Gabriel García Márquez was a Colombian author, diplomat, and journalist best known for his novels One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. He is often considered the father of "magical realism," a literary device that infuses a story's plot with surreal elements, but not so intensely that the story no longer seems plausible. His work frequently explores themes of community, solitude, and generational trauma.
"The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" was originally written in 1968 in Spanish, titled "El ahogado más hermoso del mundo." It was later translated into English in 1972 and published along with other short stories in the collection Leaf Storm and Other Stories. Written from a third-person omniscient perspective, the story describes a dead man who washes up on the shore of a small fishing village. The villagers marvel over the enormity of his size and his beauty, calling him Esteban and diligently arranging a funeral for him. The drowned man inspires the village community to change their lives to match his splendor.
