Title: One Hundred Years of SolitudeAuthor: Gabriel García Márquez
First Published: 1967
No. of Pages: 458
Synopsis (from B&N): "The novel tells the story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. It is a rich and brilliant chronicle of life and death, and the tragicomedy of humankind. In the noble, ridiculous, beautiful, and tawdry story of the Buendía family, one sees all of humanity, just as in the history, myths, growth, and decay of Macondo, one sees all of Latin America.
Love and lust, war and revolution, riches and poverty, youth and senility -- the variety of life, the endlessness of death, the search for peace and truth -- these universal themes dominate the novel. Whether he is describing an affair of passion or the voracity of capitalism and the corruption of government, Gabriel García Márquez always writes with the simplicity, ease, and purity that are the mark of a master."
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
Comments and Critique: I've read other reviews of this book and it seems that people either love it or hate it. I'm in the love camp. The writing is beautiful. Sure, the people and events aren't always realistic, but sometimes you need to loosen up on reality to get the bigger picture, and this book does that. My one beef is that all the characters (and there are lots) have the same or similar names and it's next to impossible to remember who you're reading about at specific periods. My copy included a family tree in the front that I made frequent use of, but even it wasn't detailed enough.
Would You Recommend This Book to Others: Absolutely!
Challenges: Orbis Terrarum, TBR 2008, Banned Books, 1% Well-Read, Book Awards II
4 comments:
You're so brave. I'm glad you liked it.
I loved this book as well! I think there comes a point where you just have to let go of trying to figure out who is who and just let the story wash over you.
I have loved everything I have read by this author. It really is time for me to pick up something else by him.
glad you enjoyed This novel Tammy. It's one on my '50 Novel' reading list, and one I'm really looking forward to reading as well.
It's nice to know that someone with similar tastes likes it
Warmest
Rob (of RobAroundBooks)
it is a magical book. Not easy reading but still very enjoyable. One thing i liked about it is that it draws a thin line between reality and fantasy leaving you with a kind of surreal experience... very nice.
I have illustration blog and posted all the different book covers for this novel: http://www.signatureillustration.org/illustration-blog/2008/12/gabriel-garcia-marquez-100-years-of-solitude/
all the best :)
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