One Hundred Years Of Solitude, By Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gabriel Garcia Marquez is obviously not for everyone, the reviews on this site alone should suffice to point that out, here, he gets one star from one person who claims it's little more then intellectual porn, to the five star review where the constant ride of characters is likened to an oceanic ride... But for me, this book took on a whole new range, for me, it was like listening to a story told by my mother. Maybe it's the Latin American culture's shift to Christianity despite it's magical origins that has created this genre-Magical Realism.

I can't say for sure, nor would I claim that I understand Mr. Marquez' intentions, but I do know that my mother would often speak of magical events as if they were the norm. But that was my upbringing, so reading a lot of this story was quite literally like listening to my mothers voice.

The story itself is simply the tale of the fictional town of Macondo, it's founder, Aurelio Buendia, and roughly 23, or 24 more Aurelio's, and their family. The town was blessed at first, and through various stages of it's development, goes through countless magical and odd transformations.

It is a bit choppy, in that almost no characters are allowed to fully develop, and you are simply allowed to view them from a distance, so to speak. Also, the characters pop in and out, and back in again at such a rate that I could see how one might get confused. I even noticed a few of the reviewers actually used the family tree at the beginning to try and keep track. I didn't do this, but perhaps I have a better memory than most, or perhaps I was a bit more absorbed by the text.

Marquez is also on the top of his game in terms of writing style. Almost 432 pages, yet never once did I feel jarred, like some have claimed on this site. I felt he very smoothly transferred from character to character, and he writes with this fluid prose that for me is absolutely entrancing.

From beginning to end, this book seems to challenge the reader to look beyond the realm of whats real, to become absorbed in the drama surrounding the characters, and never really the characters. It compels one to try and digest the massive tale. Ultimately, you will feel changed when you are done with this story.

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