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The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

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The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, originally appeared in Playboy Magazine (November, 1971) He was given the name Esteban, for that alone seemed to fit this godlike figure swept in by the tide.Report on the Threatened City, by Doris Lessing, originally appeared in Playboy Magazine (November, 1971). From another world, they came to warn of impending disaster, and yet -- incredibly -- no one listened.

Leviathan! by Larry Niven, originally appeared in Playboy Magazine (August, 1970) The hunters of the future were faced with a fearsome task -- to capture the most gigantic monsters ever known.

Speed Trap by Frederik Pohl, originally appeared in Playboy Magazine (November, 1967) He'd thought the plane trip would allow time to organize the notes on his revolutionary theory, but suddenly the time was gone, the job undone.

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First published November 1, 1971

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About the author

Gabriel García Márquez

850 books37.9k followers
Gabriel 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)

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
Profile Image for Ahmad Sharabiani.
9,563 reviews371 followers
January 13, 2022
Collected Stories: The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, Gabriel García Márquez

Collected Stories brings together many of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's spellbinding short stories, each brimming with a blend of the surreal, the magical, and the everyday that Nobel-Prize-winner and author of One Hundred Years of Solitude Marquez is known for.

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World: One Wednesday morning, children in a small fishing village of "about twenty-odd wooden houses" find a body on the beach that is covered with "flotsam" and sea debris.

The children play by burying him in the sand until the adults discover the corpse and decide that it must be given a small funeral and thrown off the cliff on which their village rests. This is done because there is so little land in the village that they cannot have traditional burials.

In order to do so, however, they must prepare him for burial at sea and look in neighboring villages for any surviving relatives.

The men carry the body up to the village so that the women can prepare him for the funeral while they go to neighboring villages to ask if anyone can identify the drowned man. ...

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز پانزدهم ماه دسامبر سال2016میلادی

عنوان: زیباترین غریق جهان؛ همراه با دوازده داستان دیگر؛ عنوان دیگر بهترین داستانهای کوتاه؛ نویسنده: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: رضا دادویی؛ تهران، سبزان، سال1389؛ در160ص؛ چاپ سوم سال1392؛ شابک9786001170003؛ موضوع داستانهای کوتاه از نویسندگان کلمبیا - سده20م

داستان کوتاه «زیباترین غریق جهان» داستان مرد غرق شده‌ ای ست، که آب او را به یک روستایی کوچک میآورد؛ داستانی به سبک «رئالیسم جادویی» که «مارکز» در آن دست به اسطوره‌ سازی زده است

نقل از متن داستان (زیباترین غریق جهان: بچه‌ ها در ساحل چشمشان به برآمدگی تیره و امواج افتاد، که از وسط دریا به آن‌ها نزدیک می‌شد؛ و آن‌ها در ابتدا فکر کردند که کشتی دشمن و یا یک نهنگ است اما بعد فهمیدند که یک غریق است.)؛ پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 17/12/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 22/10/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Profile Image for Glenn Russell.
1,456 reviews12.6k followers
June 24, 2019



Ever since the 1968 publication of this short story by Gabriel García Márquez, a story about how one morning children from a small fishing village discover a body on the beach, many are the readers who have fallen deeply in love with this tale. And many are the writers who have written commentary and interpretations. Rather than adding yet again another commentary, reflecting on the vast richness of this tale has prompted me to ask the questions below. And below my questions is a link to the story itself. Special thanks goes out to Goodreads friend Aldo Ramírez from Lima, Peru who brought this marvelous story to my attention. Thanks, Aldo!

The woman in the village go crazy with their projecting all type of amazing powers onto the drowned man. How do we, both individually and as a culture, project our dreams and aspirations onto other people? Do we project onto friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, strangers or are we more inclined to project onto people at a distance, say, famous celebrities or athletes?

These villagers have no Neptune or god of the sea. Is the drowned man functioning as a kind of Neptune, since, after all, the lifeblood and livelihood of the village is so dependent on the sea? Do the villagers’ powerful emotions speak to how we as humans yearn for direct contact with the divine?

