logo

42 pages 1 hour read

Gabriel García Márquez

The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor

Gabriel García MárquezNonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1955

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
Gabriel García Márquez

The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1955
Book Details
Pages

128

Format

Biography • Nonfiction

Setting

Caribbean Sea • 1950s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor by Gabriel García Márquez recounts Luis Alejandro Velasco's harrowing ordeal of surviving 10 days adrift on a raft in the Caribbean after being washed overboard from the Colombian destroyer Caldas, which was actually overloaded with contraband. Initially hailed as a hero, Velasco's true story exposed governmental corruption, causing a political scandal.

Mysterious

Suspenseful

Challenging

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Gabriel García Márquez's The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor receives praise for its gripping, true-life adventure and masterful storytelling. Critics commend Márquez's engaging narrative and vivid depictions. However, some readers find the story's pace slow at times. Overall, it's hailed for its compelling and thought-provoking portrayal of survival.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor?

Readers who enjoy gripping survival tales and vivid narrative journalism will be captivated by Gabriel García Márquez’s The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor. Fans of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and Alfred Lansing’s Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage will appreciate the detailed, real-life account of human resilience and the powerful storytelling.

Book Details
Pages

128

Format

Biography • Nonfiction

Setting

Caribbean Sea • 1950s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.