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Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen
Admired by millions across the world, Gabriel García Márquez first came to prominence as an imaginative writer of genius with his fantastical novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, published by Penguin in 1972. Alternately enchanting and disconcerting, the four tales in this volume describe the frailty of humanity and the bewitching force of the imagination, in a world where the lines between reality and dream are hopelessly blurred.
56 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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544 people want to read
About the author
Gabriel García Márquez
986 books41.2k followersGabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. García Márquez, familiarly known as "Gabo" in his native country, was considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. In 1982, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
He studied at the University of Bogotá and later worked as a reporter for the Colombian newspaper El Espectador and as a foreign correspondent in Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Caracas, and New York. He wrote 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 order to explain real experiences. Some of his works are set in a fictional village called Macondo, and most of them express the theme of solitude.
Having previously written shorter fiction and screenplays, García Márquez sequestered himself away in his Mexico City home for an extended period of time to complete his novel Cien años de soledad, or One Hundred Years of Solitude, published in 1967. The author drew international acclaim for the work, which ultimately sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. García Márquez is credited with helping introduce an array of readers to magical realism, a genre that combines more conventional storytelling forms with vivid, layers of fantasy.
Another one of his novels, El amor en los tiempos del cólera (1985), or Love in the Time of Cholera, drew a large global audience as well. The work was partially based on his parents' courtship and was adapted into a 2007 film starring Javier Bardem. García Márquez wrote seven novels during his life, with additional titles that include El general en su laberinto (1989), or The General in His Labyrinth, and Del amor y otros demonios (1994), or Of Love and Other Demons.
(Arabic: جابرييل جارسيا ماركيز) (Hebrew: גבריאל גארסיה מרקס) (Ukrainian: Ґабріель Ґарсія Маркес) (Belarussian: Габрыель Гарсія Маркес) (Russian: Габриэль Гарсия Маркес)
He studied at the University of Bogotá and later worked as a reporter for the Colombian newspaper El Espectador and as a foreign correspondent in Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Caracas, and New York. He wrote 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 order to explain real experiences. Some of his works are set in a fictional village called Macondo, and most of them express the theme of solitude.
Having previously written shorter fiction and screenplays, García Márquez sequestered himself away in his Mexico City home for an extended period of time to complete his novel Cien años de soledad, or One Hundred Years of Solitude, published in 1967. The author drew international acclaim for the work, which ultimately sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. García Márquez is credited with helping introduce an array of readers to magical realism, a genre that combines more conventional storytelling forms with vivid, layers of fantasy.
Another one of his novels, El amor en los tiempos del cólera (1985), or Love in the Time of Cholera, drew a large global audience as well. The work was partially based on his parents' courtship and was adapted into a 2007 film starring Javier Bardem. García Márquez wrote seven novels during his life, with additional titles that include El general en su laberinto (1989), or The General in His Labyrinth, and Del amor y otros demonios (1994), or Of Love and Other Demons.
(Arabic: جابرييل جارسيا ماركيز) (Hebrew: גבריאל גארסיה מרקס) (Ukrainian: Ґабріель Ґарсія Маркес) (Belarussian: Габрыель Гарсія Маркес) (Russian: Габриэль Гарсия Маркес)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 2, 2022
I don't know why it took me 25 years to read my first Márquez but it did. My mother is a huge fan of his and has read multiple of his novels and short story collections. So, many of his books were readily available in our flat. Somehow, I never veered towards him.
Recently, I've read some reviews of One Hundred Years of Solitude and became really interested in Márquez as a writer. I had heard of him, of course. It's hard being a book worm (or general person) and not having heard of him. He's Colombia's (maybe even Latin America's?) most famous writer. He wrote short stories, novels, screenplays, journalistic pieces. In 1982, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
When I think of Márquez, I think of magical realism. The good kind. Nowadays, what is and what isn't magical realism has become a bit wishy-washy. For me, magical realism is most effective when it blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy: folk culture, mythology, religion, history, and geography merge into a reality that is perceived as natural on the plot level. The basic idea is that fantasy and realism can coexist seamlessly and are not necessarily in conflict.
However, given the trigger warnings for his lengthier (and more famous novels) and the complicated historical context (of which I know too little of to appreciate these novels fully at this point in time), I chose to start with his short fiction.