I recall Jacob Bronowski saying how ancient societies had their myth of creation and now we in our modern world live with the myth of creativity. What place does myth have in your life? Is there one particular myth or area of creativity that really adds a sense of aliveness to your day-to-day living?

Similar to the role of the drowned man in the story, do you dream of having a larger-than-life presence in the world? I recall reading somewhere how a significant percentage of both men and women in the US dream of being a superstar athlete.

Turns out, the drowned man, Esteban (the name means “crowned in victory”) gives the village an identity. Do you live in a community where a person or event provides a positive identity all members of the community cherish? If not, is this one of the consequences of our more modern, urban living?

THE HANDSOMEST DROWNED MAN IN THE WORLD by Gabriel García Márquez
https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol...
Profile Image for Kenny.
534 reviews1,341 followers
April 8, 2024
Men and women became aware for the first time of the desolation of their streets, the dryness of their courtyards, the narrowness of their dreams as they faced the splendor and beauty of their drowned man.
The Handsomest Drowned Man In the World ~~ Gabriel García Márquez


1

The Handsomest Drowned Man In the World is a wonderful introduction to the work of Gabriel García Márquez. I'm planning on visiting his work later this fall, and was looking for something to whet my appetite in the meantime. Also, my friend, Srdjan was reading Márquez and could not say enough good about his writing.

The Handsomest Drowned Man In the World is set in an ordinary world, surrounded by extraordinary events. This world is full of Márquez famous magical realism.

This drowned man seems to take on the shape of whatever his viewers want to see. He is a Christ-like figure to the people of this village. The children who discover see him imagine he is a ship. As he drifts closer to shore, they imagine he may be a whale. Once beached, they treat him as a toy, because that’s what they want him to be. Once he is removed to the village, everyone agrees he is huge, a giant among men and extremely beautiful. Soon the villagers have created the details of who this beautiful giant is, giving him a name and background. They have a need to believe that that he belongs to them, that he is one of them. His presence subtly begins to transforms them.

The women of the village ~~ those who tend to and dress the body ~~ are in awe of this man ~~ of his beauty and size. Soon the men of their village pale in comparison to their romanticized images of this man. We soon see that the people of this village are not happy with their lot life. They believe this drowned man to have the ability to deliver them from the drab world they inhabit. Soon, these same women begin to mother him. Their hearts are filled with compassion and a desire to protect him. Soon their awe for this man empowers them.

1

Almost immediately, the townspeople are planning how to make their lives better. They've been inspired ~~ they plan to paint their houses, plant flowers and make their world beautiful. The villagers have stopped accepting “the dryness of their courtyards, the narrowness of their dreams.” They are inspired by this new vision. Thru death, they have been reborn.

1
Profile Image for Heba.
1,167 reviews2,782 followers
August 16, 2020
لا تُبدي اندهاشك إذا ما منح الموت هبة الحياة....
Profile Image for Yuna Leek.
459 reviews25 followers
Read
January 9, 2021
This short story is a little too weird to rate. I read it for English class today. It's about a dead man that washes up on the shore of a village. This dead man happens to be larger than the average human (by a considerable amount) and also super hot (hence the title, The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World).

The village creates a persona for this man. The women fantasize about him, which is a little weird in my opinion- why are you lusting after a corpse? They name him Esteban, because “he has the face of someone called Esteban.” They cry over his death, although they never knew this man in his life, and hold the most splendid funeral in the history of the village. They end up essentially idolizing and worshipping Esteban, for no other reason than he’s attractive and they don’t know anything about him.

My personal favorite part of this story is when all the men are confused that the women are obsessing over this dead guy. So then one of the men asks what the fuss is all about, and one of the women is so upset about the rudeness of the man that she removes the handkerchief covering Esteban’s face and all the men are “oh...we get it now. He’s hot.”

This story reminds me of the way that we idolize celebrities (hot people, generally) and people that have a bigger influence on the world. We talk about parts of their life, we speculate about their love life, we try to learn everything about them. We write fanfiction about them, similar to how the village creates an entire life story for Esteban, the drowned man who they know nothing about.

