No One Writes to the Colonel

Interesting Facts

• The book is one of Gabriel García Márquez's most famous works and is considered a classic of Latin American literature.
• The main character, the colonel, waits for a pension promised for his service in the civil war but never receives it, symbolizing bureaucratic injustice and state indifference.
• The story unfolds in a small Colombian town, which became a prototype for many of Márquez's other works, including his famous novel «One Hundred Years of Solitude».
• The book was written during a period when Márquez himself faced financial difficulties, which is reflected in the themes of poverty and waiting in the work.
• The colonel and his wife live in extreme poverty but maintain dignity and hope, making their characters particularly touching and memorable.
• One of the central metaphors of the book is the rooster, symbolizing hope and resistance despite all hardships.
• The work was first published in 1961 and quickly gained critical and reader acclaim, solidifying Márquez's reputation as an outstanding writer.