Gabriel Garca Mrquez (b. 1927) is a sophisticated literary artist with broad popularity. His masterpiece, , has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. In 1982, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. starts with the years of his early phenomenal success and continues through his most recent, turn-of-the-century exchanges. He speaks of his impoverished childhood, his life as an indifferent student, his apprenticeship as a journalist, the inspiration that led to the writing of his most renowned novel, the difficulties brought by fame, and his leftist opinions. Works such as , , , and are discussed in detail. When interviewed by Hispanic journalists, Garca Mrquez chats spontaneously and frankly about all sorts of topics, including himself. Those conversations, translated into English for the first time, offer a fascinating glimpse of the Colombian genius at his most down-to-earth, informal, and relaxed. Taken together with seminal pieces from the , the , and other English-language periodicals, offers a nuanced, multi-faceted view of one of contemporary literature's greatest masters. Gene H. Bell-Villada of Williamstown, Massachusetts, is chair of the Department of Romance Languages at Williams College and the author of National Book Critics Circle Award finalist , and (University Press of Mississippi).