Essentially, this story reminds me that if I get too obsessed over a celebrity or a fictional character, I might look as silly as someone fantasizing over a dead body. It's definitely an interesting read.
Profile Image for Mostafa.
417 reviews43 followers
August 21, 2022
4.1 stars
«زیباترین غریق جهان» داستانی است به سبک رئالیسم جادویی که مارکز در آن دست به اسطوره‌سازی زده است
مارکز در این اثر می گوید که هر جامعه ای برای پیشرفت و حرکت تحولی رو به رشد خودش نیازمند اسطوره است و اگر اسطوره ندارد باید آن را وارد کند یا حتی آن را بسازد... فرهنگ وارداتی یا به تعبیر دیگر فرهنگ جهانی آن چیزی است که خواه ناخواه در جهان حاکمیت پیدا می کند چون منطبق با خواست و زیست تکاملی انسان است و سبب توسعه و رشد عقلی یا فکری می شود اگرچه ممکن است که فرهنگ جهانی در تقابل با فرهنگ لوکال یا محلی قرار بگیرد و این تقابل تا دهه ها، انسان های دارای فرهنگ محلی را در موقعیت تدافعی قرار دهد... زیرا عموما نگاه به فرهنگ بیگانه، خصوصا از جانب حاکمیتی که تلاش کرده مردمش یکدست شوند، از سرِ تهدید و دشمنی است

داستان بیانگر جامعه‌ای است کوچک و ایستا که در سطح توقعات و خواست‌های کم خود مانده و بدون هیچ اطلاعی از دنیای بیرون به حیات خود ادامه می‌دهد. کوچک بودن جامعه‌ی داستان را می‌توان از توصیفات مارکز از روستایی با تنها بیست‌ودو خانه و چند مرد و تعدادی زن و بچه دریافت.

اتفاق خارق‌العاده‌ای که در داستان می‌افتد تبدیل همین‌جامعه به جامعه‌ای پویا است که این امر از طریق پدیدار شدن پدیده‌ی تأثیرگذاری به نام «اسطوره» ممکن می‌شود.

در ابتدای داستان مارکز این‌طور می‌نویسد که بچه‌ها در ساحل چشمشان به برآمدگی تیره و امواج افتاد که از وسط دریا به آن‌ها نزدیک می‌شد و آن‌ها در ابتدا فکر کردند که کشتی دشمن و یا یک نهنگ است اما بعد فهمیدند که یک غریق است.

اینکه مارکز تصمیم می‌گیرد تا در ابتدا بچه‌ها را با جنازه روبرو کند بیانگر اشاره‌ی او به دید ساده‌ی آن‌هاست. اتفاقی که در تمام جوامعی که با یک تغییر روبرو می‌شوند رخ می‌دهد. به این صورت که عده‌ای که در ابتدا پدیده‌ی جدید را حس می‌کنند و تشخیصش می‌دهند گمان می‌برند شاید توطئه ایست از سوی دشمن یا یک عامل ویرانگر، اما درنهایت که با آن روبرو می‌شوند، نگاه پر از ظنشان به نگاهی ساده و بی‌اهمیت تغییر می‌کند. به‌طورکلی در این قسمت نویسنده‌اشاره به عجز افراد در شناخت پدیده‌های جدید و جدی اطراف خود دارد.

اشاره‌ای که مارکز به آمدن غریق از وسط دریا دارد، نشانه‌ای است که دریا را به دنیایی بزرگ‌تر و ساحل روستا را به جامعه‌ای کوچک نسبت می‌دهد.

بیرون آمدن غریق از دل دریا نشان از تغییرهایی است که با شناخت و بینش عمیق از دل دنیای بیرون پا به دنیای کوچک‌تر می‌گذارند تا همه‌چیز را هم‌رنگ خود کنند.

بی‌دلیل هم نیست که مارکز از جنازه به‌عنوان غریق تعبیر کرده است. غریقی که نجات‌دهنده‌ی مردمش است.

