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I'm Not Here to Give a Speech

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I'm Not Here to Give a Speech is a short collection of Gabriel García Márquez’s speeches. Márquez is the Nobel Prize-winning author of masterpieces, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) and Love in the Time of Cholera (1985).

In his speeches Márquez discourses on the “tragedy” of Latin America, whose wars, military coups and thwarted political idealism make it the “immense homeland of deluded men”. Márquez spoke from experience. His father, Gabriel Eligio García, had worked in Colombia in the 1920s for the United Fruit Company, which succeeded in reducing Honduras to such a state of corruption that it earned the original title of “banana republic”.

Much of what Márquez says, in speeches delivered between 1944 and 2007 are truly beautiful and haunting. Thank you, Netgalley & Knopf Doubleday Publishing, for this copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 out of 5

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Really inspiring. Should be read by everyone. Thank you so much for giving me a look. I am suggesting this to everyone.

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I'm Not Here to Give a Speech. What a wonderful statement and it juxtaposes wonderfully to the beautiful speeches that fill this novel. I loved this book because it showcased the brilliance of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Gabo as he is so affectionately known. It showed how this amazing man used his platform to bring notice to the events that were going on around him. This book is a gift to any fans of this phenomenal writer.

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This is a wonderful collection of speeches now translated into English ny one of the worlds best authors Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I would highly recommend this book to fans of his work.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel 100 Years of Solitude was a life-changing book. It shook me to my core and forever changed my view on fiction and writing altogether. I was beyond delighted to get access to the English language edition of his collected speeches, I'm Not Here to Give a Speech, published by @vintageanchorbooks and provided to me for review from the good folks at @netgalley .
These speeches, gathered by the author, span from his graduation from school to the 25th anniversary of 100 Years of Solitude at an event that was attended by Spain's monarchy.
They were as delightsome as I had hoped. Eloquent, warm, effortlessly poetic, heartfelt and sincere. I learned about his friends, his family, his home and his love for Latin America. I think my favorite of the speeches was The Cataclysm of Damocles which was delivered in 1986 but could have been delivered today and been as necessary.
This is a book I will cherish and I couldn't recommend it more. Garcia Marquez was an absolute gift.

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Gabriel Garcia Márquez is a household name, the kind of author who is on all the lists and garners all the respect. And yet I have managed to not read a single one of his books. Just why I haven’t is a mystery before the Lord, but 2019 is filled with good intentions, so fingers crossed. For now I decided that perhaps reading his speeches might be a good introduction to this legend of a writer. I think it is one of the best ideas I have had so far this year. Thanks to Knopf Doubleday, Vintage and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reading speeches is a weird thing. It is like reading Shakespeare. The words are there, but the essence is missing. Some words are meant to be spoken and while their impact is still felt from the page, it’s just not quite the same. That is what I have often had when reading Shakespeare’s plays. It wasn’t until I saw my first play at the Shakespeare’s Globe that I truly felt the impact of his words, grasped the truth behind them and understood why people love him so much. I feared the same would be the case with I’m not Here to Give A Speech but I was wrong. There is a life in this speeches that makes me wonder just how impressive they must have been when delivered.

This collection of speeches spans from 1944 to 2007 and begins with Márquez’ unwillingness to speak. Never have I related more to a Nobel prize winner. Each of his speeches, although delivered to a crowd, feel very personal and intimate, as if he is letting us in on a private conversation. ‘The Solitude of Latin America’ is the crown jewel in this collection. He gave the speech in Stockholm, Sweden on Dec. 8th 1982 when he was awarded the Nobel prize for Literature. It is in this speech that, for me, his passion for Latin America and his political beliefs shone through most clearly. His point on European standards and ideas being imposed upon other countries and cultures really stood out to me:
‘The interpretation of our reality using foreign systems only contributes to making us more and more unknown, less and less free, more and more solitary.’
This is something I only came to realize a few years ago, just how much the ideas I had grown up with influenced the way I looked at other cultures and their art. Márquez’ speeches made me take a step back and even though I was reading, I was listening. These speeches are suffused with humour, pathos, lessons and love. Love for his country, for his people, his friends, art, the world. They’re each inspiring in their own way and they lit a fire in me to explore this man’s books.

I’m Not Here to Give A Speech is a stunning collection of a Márquez’ speeches. This is not a dry summary of words once said by someone great, there is an immediacy to them that makes them very thought-provoking. I’d recommend this to anyone with both an interest in Latin America and a passion for Márquez.

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez, master of magical realism, returns to us vividly in this collection of translated speeches. Most fascinating as a fan of his work was seeing how important social causes/issues of the day were to him and how he eloquently gave voice to topics that still seem painfully relevant. This collection is a treasure for any fan of Marquez or of literature.

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