This book collects four of Márquez's short stories, written from the 50s to the 80s. Three of the stories were not published until 1992, in the collection Strange Pilgrims ("Doce cuentos peregrinos"). Each of the stories touches on the theme of dislocation and the strangeness of life in a foreign land, although quite what "foreign" means is one of García Márquez's central questions. [García Márquez himself spent some years as a virtual exile from his native Colombia.]
Overall, I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed these four stories. Three were 4 star-worthy and one even got the full 5 star-rating. I'm shook! I loved the translation; Márquez's writing is sublime, his ideas original and interesting, and each story was engaging in a different way. Sometimes I was intrigued by the plot, sometimes I fell in love with the characters, sometimes with the gorgeous writing.
After this pleasant experience I am definitely willing to give Márquez a shot. I know I will have to do some more research before diving into One Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera ... or maybe The General in His Labyrinth (Alaska would be so proud of me!). But I feel like it will be worth it. Márquez is definitely on the list now!
"Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen" (4 stars)
This story follows an ageing South American lady as she makes the long boat trip to Europe to see the pope and finds herself disappointed and surrounded by death.
Prudencia Linero travels to Rome from the Argentines to obtain personal absolution from the pope for a sin which remains unrevealed to the reader, and is forced to spend the night in a Naples hotel with its variety of inhabitants. When she arrives, she sees a corpse floating in the water, but no one seems concerned. At the hotel, the elevator stops at a floor where seventeen English tourists are sleeping in chairs in the hallway. Disgusted, she requests a room on a different floor. Later, she learns that they ''were poisoned by the oyster soup at supper'' and all are dead.
Out of the four stories in this collection, this is probably the weakest one. Prudencia Linero isn't the most charming main character and I found it hard to really care for her. I was definitely intrigued by the symbolism surrounding death in this story though.
"'I Only Came to Use the Phone'" (5 stars)
In this story, a woman's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. She hitches a ride on a bus on its way to a mental institute. Before she knows what's happening, she has been admitted as a patient. Her husband, referring to their trouble-ridden history, believes she has run off with another man.
When she finally finds an opportunity to call him, he curses her and hangs up. She is forced to sleep with a female guard to pass along the full message to her husband. When he arrives, he takes the doctor's account to heart and leaves his wife at the hospital, where she eventually adopts the role of insanity imposed upon her by the medical staff.
By far my favorite story out of the story, and literally my worst nightmare. The story was haunting and eery and fucking infuriating. I felt so much for its protagonist and wanted to free her from the mental institute myself. The story was also surprisingly feminist, as it showcases the dependence of women, and how easily their liberty can be stripped from them.
I highly recommend reading this story for yourself. It's atmospheric, it's chilling. It's a wild ride from start to finish, and one that is very worth taking!
"The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock" (4 stars)
This story was first published in 1950 in El espectador, a Bogotá, Columbia, daily publication, where Gabriel García Márquez was already a renowned journalist.
The story tells of an unnamed prostitute who comes into José's diner everyday at six O’clock for a free meal. One day, she comes in and convinces him to say that she came in earlier so that she has an alibi for a murder she has just committed. The story explores such themes as the justification of murder, the power of a person’s reputation, and the different realities that people experience.
Easily the most charming and delightful story of the bunch. It was actually quite funny at times, because José was so oblivious to what Queen (the prostitute) was hinting at when she asked him to lie for her.
"Light is Like Water" (4 stars)
Two young boys ask for a boat in return for their good grades. When their parents finally buy them the rowboat, they break the light bulbs in their home and the light comes flowing out like water. They use the light to navigate around their home every Wednesday, and invite their friends to go sailing with them as well. The boys' friends end up drowning in the light.
This is the only story that kinda went over my head. I didn't understand its symbolism... but the writing was gorgeous. What does the light signify? Or the water? Why do the kids drown? I have so many questions!
Recently, I've read some reviews of One Hundred Years of Solitude and became really interested in Márquez as a writer. I had heard of him, of course. It's hard being a book worm (or general person) and not having heard of him. He's Colombia's (maybe even Latin America's?) most famous writer. He wrote short stories, novels, screenplays, journalistic pieces. In 1982, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
When I think of Márquez, I think of magical realism. The good kind. Nowadays, what is and what isn't magical realism has become a bit wishy-washy. For me, magical realism is most effective when it blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy: folk culture, mythology, religion, history, and geography merge into a reality that is perceived as natural on the plot level. The basic idea is that fantasy and realism can coexist seamlessly and are not necessarily in conflict.
