The relevance of a novel often changes as the moral dilemma, cultural significance, or setting becomes unrelatable. Some authors write to withstand the test of time while others purposefully include specific allusions or ideas that relate the work to one specific time and place. The pertinence of a novel depends solely upon the reader, relating to location, context, culture, historical value, and morals. The novels Perfume: Story of a Murderer and Chronicles of a Death Foretold include specific historical settings that limit the relatability to a reader. These works also thrive on moral conflict and the history preceding the events of the plot.

Chronicles of a Death Foretold mocks the cultural indifference of Latin American countries