مردی که از کنار ساحل می‌گذرد و چشمش به بچه‌ها و مرد غریق می‌افتد نیز، نشانه‌ای است شناخته‌شده برای خواننده. درواقع هنگامی‌که مردم رفتار و نگاهی عادی و حتی بی‌اهمیتی به پدیده‌ی جدید (در اینجا اسطوره) دارند، عده‌ای آگاه پیدا شده که وجود او را موجب خطرات احتمالی می‌دانند که این امر به دلیل مقاومت همیشگی انسان در برابر وقایع جدید است.

مارکز در قسمت بعد از زنانی می‌نویسد که در غیاب مردانشآن‌که در حال جستجوی نام و نشان غریق در روستاهای اطراف هستند، دور مرد غریق را گرفته‌اند و از وی مراقبت می‌کنند و با او ارتباطی احساسی از سر دلسوزی برقرار می‌کنند.

در همین زمان ویژگی‌های جسمانی و ظاهری و رفتاری مرد غریق زنان را تحت تأثیر قرار داده و باعث می‌شود که آن‌ها او را در افکار خود پرورش داده و به‌عنوان یک اسطوره بپذیرندش.

زیباترین غریق جهان داستانی است به سبک رئالیسم جادویی که مارکز در آن دست به اسطوره‌سازی زده است.

اینکه مارکز زنان را به‌عنوان پذیرنده‌ی اولیه اسطوره معرفی می‌کند می‌تواند سه دلیل داشته باشد:

اهمیت نقش زنان در تصمیمات جامعه
درست زمانی که مردان در تکاپوی شناخت مرد غریق هستند زنان یک جنازه را در مقام یک اسطوره بالابرده و اسطوره‌وار با او رفتار می‌کنند.

هنگامی‌که مردان بازمی‌گردند از وضع جدید ناراضی‌اند و به‌شدت مخالف با نظرات زنان، اما هنگامی‌که زنی پارچه را از صورت مرد غریق برمی‌دارد مردآن‌هم به‌شدت تحت تأثیر قرارگرفته و تصمیم زنان مبنی بر اسطوره نام نهادن مرد غریق را می‌پذیرند. درواقع در تمام جوامع تصمیم‌گیرنده‌ی اصلی و مسئول وضع و یا نقض قوانین مردان بوده‌اند اما عامل جدی و تأثیرگذار بر آن‌ها زنان هستند؛ و می‌توان گفت که تصمیمات آن‌ها در طول خواست و تمایلات زنان است.

اشاره به‌جزئی‌نگری زنان
مارکز می‌نویسد که زنان متوجه شدند که مرد غریق از تمام مردان آن‌ها قوی‌تر، تنومندتر، چهارشانه‌تر و در کل متفاوت‌تر و برجسته‌تر است. این رفتارها نشان از جزئی‌نگری زنان در برخورد با حوادث زندگی دارد. شاید اگر مردان به‌جای زن‌ها با مرد غریق روبرو می‌شدند تفاوت غیرعادی او با افراد دیگر را تشخیص نمی‌دادند و او را مانند یک جنازه‌ی عادی برای همیشه دفن می‌کردند، اما زنان هستند که او و ویژگی‌های برجسته‌ی او را به‌طور کامل شناخته و آن‌ها را درخور و شایسته‌ی یک اسطوره تشخیص داده‌اند.

زنان در مقام اکثریت
در قسمتی از داستان گفته شده است که: «مردها همه توی هفت قایق جا می‌گرفتند، بنابراین وقتی مرد غریق را یافتند کافی بود هم دیگر را نگاه کنند تا دریابند کسی ناپدید نشده است».

از این قسمت داستان می‌توان این برداشت را کرد که مردان جمعیت کمی را شامل شده و درواقع اقلیت را تشکیل می‌دهند.

این قسمت اشاره به این موضوع دارد که هنگام ظهور یک اسطوره، پس از مدتی اکثریت مردم او را می‌پذیرند، اما اقلیتی در این میان پیدا شده که به دلیل عدم آشنایی و درک او دست به اعتراض و شورش علیه او می‌زنند، اما درنهایت همین گروه هم با پدیده‌ی جدیدی که پا در جامعه‌ی آن‌ها گذاشته آشنا شده و او را می‌پذیرند.

