Ready Reference Treatise: Pedro Paramo

By Raja Sharma

Over the past six decades, the book has been translated into more than thirty different languages. Unlike other translated versions, the English translation of the book was highly successful. More than a million copies of the book have been sold only in the United States.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was one of the greatest admirers of the book. He admitted once during an interview that he was greatly inspired by “Pedro Paramo.” He said that having written his first four books, he felt blocked and he was not able to write anything. He discovered “Pedro Paramo” in 1961 and read it. He says that the book inspired him to write his masterpiece “One Hundred Years of Solitude.”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was so much impressed by the book that he once said that he could recite the whole book, forwards and backwards.

Jorge Luis Borges, one of the greatest scholars, once mentioned that “Pedro Paramo” is one of the greatest books ever written in any language.

Ready Reference Treatise: Pedro Paramo
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Dec 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311352064

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: Pedro Paramo

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: Pedro Paramo

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2014 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo was first published in 1955. The story is about the title character Pedro Paramo.

Juan Preciado makes a journey to the hometown of his mother. He promises his mother at her deathbed that he will find his father, Pedro Paramo."

When he reaches that town he comes across only a literal ghost town, only populated by ghosts or spectral figures.

When the novel was first published, the book was not able to get good critical reception. Only two thousand copies of the novel were sold during the first four years. However, with the passage of time, the book gained popularity and it gradually became highly acclaimed.

It is noticeable that the book is highly influenced by the writings of several Latin American writers.

Over the past six decades, the book has been translated into more than thirty different languages. Unlike other translated versions, the English translation of the book was highly successful. More than a million copies of the book have been sold only in the United States.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was one of the greatest admirers of the book. He admitted once during an interview that he was greatly inspired by Pedro Paramo. He said that having written his first four books, he felt blocked and he was not able to write anything. He discovered Pedro Paramo in 1961 and read it. He says that the book inspired him to write his masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was so much impressed by the book that he once said that he could recite the whole book, forwards and backwards.

Jorge Luis Borges, one of the greatest scholars, once mentioned that Pedro Paramo is one of the greatest books ever written in any language.

The title Pedro Paramo is highly emphatic and it obviously strengthens the significance of the character of Pedro Paramo. Being a very important character, the decisions which he takes are highly significant to the survival to the town of Comala.

Paramo is symbolic. It means barren plain. Owing to his manipulations, the town of Comala is changed. The economic well-being of the town and existence of several of the town-dwellers occurs owing to Pedro Paramo.

He has several offspring, including Abundio, Miguel, and Juan. He is a kind of destructive character, commonly seen raping women. How many women he has raped has not been tracked. The security of the town is also his responsibility.

There is a revolutionary army. He strikes a deal with that army. He does that deal only because of his self-interest and protection. He has a large tract of land there. He is also responsible for the well-being of the town.

He holds a kind of unchallenged power over that town, the example of which can be seen in his decision to let Comala starve and do nothing in the field of agriculture.

Owing to his apathy and indifference, the town continues to withers. Almost entire action revolves around Paramo’s actions, often aversive and appetitive. It can be said that the entire town is in his grasp.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

Juan Preciado is one of the two narrators of the story. The story opens with Juan Preciado’s narration of a trip