The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor Paperback – March 13, 1989

This short book is a well written tight narrative that kept me reading, not putting down the book, until I had reached the end. The story, which actually happened to a sailor of the Columbian navy, was serialized in a newspaper in Columbia for which Marquez worked. The story had already been reported in the news when Marquez began to serialize the narrative, going into much detail as the storyline takes the viewpoint of the shipwrecked sailor himself. The story is a testament to luck and determination, making the most of opportunity in the struggle to survive. However, it is also an excellent example of Marquez’s ability to focus on the narrative thread as the armature which holds the entire composition together. I finished the book in 4 hours and I think most readers would find this to be a great reading experience.

I liked the book but my husband didn't, thus 4 stars. It's written very plain and simply. Almost like reading a diary. To me it's an amazing story, well worth reading.

I originally read this book in spanish and was immediately hooked. I only planned on reading a page or two but it's so well written that I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened next at each turn of the page. The spanish vesion (original language) is better in my opinion, but the english translation is still very enjoyable.

This tale is told in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s classic magical style. It’s a nonfiction account that transports you onto the lifeboat of a shipwrecked sailor and is beautifully written

A quick read - This story is told in painstaking detail, and one has to admire the recall of the narrator as he recounts the circumstances of the shipwreck, the ensuing 10 days at sea and his ultimate rescue. I was able to feel the roller coaster of hope and despair experienced by narrator, the joys, surges of adrenaline, anger and frustration, determination and resignation.This book had me on the edge of my seat, but mainly because of the preface by the author - The Story of the Story. The story certainly could have stood alone when first written in a series of newspaper articles, later in book form, because the story was still in the recent collective memory of Columbians. However, if I picked up a copy without the background provided by Garcia Marquez - as some of my book club friends did -I would have been lost and frustrated, left wanting more information. The Story of the Story preface gives a depth and completion to the story of the shipwrecked sailor, makes it all the more interesting. Make sure you buy a copy that includes the preface.

Wonderful book, but this is not the cover on the book I received.

I have read many, many of GGM's fiction stories. Love in the Time of Cholera is one of my favorites. But this was the first of his non-fiction stories that I have ever read. It was very enjoyable. it was interesting also to read one of his earliest works.It is a very quick read and you won't be disappointed.

Although I'm not usually a fan of this author, this book was fascinating. I read it first in Spanish and liked it so much I got it in English for my book club. It's a day by day account of a shipwreck survivor of his experiences as told to the author. The book is short, the writing clear and explicit, and the descriptions so real, the reader feels as if he/she were there.