پذیرفته شدن مرد غریق توسط مردان (گروه مخالف اسطوره) نشان از این دارد که مارکز می‌خواهد اسطوره‌ی داستانش برای همه اسطوره بماند.

پس‌ازاینکه زنان ویژگی‌های غریق را شناختند، نویسنده می‌نویسد: «... هرچند جلوی رویشان بود [مرد غریق] اما در تخیلشان نمی‌گنجید».

مردم در این قسمت اسطوره را پذیرفته و او را حتی تحسین هم می‌کنند اما آنان در خود عجزی احساس می‌کنند که باعث می‌شود ندانند چگونه در ادامه‌ی راه از اسطوره و راه و روش او بهره گیرند.

شاید اگر مردان به‌جای زن‌ها با مرد غریق روبرو می‌شدند تفاوت غیرعادی او با افراد دیگر را تشخیص نمی‌دادند.

مارکز از مرد غریق به‌عنوان فردی یاد می‌کند با ویژگی‌های متمایز جسمی و ویژگی‌های برتر روحی و اخلاقی که نشأت‌گرفته از افکار و عقاید او و درنهایت افکار و عقاید دنیای بیرونی است که او از آنجا آمده. این فرد ممتاز مردم خود را در مدت‌زمان کوتاهی تحت تأثیر قرار می‌دهد و با افکار خود همراه می‌کند برای همین هم نویسنده می‌نویسد: «نیازی نبود هم دیگر را نگاه کنند تا دریابند که همه‌ی آن‌ها دیگر حضور ندارند که هرگز حضور نخواهند داشت».

این جمله نشان از آن دارد که جامعه رو به پویایی و حرکت پیش می‌رود و مردم تمام افکار و عقاید خود را که در حصار کم‌خواهی‌هایشان محصور مانده بود را بارور خواهند کرد.

در آخر هم مارکز اسطوره‌ی خود را تثبیت می‌کند و می‌نویسد که مردم با رنگ‌کاری خانه‌ها، رویاندن گل روی صخره و بزرگ‌تر کردن سقف و کف خانه‌هایشان، سعی در حفظ یاد و نام او می‌کنند.

مارکز در این داستان تمام اصول سنتی و قوانین و آیین رایج میان مردم را رعایت کامل کرده و فراموش نکرده است که اسطوره‌ها از میان مردم برخاسته می‌شوند.

مردم با نسبت دادن مرد غریق به استبان او را در ذهن خود بازپروری کرده و اسطوره‌اش می‌کنند و حتی از او خاطرات نیک و خوب می‌سازند؛ و برای اتفاقات بدی که ممکن است برایش نیفتاده اشک می‌ریزند.

بخشی از نقد برگرفته از نقد سحر قنبری است

Profile Image for Sara Bakhshi.
1,432 reviews384 followers
May 27, 2024
داستان زیباترین غریق جهان با ترجمه گلشیری رو با گروه خوندم. حقیقتش تلاش کردم لذت ببرم از داستان ولی نشد.
بدون اسپویل کردن داستان بخوام نظرمو بگم هدف از یه سری توصیفات و پرش های توصیفیش رو متوجه نمیشم.
یه سری چیزا از داستان برداشت کردم که خب شاید چون زیادی از اون طرف درگیر اسطوره خوندنم برداشتم این وری رفت، یا شاید واقعا هدفش بود.
میخواست یه قهرمانی حتا اگر مرده به مردم اون محل بده تا بعدش باعث پیشرفت و‌ تکاپو و همدلی و همزبانی مردم بشه.
متعالی تر(؟) شدن مدل احساسات افرادی که اول داستان تمیزش میکردن و بعدش توافقاتشون با همسرانشان علیرغم اختلاف اولیه و در نهایت تغییرات عمده ای که در خودشون و محل زندگیشان بخاطر دیدن این شخص دادند.
شاید هم میخواست بگه هرچقدر زیبا و بزرگ و خوب باشی در نهایت در مرگت آدم بدبخت و بیچاره و وبال گردن سایرین میشی.
Profile Image for Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly.
755 reviews381 followers
June 27, 2015
We have here a story. Then we have here things they say about the story. Not really similar to each other. Quite unfortunate that no one reviews a story or book more than once, in different periods of time. For that would have further illustrated what I think this is all about.