However, given the trigger warnings for his lengthier (and more famous novels) and the complicated historical context (of which I know too little of to appreciate these novels fully at this point in time), I chose to start with his short fiction.
This book collects four of Márquez's short stories, written from the 50s to the 80s. Three of the stories were not published until 1992, in the collection Strange Pilgrims ("Doce cuentos peregrinos"). Each of the stories touches on the theme of dislocation and the strangeness of life in a foreign land, although quite what "foreign" means is one of García Márquez's central questions. [García Márquez himself spent some years as a virtual exile from his native Colombia.]
Overall, I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed these four stories. Three were 4 star-worthy and one even got the full 5 star-rating. I'm shook! I loved the translation; Márquez's writing is sublime, his ideas original and interesting, and each story was engaging in a different way. Sometimes I was intrigued by the plot, sometimes I fell in love with the characters, sometimes with the gorgeous writing.
After this pleasant experience I am definitely willing to give Márquez a shot. I know I will have to do some more research before diving into One Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera ... or maybe The General in His Labyrinth (Alaska would be so proud of me!). But I feel like it will be worth it. Márquez is definitely on the list now!
"Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen" (4 stars)
This story follows an ageing South American lady as she makes the long boat trip to Europe to see the pope and finds herself disappointed and surrounded by death.
Prudencia Linero travels to Rome from the Argentines to obtain personal absolution from the pope for a sin which remains unrevealed to the reader, and is forced to spend the night in a Naples hotel with its variety of inhabitants. When she arrives, she sees a corpse floating in the water, but no one seems concerned. At the hotel, the elevator stops at a floor where seventeen English tourists are sleeping in chairs in the hallway. Disgusted, she requests a room on a different floor. Later, she learns that they ''were poisoned by the oyster soup at supper'' and all are dead.
Out of the four stories in this collection, this is probably the weakest one. Prudencia Linero isn't the most charming main character and I found it hard to really care for her. I was definitely intrigued by the symbolism surrounding death in this story though.
"'I Only Came to Use the Phone'" (5 stars)
In this story, a woman's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. She hitches a ride on a bus on its way to a mental institute. Before she knows what's happening, she has been admitted as a patient. Her husband, referring to their trouble-ridden history, believes she has run off with another man.
When she finally finds an opportunity to call him, he curses her and hangs up. She is forced to sleep with a female guard to pass along the full message to her husband. When he arrives, he takes the doctor's account to heart and leaves his wife at the hospital, where she eventually adopts the role of insanity imposed upon her by the medical staff.
By far my favorite story out of the story, and literally my worst nightmare. The story was haunting and eery and fucking infuriating. I felt so much for its protagonist and wanted to free her from the mental institute myself. The story was also surprisingly feminist, as it showcases the dependence of women, and how easily their liberty can be stripped from them.
I highly recommend reading this story for yourself. It's atmospheric, it's chilling. It's a wild ride from start to finish, and one that is very worth taking!
"The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock" (4 stars)
This story was first published in 1950 in El espectador, a Bogotá, Columbia, daily publication, where Gabriel García Márquez was already a renowned journalist.
The story tells of an unnamed prostitute who comes into José's diner everyday at six O’clock for a free meal. One day, she comes in and convinces him to say that she came in earlier so that she has an alibi for a murder she has just committed. The story explores such themes as the justification of murder, the power of a person’s reputation, and the different realities that people experience.
Easily the most charming and delightful story of the bunch. It was actually quite funny at times, because José was so oblivious to what Queen (the prostitute) was hinting at when she asked him to lie for her.
"Light is Like Water" (4 stars)
Two young boys ask for a boat in return for their good grades. When their parents finally buy them the rowboat, they break the light bulbs in their home and the light comes flowing out like water. They use the light to navigate around their home every Wednesday, and invite their friends to go sailing with them as well. The boys' friends end up drowning in the light.
