The Death of the River and the River of Death: The Magdalena River in \u3cem\u3eEl amor en los tiempos del cólera\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eLa novia oscura\u3c/em\u3e

This essay focuses on two of these works: El amor en los tiempos del cólera (Love in the Time of Cholera) by Gabriel Garcìa Màrquez (hereinafter Amor) and La novia oscura (The Dark Bride) by Laura Restrepo (hereinafter Novia). Though it is true that these novels coincide in presenting the Magdalena as the scene of Colombia\u27s deterioration and destruction, the river of Novia explores the connections between natural space, individual conscience, and national reality, all the while commenting on, and questioning, the message the Magdalena is made to convey in Amor. The analysis that follows seeks to elucidate the dialogue Restrepo\u27s novel opens up with that of Garcìa Màrquez, particularly with respect to the representation of the Magdalena and its function as a national symbol