This little nook where this story is featured here at goodreads is the little, unnamed coastal village in the story. The few people who inhabits the village are the few who have read and/or reviewed this story here. The handsomest drowned man in the world, who had mysteriously washed ashore that village, why, he's this story. What the villagers did to, and said about, the dead man they named Esteban are the same as what we are doing to, and saying about, this story. We discuss but don't quarrel. We look at it differently and, if given enough time, would even contradict our old selves about what we see here--just like some of the villagers--yet we are one in saying that whatever we see, we see something that is beautiful.

How to make a dead character the story itself and make it live forever one can only perhaps learn from Gabriel Garcia Marquez who is dead, handsomely, and continue to teach with what he had left behind.
330 reviews101 followers
August 2, 2013
This is classic Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez. The title can be deceptive. Underneath The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, there's this seemingly out of place words written: "A Story for Children". Well, obviously, this is not to be read by kids; something so deep in scope and full of underlying meanings are meant to be for someone older. I rate this higher than Balthazar's Marvelous Afternoon because I understood it better and I was able to give my own interpretation. I knew what was going on, unlike in the other short story wherein I wasn't really certain of what I had read, or whether I read it correctly.

Here, there were multiple allusions and symbolism. Márquez wrote simply, but he chose words with great care. Again, the magic of his narration lies in his telling of realist stories in a fantastic fashion, and vice versa. The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World was very straightforward in expressing its message. It was about the intense veneration and admiration of these secluded village people for a dead man. After being isolated for such a long time, the arrival of a mysterious entity truly came out as a shock and foreign thing, so much so that they would act in weird ways. They were almost like children when all of a sudden they rejected their culture and tried to replace it with the one that would befit Esteban. Aside from that, I also saw traces of its allusion to the imperialism in Latin America. In fact, when you read closely, there is so much things you could see you never knew could possibly there.
Profile Image for Nuryta.
320 reviews13 followers
July 28, 2022
Un hecho fortuito viene a trastornar las costumbres de un pueblo, no solo aparece un ahogado en su playa, sino que se trata de un hombre cuyas características son diferentes a todo lo que conocen, no es ninguno de los suyos, ni de los pueblos cercanos, así que el imaginario colectivo le da nombre, le da una vida con recuerdos y significados que se hacen importantes para quienes nunca le conocieron.

De esta forma, tanto mujeres como hombres, desean que la vida del ahogado les impregne, le brindan honores que a nadie se hubiese ocurrido, y transforman un pueblo apagado en uno lleno de color, de consideraciones que antes no concebían para nadie.

Un relato corto lleno de la magia de García Márquez, para disfrutar e imaginar.
Profile Image for sareh  amini.
15 reviews
October 2, 2013
داستان " زیباترین مرد مغروق جهان " با ژانر رئالیسم جادوئی از نوع داستان های اسطوره ای است که شخصیت اصلی داستانی اش را،برتر از انسان های دیگر قرارمی دهد. داستان با دیدگاه دانای کل ،دید گاهی که در شیوه ی قصه گویی مرس��م است ؛بیان می شود.کانون روایت متن بیشتر بیرونی ست و خواننده کمتر از انگیزه ها و دغدغه های شخصیت ها باخبراست.داستان بیشتر گفتار محور است و به شیوه ی نقالی بیان می شود. زمان تاریخی داستان مشخص نیست ؛زمان تقویمی و جاری داستان حدودا یک شبانه روز را، دربرمی گیرد.داستان دارای مقدمه بسیار کوتاهی ست و نویسنده سریع به عدم تعادل داستانی که همان پیدا شدن مرد مغروق است، اشاره می کند.عنصراصلی اثر،مضمون آن است.مارکز به وسیله ژانر رئالیسم جادوئی با کمک ساختار شکنی اصول کلاسیک ،دست به تقدس زدایی می زند و به گونه ای به خواننده می فهماند که اساطیر، تنها زاده ی عقل ناقص و بی منطق آدمی ست
Profile Image for Steven Gilbert.
Author 1 book61 followers
August 29, 2012
Read this short story while subbing for a 10th grade English class. Startling tale, beautifully written, full of symbolism, imagery and allegory. Some might argue that the story highlights society's infatuation with celebrity, but I chose to think of it more as a homage to the transformative, magical power of imagination. Suggested read for everyone.
Profile Image for Adia.
207 reviews5 followers
January 1, 2024
3.5
...the ones who felt the bitterness of endless nights at sea, fearing that their women would tire of dreaming about them and begin to dream of drowned men...
but actually liked this. strange, but good.
Profile Image for caitlin.
187 reviews830 followers
January 26, 2023
5/5 stars.

