IN BRIEF The Scandal of the Century

By Gabriel García Márquez Viking, 336pp, £ 10.99 This newly translated collection of articles by Gabriel García Márquez, who died in 2014, reminds us the Nobel- laureate novelist wanted to be remembered most of all as a journalist. In the Hispanic world, his Foundation for New IberoAmerican Journalism sustains that reputation. In fact, reading these articles spanning four decades demonstrates he was both novelist and journalist at once. The earlier articles, reportage of events ranging from petty crimes to the US embargo on Cuba, show his ability to find a compelling story in any situation. The later articles are more reflective and personal. Márquez’s matter- of- fact accounts of remarkable things – and his fanciful accounts of mundane things – will be familiar to fans of his novels, such as One Hundred Years Of Solitude. This varied collection offers English readers a more intimate acquaintance with Márquez the journalist, which enhances, rather than rivals, his fiction.