One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the BuendÃa family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
Excellent, but not typical of Marquez. I'm one of those who found One Hundred Years of Solitude fascinating and enjoyable. The style definitely made it for me; Marquez's prose is misty and mythic in a beautifully descriptive way. I never lost interest in the story. It's told in an unusual manner, more like an oral history or legend than a written work. After reading it, I could see why Marquez is called the "South American Faulkner"; the style in One Hundred Years of Solitude can only be compared to a book like The Sound and the Fury. I have called it misty, but it's deeper than that. The haze over Macondo is analogous to the haze of memory itself. I was thoroughly satisfied and amazed by the book. For me to attempt further description of its marvelous intricacies would be to rob you of the full joy of reading it.
I was disappointed, though, when I sampled some of Marquez's other works. In Evil Hour failed to hold my attention at all, and the only novel that has even come close was Love in the Time of Cholera. Marquez was a good author and journalist, but he didn't have the consistency to maintain the style he achieved in One Hundred Years of Solitude. I would wholeheartedly recommend OHYoS to anyone interested in this book or this author, but I would simultaneously warn him or her not to expect to find another book like it. Perhaps it's best that way.
Well-written but very graphic 100 years of solitude is an extremely well-written novel. The town of Macondo is personified through the Buendia family. It was the Buendias who founded the town and their lineage that is followed in the story. The town (like the Buendia family) is a desolate and solitary place that rapidly matures until it is destroyed. From the founding of the town, to the installment of the banana company, to the town's destruction, Macondo is destined to remain in solitude. Like the Buendias, the town never really reaches its full potential. Although the novel is extremely graphic and somewhat depressing at parts, from a literary point of view, 100 years of solitude is a fantastic novel.
Appalling. . . I checked this book out of the library after reading rave review after rave review.
I wanted to like it, I really did, but I honestly cannot understand all the high marks. To me the book reads as if it were written by a 6th-grader. Characterization and storyline aside, the language itself is what turned me off. It seemed stilted, contrived, lacking in fluidity, and devoid of any real color; an amateurish effort at best.
Perhaps this reads better in its native tongue, but the translation I read was atrocious. I promptly returned it to the library, shooting it soundly down the return bin with a force that it so richly deserved.
I saw a man with four hands on the street And fascinating illusions don't let me go. I loved the book to the bone, to the heart of this exotic village and its psycho people. I was mesmerized by the literature and captured by this uniquely masterpiece of fiction and fact, mixed in a bowl of madness.
Marquez at its best! For those of you who have read Marquez before this book will not dissapoint you, in fact I think its one of Marquez best. For those of you who havent, this is a great way to start. This is the story of the Buendia family and how things happen through the years. It is full of memorable passages that will make you think that what happens to the family and the town can be related to different passages in world history. Dont worry if after the first couple of pages you are confused by the many names and vatriations of each. The characters and their story are so unique that the similarity in names will have little importance. I think Marquez tells a good and enjoyable story that can be enjoyed by everyone at anytime and you will find that after the first few pages it will be hard to put it down. Granted that I read this book in Spanish so I think it might feel a little different reading it in English and maybe some events will seem strange if you are not familiarized with the way families behave in Latin countries. Totally worth it though.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