"...men and women became aware for the first time of the desolation of their streets, the dryness of their courtyards, the narrowness of their dreams as they faced the splendor and beauty of their drowned man."


this is my first encounter with gabriel garcia marquez, and i must say, it is a strong start.

this short story was indeed short but held many parallels to many social phenomenons, while maintaining lovely, natural prose and the kind of imagery that attributes to the atmosphere of the work without feeling overbearing or superfluous.

an example of the imagery:
"...he would sink easily into the deepest waves, where fish are blind and divers die of nostalgia, and bad currents would not bring him back to shore, as had happened with other bodies."


i am a sucker for anything containing multitudes and symbolic parallels, the sort of thing you can intellectually sink your teeth into and mull over for hours, and boy, did this deliver. this story explores many ideas, despite its concise nature:
1. the most obvious parallel- the improvement of the mindset of the townspeople. through being able to experience a piece of esteban's life and struggles, the village becomes aware of its own closed-mindedness to the suffering of others and dedicates itself to changing that. this is applicable to more events, people, times, and places than i could ever begin to list, and is a hopeful, uplifting message of humanity's proclivity to inclusivity and self-betterment.
2. the idolization of esteban. the local women on the island began to revere esteban due to their tedious state of existence and need for excitement and change, despite the fact that he is literally a sodden corpse. one could compare this to many things, but what comes to mind for me is society's mindless obsession of celebrities and figures of entertainment and drama, often times regardless of their actions or other unappealing truths.
3. references to imperialism/messiah-like figures. though similar to the first two points, esteban (which means crown or crowned in victory) becomes the compelling reason for change in the village when the village people throw away their current culture to built a new social code off the principles they have now realized with esteban, so much so that their home is now known as "esteban's village." marquez wrote often of colonialism and reflected his experiences with social justice in his works, and it is reasonable that this acts as an allusion to the imperialism in latin america.

i know that there is more symbolism and deeper meanings to be found in this because they’re hazily floating around the back of my brain, but i can’t quite elucidate them yet, and this is what immediately came to mind to me.


marquez manages to write in a simple and straightforward manner, though every word is chosen meticulously and it shows. that is the true sign of devastatingly good writing.
Profile Image for Orki De.
165 reviews
February 6, 2019
زیبا، بی‌رحمانه و نفس‌گیر

بعد از صد سال تنهایی، این دومین کتابیه که از مارکز میخونم. همه‌ی داستان‌ها نه، اما بعضی از اون‌ها اونقدر خوب بودند که به کتاب امتیاز بالایی بدم و مارکز رو به نویسنده های جذابم اضافه کنم. اگر بخوام رئالیسم جادویی مارکز رو با موراکامی مقایسه کنم، با وجود این که به موراکامی ارادت خاصی دارم، داستان‌های مارکز بهم بیشتر چسبید.

+ ارجائاتش به کتاب‌های مختلف رو می‌فهمیدم و لذت‌بخش بود :)

++ باورتون میشه هنوزم قلبم تند میزنه از داستان یکی مونده به آخر؟ حس میکنم هنوز نفسم جا نیومده :))
Profile Image for Mar.
884 reviews65 followers
April 8, 2021
As always with GGM, I didn't really like it but it wasn't that bad I guess? It's just really not my type of thing.

PS. I didn't read this many times because I wanted to, I had to teach this at a school. That's it lol
Profile Image for Laura.
7,022 reviews599 followers
May 11, 2014
Read online here.