This is the only story that kinda went over my head. I didn't understand its symbolism... but the writing was gorgeous. What does the light signify? Or the water? Why do the kids drown? I have so many questions!
January 22, 2024
داستان یه خانمی بود که میخواست بره پاپ رو ببینه و تو مسیر و تو هتل براش، کنارش، یه سری اتفاق ها رخ داده بود.
زیاد عجیب نبودن زیاد هم طبیعی نبودن .
اصلا چیز خاصی نبودن، شاید باید راجع به نماد های نوشتارش چیزی بخونم بعد ادامه بدم داستان های کوتاهش رو.
+واقعا به نظر نمیاد صدف اینقدر خوشمزه باشه. حالا اون چیز لزج رو از کجا بفهمی فاسده یا نه؟
زیاد عجیب نبودن زیاد هم طبیعی نبودن .
اصلا چیز خاصی نبودن، شاید باید راجع به نماد های نوشتارش چیزی بخونم بعد ادامه بدم داستان های کوتاهش رو.
+واقعا به نظر نمیاد صدف اینقدر خوشمزه باشه. حالا اون چیز لزج رو از کجا بفهمی فاسده یا نه؟
January 28, 2018
سه داستان کوتاه دوست داشتنی، داستان آخر رو از همه بیشتر دوست داشتم، کتاب کوتاهیه پس حتما بخونیدش
Read
June 20, 2017.سه داستان کوتاه
اولی راجع به بیوه پیرزنی که برای زیارت پاپ میره.
دومی در مورد بچههایی که تو نور غرق میشند.
و سومی که بلندتر هم بود در مورد زنی بود که اشتباهی قاطی یه اتوبوس از بیمارای روانی میشه.
اولی و دومی زیاد برام جذابیتی نداشتند. اما سومی خیلی قشنگ احساس کردم که چقدر راحت ممکنه همچین بلایی به اشکال مختلف سر آدم بیاد.
اولی راجع به بیوه پیرزنی که برای زیارت پاپ میره.
دومی در مورد بچههایی که تو نور غرق میشند.
و سومی که بلندتر هم بود در مورد زنی بود که اشتباهی قاطی یه اتوبوس از بیمارای روانی میشه.
اولی و دومی زیاد برام جذابیتی نداشتند. اما سومی خیلی قشنگ احساس کردم که چقدر راحت ممکنه همچین بلایی به اشکال مختلف سر آدم بیاد.
December 3, 2015
Having read One Hundred Years of Solitude with much distaste tempering my awed response to the sheer pace and poetry, I was surprised to enjoy this collection so thoroughly. Marquez is at his most effervescent and economical and his ideas sparkle with ingenuity.
February 9, 2024
Great. Marquez is always a fantastic writer, he is concise and clean yet complex. His descriptions are uniquely specific and do not come off as verbose but beautifully articulate. The stories are wild, gripping, silly and unexpected. The characters are emotional, the scenarios random but still offer insight to the meaning behind the stories. If you like good writing read this shit
July 9, 2017
"Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez comprises of four (4) short stories, namely:
1. Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen
2. "I Only Came to Use the Phone"
3. The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock
4. Light is Like Water
First of all, I would like to commend the book cover of this book - it immediately caught my attention, since it really had a pretty book cover (as well as an interesting title).
I liked the stories in this book. My favorite was the second story, which was "I Only Came to Use the Phone", followed by "The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock", then by "Light is Like Water", and finally by Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen. These stories were realistic yet dreamy, which now explains the genre to which it falls in: magical realism. I have been meaning to find more books with this genre, and I am lucky to have read this.
This is definitely recommended, and I am looking forward to reading more of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books.
1. Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen
2. "I Only Came to Use the Phone"
3. The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock
4. Light is Like Water
First of all, I would like to commend the book cover of this book - it immediately caught my attention, since it really had a pretty book cover (as well as an interesting title).
I liked the stories in this book. My favorite was the second story, which was "I Only Came to Use the Phone", followed by "The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock", then by "Light is Like Water", and finally by Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen. These stories were realistic yet dreamy, which now explains the genre to which it falls in: magical realism. I have been meaning to find more books with this genre, and I am lucky to have read this.
This is definitely recommended, and I am looking forward to reading more of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books.
April 24, 2024
Meh.
