My greatest earthly treasures would be my books and compact disc collection. Currently, I have a sizeable collection of books from the 1960's to the present and there is no more space on any of my shelves in my home :-), much to my hubby's chagrin. Of all my favorite writers, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is definitely my favorite together with J.M. Coetzee, Ha Jin, Toni Morrison, Jumpha Lahiri and others. I have and love all his books with the exception of his last book , Memories of my Melancholy Whores.
Siew Hoon sent me this set of slides which documents his letter to his friends and loved ones following his decision to withdraw from society due to his battle against cancer. It is a very beautifully written, poignant and touching letter and there is much that we can learn from him...
Some info about Gabriel Garcia Marquez that I extracted from Wikipedia:
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (born March 6, 1927[1]) is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. García Márquez, familiarly known as "Gabo" in his native country, is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. In 1982, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He pursued a self-directed education that resulted in his leaving law school for a career in journalism. From early on, he showed no inhibitions in his criticism of Colombian and foreign politics. In 1958, he married Mercedes Barcha; they have two sons, Rodrigo and Gonzalo.
He started as a journalist, and has written many acclaimed non-fiction works and short stories, but is best-known for his novels, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) and Love in the Time of Cholera (1985). His works have achieved significant critical acclaim and widespread commercial success, most notably for popularizing a literary style labeled as magical realism, which uses magical elements and events in otherwise ordinary and realistic situations. Some of his works are set in a fictional village called Macondo, and most of them express the theme of solitude.
Novels
* One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967
* The Autumn of the Patriarch 1975
* Chronicle of a Death Foretold 1981
* Love in the Time of Cholera 1985
* The General in His Labyrinth 1989
* Of Love and Other Demons 1994
* Memories of My Melancholy Whores 2004
Novellas
* Leaf Storm 1955
* No One Writes to the Colonel published 1961 in Spanish (written in 1956-1957)
* In Evil Hour 1962
Short Story Collections
* Innocent Eréndira, and Other Stories 1978
* Collected Stories 1984
* Strange Pilgrims 1993
4 comments to THE LAST LETTER
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Unknown Hi Andrea,
You are darn lucky!!! A friend of mine brought over 10 copies of Coetzee for me in 1997 when I first discovered him in 1996. Back in those days, Coetzee was not as popular as he is now.
I also have all of Coetzee's book with the exception of his later. Youth is not too bad. Stranger Shores is heavy reading. So lucky!!! 5RM!!! They had those offers last year at Tesco for 3RM and I got some great deals too.
I bought Haddon's first edition when A spot of Bother was first released and have yet to read it but i love his first book! And I think Martin Amis is a terrific writer too - heavy stuff :-).
Have you tried G.G. Marquez? Think is best is Chronicle of a Death Foretold, 100 years of solitude, love in the time of cholera and Of Love and Demons.
Have a nice day!
Cheers
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shinelight When I had a heart attack in 2006, I found near death experience a moment of peace and bliss. The whole setting was just great. I was on my bed with all my dear ones surrounding me. I manage to say my last words (with very much difficulty) to everyone. Though I was not so excited about moving into the next world, I was ready and prepared. I don't remember reflecting about my past life and actions - that I didn't do enough of this and that. I was just enjoy the moment of peace and tranquility, and waiting for the angle of death to come and wondering why he is late. When I heard that the ambulance got stuck in a traffic jam, I thought my angel of death too got stuck in a traffic jam. :)
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Unknown Dear Shinelight,
Thanks for sharing with us such a beautiful and surreal experience. It is a miracle you are alive!! No wonder you are so positive and focused.
All the time, I thought you are a very young mom in your early thirties or late twenties. We might be the same age :-) ...I am still in my 40's and often wonder about the brevity of life and what lies beyond.
Do take care and seize each day which is a gift from God.
May God bless you with good health, strength and wisdom.
Warmest wishes
Anonymous Paula: I love JM Coetzee, too. The other day, Momsy went to Carrefour and they had these piles of books at MYR5 each. She patiently went through it for the next THREE hours and managed to find 11 gems including 2 x JM Coetzee books (Youth & Stranger Shores), 1 x Mark Haddon (A spot of bother) and 1 x Martin Amis (Heavy Water).