"Leaf Storm" (1955) by Gabriel García Márquez

"Leaf Storm" is an early experimental work by Gabriel García Márquez. A lot of Márquez's early short stories give readers the opportunity to examine the incremental development of the narrative magic we have come to know and love in his magna opera. In this offering, he used streams of consciousness from three generations of a family to give different tones and perspectives on a provincial event that weighs family honour against social displeasure. Macondo makes its first appearance, so does a certain Colonel Aureliano Buendía. It deals with social perception, confrontation with death and solitude - all sound familiar? The reader is forced to follow regular shifts in attitudes that range from patriarchal authority, parental anxiety to childhood innocence and every alteration generates a new sense of time and space that is simultaneously thought-provoking, liberating and confusing (in a good way). It is a fascinating exploration of the Kafkian narrative strategy in which nothing is explained, a conclusion does not exist and everything just happens fluidly. If you are after a substantial story worthy of a Hollywood production, you might need to look elsewhere, but if you are inquisitive of Márquez's mastery in using narrative devices, this is as enthralling as it can get.