Not worth reviewing.
For the moment at least.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1990] [20p] [Fiction] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
No vale la pena reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1990] [20p] [Ficción] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Not worth reviewing.
For the moment at least.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1990] [20p] [Fiction] [Not Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
No vale la pena reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1990] [20p] [Ficción] [No Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
September 19, 2008
This little book contains four short stories by Marquez, playing with reality and dream in quite an ingenious manner. I found 'I only came to use the phone' about a girl only wanting to use the phone but ending up in a mental asylum particularly frightening. Very nightmarish.
June 21, 2016
Probably more like 3.5 stars
I really want to write a short film based on the story "The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock".
I really want to write a short film based on the story "The Woman Who Came at Six O'Clock".
June 22, 2017
اسم القصة : سبعة عشر رجلًا إنجليزيًا مسمومًا
عندما يقرر ماركيز أن يهدأ ويخلع عباءة التفاصيل الكثيرة .
عندما يقرر ماركيز أن يهدأ ويخلع عباءة التفاصيل الكثيرة .
February 16, 2025
This book contains four captivating short stories, each uniquely uncomfortable and irresistible. Marquez has a dark mind, shown in these stories.
Lines i liked:
In ‘I only came to use the phone’
“Guided her through the labyrinth of her uncertainty”
A labyrinth by definition is one continuous path to the centre. This is a nice way of describing that feeling of reaching your peace with something. In the end the path is simple and can only be reached one way, but it can be filled with complexities along the way.
This is my own interpretation of this line as i find that soothing. But this short story is actually quite harrowing, with the woman described here as being ‘soothed,’ has actually been mistaken for a patient at a psychiatric facility and is gaslit and forced to live there against her will for years as no one believes her. Eventually she is left there by her husband, where she rots with time, and the story ends there.
In ‘The woman who came at six o’clock’
“He stood motionless, as if bewitched by the vapour of her words.”
I particularly liked how this book made me feel transported to Europe with serene nostalgia. Note to self to read more books written by a range of authors from around the world.
Lines i liked:
In ‘I only came to use the phone’
“Guided her through the labyrinth of her uncertainty”
A labyrinth by definition is one continuous path to the centre. This is a nice way of describing that feeling of reaching your peace with something. In the end the path is simple and can only be reached one way, but it can be filled with complexities along the way.
This is my own interpretation of this line as i find that soothing. But this short story is actually quite harrowing, with the woman described here as being ‘soothed,’ has actually been mistaken for a patient at a psychiatric facility and is gaslit and forced to live there against her will for years as no one believes her. Eventually she is left there by her husband, where she rots with time, and the story ends there.
In ‘The woman who came at six o’clock’
“He stood motionless, as if bewitched by the vapour of her words.”
I particularly liked how this book made me feel transported to Europe with serene nostalgia. Note to self to read more books written by a range of authors from around the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2021
Not recommended, although die-hard Gabriel García Márquez completist will still get around to it.
All this author’s stories are sorrowful, tragically whimsical and operate in a Spanish-speaking, rosary-beaded sphere where the sandstorms of fate roll in and whip sad lives away to oblivion. However, One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera are his masterworks in literature, whereas this book contains four stories not quite good enough to be published. 3 out of 10, try again. We see the plight of characters critically stressed, pointless entrapments, meaningless deaths and a sense of timeless drifting in places where nothing matters and no one’s bothering to save you. Everyone’s a footnote and the reader won’t turn back.
If you like this book somehow, I recommend you try Mr Loveday's Little Outing, by Evelyn Waugh, which is an equally hollow high-literature dose of sorrow and meaningless killing.
This book was charitably brief and left me trying to shake away a little cloud of depression. If this title (I don’t mean the exceptional author) is on your reading list, my advice is to shorten it immediately.
All this author’s stories are sorrowful, tragically whimsical and operate in a Spanish-speaking, rosary-beaded sphere where the sandstorms of fate roll in and whip sad lives away to oblivion. However, One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera are his masterworks in literature, whereas this book contains four stories not quite good enough to be published. 3 out of 10, try again. We see the plight of characters critically stressed, pointless entrapments, meaningless deaths and a sense of timeless drifting in places where nothing matters and no one’s bothering to save you. Everyone’s a footnote and the reader won’t turn back.