Opening lines:
THE FIRST CHILDREN who saw the dark and slinky bulge approaching through the sea let themselves think it was an enemy ship. Then they saw it had no flags or masts and they thought it was a whale. But when it washed up on the beach, they removed the clumps of seaweed, the jellyfish tentacles, and the remains of fish and flotsam, and only then did they see that it was a drowned man.
Profile Image for مهشاد صدرعاملی.
Author 3 books19 followers
November 7, 2017
ترجمه ی خوبی نبود. اگر بتوانم دوباره داستان ها را با ترجمه ی گلشیری بازخوانی می کنم ولی با این حال برای منی که از رئالیسم جادویی لذت میبرم زیباترین غریق جهان خواندنی و شیرین بود.
Profile Image for B. P. Rinehart.
752 reviews284 followers
September 9, 2014
Unlike with the last GGM story I reviewed, I am totally going to talk in-depth about the plot so...spoilers below:

A better translation for this story should be The Sexy Giant-Man Corpse and the Villagers Who Worshiped It. That title would have been completely accurate. This story is essentially a group of kids on the beach see a sinking ship out in the Ocean, but when the tide brings it in, it turns out to be a dead man...a really big dead man. When the people in the village see this dead man they are startled-but then fall in love with him. They give the corpse a name and invent stories about him and even people from other villages who think these people are crazy see the body and are like-"I get it!" They ultimately form a cult around him (the body) bury him on a hill and dedicate themselves to being better people in his honor.

If you think I left something out-that's the punchline of this review-I didn't. It is quite obvious what GGM is satirizing here and I was amused at the story's boldness and cleverness in this regard. I like his pseudo-innocent narrative that mask his sarcastic tone. One has to smile to simply think of this story. This is a children's story.
Profile Image for Rey.
31 reviews75 followers
January 2, 2023
خیلی داستان هاش عجیب بودن.
دلم یه مجموعه داستان کوتاه انگلیسی از مارکز می‌خواد، و دلم می‌خواد (بعضی) از داستانای این کتاب رو، با اسم شخصیت‌هاش و ویژگی‌ها و تاریخچه‌اشون، روی قلبم بنویسم.
Profile Image for Tasha.
173 reviews37 followers
June 27, 2023
This was a cute short story.
4⭐
Profile Image for Mahsa.
36 reviews8 followers
Shelved as 'short-story-play'
April 7, 2024
از این که مجبور شدم تو خواب و بیداری بخونمش متنفرم. به نظرم جالب بود. یه بار دیگه باید بخونمش.
Profile Image for M.
255 reviews
May 26, 2024
so this is me with harry styles
Profile Image for Claudia.
333 reviews33 followers
July 16, 2016
This is a beautiful story. Well written. Marvellously described and the author shows a complete respect and even love for the reader. Garcia Marquez gives us another home run. The story starts when an unknown deceased body is found in a Caribbean beach. The author then examines the reactions of the small city folk that at first felt the body was a hurdle. And later become interested in it, giving him back his humanity. And learning something from it. It's a short story and deserves to be read. Magnificent writing. 5 stars.
Profile Image for Saúl Girón.
452 reviews9 followers
November 28, 2018
Hermosa lectura super rápida! Aunque García Márquez siempre me resultó fascinante, creo que podría asegurar que, aunque no fuera de él, este relato corto logra plasmar de una manera elegante y sencilla, esa bendita o maldita necesidad de los seres humanos de buscar en qué creer.
La forma en que idealizamos situaciones, cosas o personas, es en mucho, lo que ha marcado la tendencia de por dónde va este planeta. Resulta fascinante el protagonismo que el autor le puede dar a un cadáver!!!
Profile Image for Hanieh.
42 reviews16 followers
March 5, 2017
چند تا از بهترین و جادویی ترین داستان های کوتاهي که تو عمرم خوندم. تو دونه دونه ی داستان ها سبک گابریل گارسیا مارکز داره داد میزنه. تمام داستان ها کشش داشت و میتونست منو تا آخر داستان با خودش همراه کنه.
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