Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez

Santiago Nasar is brutally murdered in a small town by two brothers. All the townspeople knew it was going to happen – including the victim. But nobody did anything to prevent the killing. Twenty-seven years later, a man arrives in a town to try to piece together the truth from the contradictory testimonies of the townsfolk. To at last understand what happened to Santiago, and why…

It is interesting that a book can contain so much suspense and intrigue when everyone – characters and reader alike – already knows the climax of the story.

The story is told at a measured pace. The narrator, investigating the murder, tells us what he has heard from different people present on the day of the murder – where they were, what they were doing, how they knew the victim or the perpetrators, and what their opinions are. It seems clear that the murderers did not at any point hide their intentions, giving a straight answer whenever anyone asked them what they were doing.

But nobody did anything to stop them. Did they not believe the murderers? Or did they simply feel that it was not their business to intervene in the reasons for the murder? I think we are all familiar with the feeling of not wanting to interfere, even if we know something is not right but this story illustrates the harm that can be suffered when we all turn a blind eye.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a short book and it tells a serious story in an accessible way. I am looking forward to reading more works by García Márquez.