In Evil Hour
The Evil Hour (Spanish: La mala hora) is a novel by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, first published (in an edition disowned by the author[1]) in 1962.
 First edition (Spanish) | |
| Author | Gabriel García Márquez |
|---|---|
| Original title | La mala hora |
| Translator | Gregory Rabassa |
| Country | Colombia |
| Language | Spanish |
| Publisher | Premio Literario Esso (Spain) Harper & Row (US) |
Publication date | 1962 |
Published in English | 1979 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 183 |
| ISBN | 978-0-06-011414-5 |
| OCLC | 5633093 |
| 863 19 | |
| LC Class | PQ8180.17.A73 M313 1979 |
Written while García Márquez lived in Paris, the story was originally entitled Este pueblo de mierda (This Town of Shit or This Shitty Town). Rewritten, it won a literary prize in Colombia.
Some of the same characters and situations found in La mala hora later re-appear in Cien años de soledad.
Plot
The Evil Hour takes place in a nameless Colombian village. Someone has been placing satirical pasquinades about the town, outlining the locals' shameful secrets. Some dismiss these as common gossip. However, when a man kills his wife's supposed lover after reading of her infidelity, the mayor decides that action is called for. He declares martial law and sends soldiers (who are actually armed thugs) to patrol the streets. He also uses the 'state of unrest' as an excuse to crack down on his political enemies.
References
- Dabove, Juan Pablo. “Los pasquines como alegoría de la disolución de la ciudadanía en La mala hora, de Gabriel García Márquez”. Revista de crítica literaria latinoamericana XXVI.52: 269-287.
- Lydia Hazera, "Estructura y tematica de La mala hora de Gabriel Garcia Marquez." Thesaurus: Boletin del Instituto Caro y Cuervo 28 (1973): 471-81.
- Kirsner, Robert (1966). "Four Colombian Novels of "La Violencia"". Hispania. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. 49 (1): 70–4. doi:10.2307/337071. ISSN 0018-2133. JSTOR 337071.
External links
- In Evil Hour at "The Modern Word"'s García Márquez website.