If you like this book somehow, I recommend you try Mr Loveday's Little Outing, by Evelyn Waugh, which is an equally hollow high-literature dose of sorrow and meaningless killing.
This book was charitably brief and left me trying to shake away a little cloud of depression. If this title (I don’t mean the exceptional author) is on your reading list, my advice is to shorten it immediately.
April 17, 2020
مارکز و رئالیسم جادویی دوست داشتنیش
خیلی قشنگ بود
خیلی قشنگ بود
December 9, 2023
Four very short stories that are equally funny and heart breaking. The titular story being the stand out.
September 1, 2025
everyone should read Márquez in english or spanish, he is just beautiful
June 4, 2022
“For they had turned on so many lights at the same time that the apartment flooded, and two entire classes at the elementary school of Saint Julian the Hospitaler drowned on the fifth floor of 47 Paseo de la Castellana. In Madrid, Spain, a remote city of burning summers and icy winds, with no ocean or river, whose landbound indigenous population had never mastered the science of navigating on light.”
December 12, 2015
A Pocket Penguin 70 year publication - a excerpt of short stories by GGM. Three taken from Strange Pilgrims, the third story from Collected Stories.
Plotlines given away, so a spoiler it is...
Plotlines given away, so a spoiler it is...
June 10, 2010
loved these short stories, capturing characters in a world where the lines between reality and dream are hopelessly blurred.
Favorite: "I only Came to Use the Phone", brilliantly scary.
Favorite: "I only Came to Use the Phone", brilliantly scary.
August 25, 2019
Al sinds jaar en dag wil ik één van Marquez’ vermeende meesterwerken lezen. Met name toen ik iets van 10 jaar geleden in Colombia reisde, had ik bedacht dat ik echt heel nodig iets van ‘s lands grootste schrijver moest lezen. Ik had immers ook veel naar Shakira geluisterd, kan de dikke dames van Botero sindsdien erg waarderen en heb de ontwikkelingen rondom FARC en Tanja nauwgezet gevolgd. Maar ze zijn zo dik... Dus elke keer als ik een keuze maak om wat te gaan lezen is het steeds weer niet Honderd Jaar Eenzaamheid of Liefde In Tijden Van Cholera. Wat houdt me nou toch tegen? Anyways, een poosje geleden kwam een vriendin van mijn vrouw langs met een stapeltje boeken voor in ons boekenkastje. En laat daar nou net een dun pareltje van Marquez tussen zitten met vier korte verhalen. Als ik dit werkje ook niet had gelezen, dan was ik een colombianofiel van niets! En zou ik waarschijnlijk ook nooit meer beginnen aan HJE of LITVC. Dus daarom Eleven Poisoned Englishmen gepakt en binnen een dag gelezen. Genoten! Wel vreemd trouwens om een Spaanstalige auteur in het Engels te lezen, maar goed. Als de gekke twists en originele invalshoeken maatgevend zijn voor zijn werk, dan pak ik nu heel snel één van zijn ‘echte’ meesterwerken. Ennuh nog even een spoiler alertje: ik denk dat ze het heeft gedaan in het eerste verhaal.
March 13, 2019
A very slim volume, with 4 short stories. The last one is very short (4 pages).
The book is described in a review as "magical realism", though only one of the stories is magical realism. The others perhaps hint at it, but do not carry it through.
The only story I would say I enjoyed was the magical realism story "Light is Like Water" (and I would personally have changed the ending.)
The first story raised too many questions it did not answer, so that it was not the story I was expecting. After readying the other stories, I tried to read the first story from a different perspective, but still felt I was missing something.
The writing is somehow poetic, dream-like (?), light; it feels soft and soothing almost, yet the stories are not.
"I only came to use the phone" explores the question of how do you prove you are not mad, if you have been accidentally committed and labelled mad.
These are not stories for people who want conclusive endings. To me they all feel like the beginnings of stories. I probably would have given it one more star, if I had borrowed it from the library, rather than bought it.
I would perhaps borrow another book by this author from the library
The book is described in a review as "magical realism", though only one of the stories is magical realism. The others perhaps hint at it, but do not carry it through.
The only story I would say I enjoyed was the magical realism story "Light is Like Water" (and I would personally have changed the ending.)
