his emotions are laid bare, and it offers a unique perspective. It has a lot of value, but more than anything I am very conflicted.
Gabriel García Márquez lamented that the one thing he would not be able to write about in his life was his own death. Rodrigo makes it seem like writing this book would partially fulfill or satisfy the sentiment of his father, but it kinda misses the point altogether which is pretty obvious. It feels like Rodrigo deliberately or subconsciously misinterprets this as a way to give the impression that GGM would have not been bothered by this being written. He confronts this question of approval and violating his father's privacy quite often in the book. The thing is if you have to defend yourself this much then why didn't you just, you know, ask him?
He mentions his father saying at some point that he told Rodrigo and his siblings that he didn't care what they did once he died as well. That is true of myself as well, I won't be here anymore so how much does it matter to me what people do or say? That isn't so much of an approval than just accepting I don't have control and might not even be witness so do whatever, I am out of the picture.
His father also had talked about not wanting his drafts and manuscripts and unfinished work out in the open, he'd rather it have been burned and had in fact burned a lot of those writings throughout his life. After he died though, off to The Harry Ransom Center here in Austin, TX they went.
While Gabriel García Márquez lies in front of dead on a gurney Rodrigo reflects "I want to take a photo with him and I do so with my phone. Instantly I feel sick to my stomach with guilt and shame for having violated his privacy so violently". He deletes the photograph as a result, and then goes on to release this book. This just felt so invasive, and left me feeling kind of gross myself. He doesn't need permission of course to write it, write whatever you want. Though I think he at least should have probably asked his parents what they though about the idea out of respect. This felt less like a memoir from a son, but rather a paparazzo.
Gabriel García Márquez lamented that the one thing he would not be able to write about in his life was his own death. Rodrigo makes it seem like writing this book would partially fulfill or satisfy the sentiment of his father, but it kinda misses the point altogether which is pretty obvious. It feels like Rodrigo deliberately or subconsciously misinterprets this as a way to give the impression that GGM would have not been bothered by this being written. He confronts this question of approval and violating his father's privacy quite often in the book. The thing is if you have to defend yourself this much then why didn't you just, you know, ask him?
He mentions his father saying at some point that he told Rodrigo and his siblings that he didn't care what they did once he died as well. That is true of myself as well, I won't be here anymore so how much does it matter to me what people do or say? That isn't so much of an approval than just accepting I don't have control and might not even be witness so do whatever, I am out of the picture.
His father also had talked about not wanting his drafts and manuscripts and unfinished work out in the open, he'd rather it have been burned and had in fact burned a lot of those writings throughout his life. After he died though, off to The Harry Ransom Center here in Austin, TX they went.
While Gabriel García Márquez lies in front of dead on a gurney Rodrigo reflects "I want to take a photo with him and I do so with my phone. Instantly I feel sick to my stomach with guilt and shame for having violated his privacy so violently". He deletes the photograph as a result, and then goes on to release this book. This just felt so invasive, and left me feeling kind of gross myself. He doesn't need permission of course to write it, write whatever you want. Though I think he at least should have probably asked his parents what they though about the idea out of respect. This felt less like a memoir from a son, but rather a paparazzo.