When Gabriel García Márquez passed away a decade ago in 2014, he left behind a novel penned during his battle with dementia. In his final days, he entrusted his children with the manuscript, urging them to destroy it. However, they chose to defy their father’s request and instead published the book, a decision they later described as an act of “betrayal.”
The novel, titled “Until August,” is set to hit bookstores on March 12, 2024. It is a concise work, spanning between 100 to 120 pages, depending on the language of translation. The publication of “Until August” adds a surprising twist to his legacy and may stir questions about posthumous releases that contradict a writer’s directives.
The novel tells the story of Anna Magdalena Bach, a middle-aged woman who pays annual visits to an unnamed island in August to lay flowers on her mother’s grave. Despite her seemingly content marriage of over two decades, on each visit, she engages in a new romantic liaison. This marks a departure for García Márquez, as it represents his first exploration of a female protagonist. Renowned for his iconic works such as “Love in the Time of Cholera” and “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” García Márquez’s writings have garnered worldwide acclaim, with over 50 million copies sold.
García Márquez’s son, Gonzalo, defends the decision to publish the novel, stating, “My father was unable to objectively assess his work, as he only focused on its flaws rather than its merits.” Upon revisiting the text, Gonzalo expressed that he did not perceive it to be as dire as his father had deemed it. Instead, he viewed it as a valuable contribution to García Márquez’s oeuvre, offering a fresh and “unique” perspective on his father’s literary legacy.
“Indeed, we didn’t destroy it. In 2022, we revisited the draft novel and found that there wasn’t much deliberation needed,” Gonzalo explained. “We recognized the completeness of the book and concluded that extensive editing wasn’t necessary. There were no significant additions or alterations. Thus, there wasn’t much debate. We pondered for about three seconds: Was it a betrayal of my father or his wishes?”
Gonzalo said the book had to be published eventually, so the family wanted to publish a copy they had approved, ensuring the protection of the family’s copyright.
Cristóbal Pera, the editor of the final version of “Until August”, remarked: “The biggest challenge in editing the unfinished novel was to show absolute respect for the work of Gabriel García Márquez. It was a task of enormous responsibility. I didn’t have to add a single word, of course.”
It is noteworthy that Cristóbal Pera has been García Márquez’s editor since 2001 and played a role in encouraging him to complete the novel.
