Gabriel “Gabo” García Márquez’s stories are filled with intrigue and mystique and these unique qualities are not only confined to the characterisation of his stories, but also his real life.<br><br>Márquez associated himself with a slew of interesting people who added to his fascinating life, from Isabel Allende to Bill Clinton. However, one of his most notable comrades was Fidel Castro. <br><br>Márquez was a supporter of Castro’s political ideologies and the Cuban Revolution. When they met in a Cuban hotel in 1977, they conversed about food shortages in Angola, caviar and even seafood recipes. Over time, Castro began giving Márquez editorial advice and their friendship later inspired Márquez to write “The Autumn of the Patriarch”.<br><br>Castro did not agree with the parallels Márquez attempted to draw from this novel’s main character and Castro himself. He did not deem the book to be a favourite in comparison to his adoration for Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” or “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”.<br><br>In an interview with Vanity Fair, Márquez stated, “He [Castro] says that he doesn’t accept the solitude of power. But I say to him that one of the main characteristics of the solitude of power is not knowing that you are in the solitude of power.”