The first story raised too many questions it did not answer, so that it was not the story I was expecting. After readying the other stories, I tried to read the first story from a different perspective, but still felt I was missing something.
The writing is somehow poetic, dream-like (?), light; it feels soft and soothing almost, yet the stories are not.
"I only came to use the phone" explores the question of how do you prove you are not mad, if you have been accidentally committed and labelled mad.
These are not stories for people who want conclusive endings. To me they all feel like the beginnings of stories. I probably would have given it one more star, if I had borrowed it from the library, rather than bought it.
I would perhaps borrow another book by this author from the library
July 23, 2020
লেখক গাব্রিয়েল আগের লেখা গুলো নিজের কাছে মনে হয় খুব অপরিনত বয়স বা মনে পড়েছিলাম বলে বেশি ভাগ মাথায় জায়গা করে না নিতে পারুক টুকরো টুকরো দৃশ্য মনে (!) জায়গা করে নিয়েছে। তার মানে এই নয় যে খুব পরিনত বয়সে এসে তার ছোট গল্প পরে খুব বুঝদার হয়ে গেছি। সরলা? এরেন্দিরা যদিওবা সবুজ রক্ত বিশিষ্ট দাদীমা থেকে যে রেহাই পেল, তবে বেচারা ইউলিসি জন্য টান টা আমার বেশি ছিলো। "আমি কেবল টেলিফোন করতে এসেছি" এই গল্পে শেষে মারিয়ার স্বামী সাথে আমার দেশের স্বামীদের সাথে মনস্তাত্ত্বিক মিল উপলব্ধি করে কিঞ্চিৎ কষ্ট লেগেছে। খুব আশা ছিলো এইবার বোধ হয় একটু সহজে কোন গল্প বুঝতে পারবো নাহ। কিন্তু নাহ কোন কোন লেখকের লেখা ( অনুবাদ) পড়ে তা আশা করা টাই আমার জন্য বোকামি বোধ হয়।
অনেক টুকু কল্পনা, বেশখানিক মানুষের বিচিত্র মন ও চরিত্র আর খানিক টুকু হেয়ালি!
অনেক টুকু কল্পনা, বেশখানিক মানুষের বিচিত্র মন ও চরিত্র আর খানিক টুকু হেয়ালি!
February 28, 2018
شروعش که کردم فکر میکردم ی داستان بلند که اتفاقی مختلف و بالا پایین داره اما اینطور نبود کتابی بود شامل چند داستان کوتاه از زوایای مختلف زندگی ،جاهایی که حتی فکرشم شاید نکنیم اما مارکز با نگاهخاصش اونو به تصویر کشیده.
October 25, 2023
GGM's style and stories here are absolutely GORGEOUS. All 4 stories had me hooked from front to end. His magical realism is subtle in the most intricate and provocative way - unbeatable and utterly unforgettable
July 16, 2025
(صوتی)
راوی: بهروز رضوی
کیفیت عالی
داستان کوتاه، جالب.
هفده مرد انگلیسی، شبیه هم، در واقع تکرار یک مرد.
مثل الان که هزاران نفر دوبارهروی بیقید و شرط یک روند میشن و فردیت و شخصیت خودشون رو از دست میدن، در واقع آزادی خودشون رو به بهای یک نفر شدن، میفروشن.
راوی: بهروز رضوی
کیفیت عالی
داستان کوتاه، جالب.
هفده مرد انگلیسی، شبیه هم، در واقع تکرار یک مرد.
مثل الان که هزاران نفر دوبارهروی بیقید و شرط یک روند میشن و فردیت و شخصیت خودشون رو از دست میدن، در واقع آزادی خودشون رو به بهای یک نفر شدن، میفروشن.
September 28, 2018
از تکرار اسم های طولانی اونقدر خسته شدم که نتونستم تمومش کنم. اسم سینیورا پرودنسیا لینرو رو تو هر خط باید تمام و کمال می آورد وگرنه دلش آروم نمیگرفت
September 8, 2019
I keep trying to like his work, but I really don’t.
October 25, 2019
Fun collection of 4 short stories. Very evocative imagery and beautiful prose. Really enjoyed Light is like water.
August 6, 2021
Like holding a tray of jewelled birds
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews