This has been a whirlwind journey with One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. It’s complex and well-written, with phenomenal characters. Honestly, it felt like I was reading it for a hundred years! I might have gotten a wrinkle, but I loved every moment that I was reading this book!
Title: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Author: Gabriel García Márquez translated by Gregory Rabassa
Published: January 1, 1967
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Spanish Literature,
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Trigger Warnings: Adult-Minor Relationship, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual Content, Violence
Summary
One Hundred Years of Solitude is the story of the Buendía family as they navigate the complex struggle between the desire for solitude and the yearning for love conveyed in magical realism.
Review
What I find most striking in this book is its exploration of the recurring cycle of life and death, intertwined with love. Interestingly, much of the story revolves around themes of birth, conception, sex to produce new heirs, followed by death, destruction, and violence. These elements are poignantly connected and intricately written from the perspectives of many characters. I found myself in awe multiple times while reading.
“…time was not passing…it was turning in a circle…”
In between these cycles, we meet many different characters—so many, in fact, that I lost count and got confused multiple times about who is who. But despite that, this book sucked me right into the world of Buendía and all the characters within it.
I love the imagery in this book. This book is set in a small town that can be humid and hot during the summer, but there is also lush greenery and a tight-knit community. There are carnivals, many gatherings, and numerous events that shape the lives of our characters. The writing is stunning and engrossing. Márquez has the ability to make even the most mundane things feel special in his writing, which continues to amaze me as I read the book.
The fantasy elements in this book are wild and unexpected, yet are cleverly portrayed. This comes from the magical realism the author is famous for, and I’m absolutely here for it—I love it!
If I have to choose my favorite character, it would be Rebeca. She is carefree and goes against the norms of her time, making her a standout figure in the Buendía family. I admire her lively spirit and bold approach to life.
From what I have understood, this book has been polarizing. Many people hate it because they say it drags on a bit and they don’t understand much about what the book is all about. And really, there is no central purpose or reason for the characters. Which I think is one of the strengths of the book. It speaks so much about our lives—we’re just people passing through time, and we are irrelevant in other people’s perspectives. It is also very long, which is true, and it took me a while to finish it. However, it is so engrossing that once I picked it up, I just wanted to keep reading. Time passed before my eyes as I met many people coming and going.
Final Thoughts
Reading this felt like dreaming. It was like falling asleep for a very long time and then and then becoming a part of the Buendía family from start to finish. Then when I finally closed the book, I felt as if I had awakened from a dream, and though the details from the dream faded from my memory, the feelings of nostalgia and missing something lingered within me.
I admire the author of this book. The rich prose was stunning. I fail to comprehend just how brilliant Gabriel García Márquez to come up something like this.
I highly recommend this book to readers who appreciate beautifully rich prose and epic sagas filled with the intricacies of being human. If you enjoyed Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and its multigenerational storytelling, you’ll likely love this one as well.
If you have read this book, let me know if you loved or hated this book and why. It would be a really interesting discussion. See you soon in my next review! 💚
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