The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World

“The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” is a short story written by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. Originally published in 1968 and titled “El ahogado más hermoso del mundo,” the story is a work of magical realism, a genre that treats magical or fantastical elements as though they were normal, everyday occurrences.

Set on a summer day in a small coastal village in South America, the story concerns the villagers’ reaction to the discovery of a corpse washed up on a beach. Although no one can identify the man, the villagers imagine who he might have been and hold a funerary ceremony to celebrate his life. As they prepare the body, the villagers weave a story about the man’s identity, which grows richer and more complex until he becomes Esteban, their honorary kin and community member. Through the titular drowned man, García Márquez explores the themes of Beauty and Individual Worth, The Way Imagination Shapes Reality, and The Transformative Power of a Stranger in a Community. Although García Márquez is best known for his novels, the story is widely considered one of his greatest works.