Why a nobel prize winning fiction writer had his heart in medicine.

“The knowledge of medicine helped me understand the human body but it was literature which taught me about the human soul”.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Colombia’s literary superhero and admired Nobel Prize laureate, initially studied medicine but later abandoned it to focus on writing. His father was a pharmacist and practitioner of homeopathy, shaping his son’s understanding of the human condition and the complexities of life. And his grandfather a Colonel and key figure in Colombia’s 19th century civil wars.

So no surprise that “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” the book which inspired our brand Coronel Buendia, showcases the Buendía family’s reliance on natural remedies and mystical elements mirroring traditional healing practices.

García Márquez frequently explored themes of illness, death, and the human experience in his works. His characters often grapple with mortality, reflecting his understanding of life’s fragility. In many of his stories, doctors play significant roles, often embodying the tension between science and magic.

He himself suffered from health issues, including hypertension and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in 2012. His experiences with illness and aging informed his reflections on life and mortality, adding depth to his characters’ struggles and journeys. His writings often incorporate the traditional healing practices of Latin American cultures, showing respect for indigenous knowledge and the interplay between modern medicine and folklore.

Ref – https://worldcrunch.com/culture-society/garciacutea-maacuterquez-a-writer39s-lifelong-obsession-with-medicine