One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
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- Max Tyrone
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Re: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
I love how Garcia Marquez develops every character, every scene, every sentence, every word. His prose fascinates me to no end--and this is coming from a person who is literate in English mostly and lives in an area where Spanish shares dominance. If I learned Spanish completely, maybe I would enjoy it fully; but as for now, it's my favorite novel.
At the heart of the novel, I believe we get a glimpse of reflection and, of course, solitude, beautifully explored through a name and a blood doomed to oblivion. Everything is doomed. Solitude is a guarantee. Reflection is also inevitable, though its effectiveness can change us for better or worse. Sometimes the narrative of a life foretold is not as beautifully written. However, I wouldn't mind reading Garcia Marquez's stories until my own life reaches its reflective end.
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I completely agree! I really, really like the author's other works, like Love in the time of Cholera and his collection of short stories. I'm glad that I read One Hundred Years of Solitude, and I think that it was written very well and that it's an important work in the realm of magical realism, but personally, I felt like it dragged on and was repetitive (I know that that's sort of the point, you know, the cyclical nature of life...). I'd suggest his short stories, if you're looking for more variation.Fran wrote:I've read it but in honesty it's not a favouriter - I much preferred Love in the Time of Cholera.
I just found it so difficult to follow the multiplicity of characters many with similar if not the same names.
- jctnteach
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-- 20 Oct 2015, 13:54 --
I read 100 Years when I was in college due to an offhanded suggestion from my world literature professor. I was awestruck by the magical realism of Marquez. I had never read anything like it. It opened my appreciation for literature. I re-read it last year- 10 years out of college. It didn't hold the same appeal to me. I don't believe I've grown cynical or cankerous in my old age, but the magic was gone (no pun intended).
- Gnj
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On the other hand, once I was able to delve into the characters lives, I couldn't stop. The idea of life going round in a circle, of history repeating itself time and again is illustrated beautifully in this book. Seeing the rise and fall of the village through the eyes of different generations also hits home the inevitability of time.
It was certainly an enjoyable read, and a step outside of my comfort zone. I'm not sure whether it is a book that will stay with me, but I can see why it has captured so many peoples imaginations. In a way, it shows humanity in its most raw form - it strips away the layers of etiquette, culture and society that I guess I am so used to in other novels. It is pure in its illustrations of human emotion and relationships, and I guess for me that's what made it stand out.
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