Years are passing by but time stands still – such is a perception of solitude… Such is a feeling created by One Hundred Years of Solitude novel…
A myth, legend, fable, allegory, chronicle, epopee, saga, fairytale – call it as you please but magical realism applied by Gabriel García Márquez to his narration encompasses all those.

Remedios the Beauty was proclaimed queen. Úrsula, who shuddered at the disquieting beauty of her great-granddaughter, could not prevent the choice. Until then she had succeeded in keeping her off the streets unless it was to go to mass with Amaranta, but she made her cover her face with a black shawl. The most impious men, those who would disguise themselves as priests to say sacrilegious masses in Catarino’s store, would go to church with an aim to see, if only for an instant, the face of Remedios the Beauty, whose legendary good looks were spoken of with alarming excitement throughout the swamp. It was a long time before they were able to do so, and it would have been better for them if they never had, because most of them never recovered their peaceful habits of sleep. The man who made it possible, a foreigner, lost his serenity forever, became involved in the sloughs of abjection and misery, and years later was cut to pieces by a train after he had fallen asleep on the tracks. From the moment he was seen in the church, wearing a green velvet suit and an embroidered vest, no one doubted that he came from far away, perhaps from some distant city outside of the country, attracted by the magical fascination of Remedios the Beauty. He was so handsome, so elegant and dignified, with such presence, that Pietro Crespi would have been a mere fop beside him, and many women whispered with spiteful smiles that he was the one who really should have worn the shawl. He did not speak to anyone in Macondo. He appeared at dawn on Sunday like a prince in a fairy tale, riding a horse with silver stirrups and a velvet blanket, and he left town after mass.

Tempus fugit…
“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” Ecclesiastes 1:4-6

This book is one of the remarkable reads which get more meaningful, striking, mesmerizing watch at each time you reread it!

I don’t know how many times I read this one. But I know how it effected me, how it shaped me, how it blew my mind with its magical realism and 100 years long family story, taking my a very long journey of crowded, peculiar, one of kind characters : seven generations of Buendia Family you never wanted to forget!

The story starts with Jose Arciado and his wife/ his cousin Ursula Iguaran’s leaving Columbia because of traumatic incident Jose involves in ( he killed a man during cockfighting), founding their own Macando: the city of mirrors he saw in his dreams.

For hundred years, seven generations live in this utopian place and they face so many unnatural events which truly determine their lives and the fates they cannot get away.
This is magnetic, lyrical, extraordinary novel I very very highly recommend!

Here are my favorite quotes:
“There is always something left to love.”

“He really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude.”

“They were so close to each other that they preferred death to separation “

“…and both of them remained floating in an empty universe where the only everyday & eternal reality was love...”

“because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth.”

“Pietro Crespi took the sewing basket from her lap and he told her, “We’ll get married next month.” Amaranta did not tremble at the contact with his icy hands. She withdrew hers like a timid little animal and went back to her work. “Don’t be simple, Crespi.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t marry you even if I were dead.”

“Alone, abandoned by his premonitions, fleeing the chill that was to accompany him until death, he sought a last refuge in Macondo in the warmth of his oldest memories. ”

“Death really did not matter to him but life did, and therefore the sensation he felt when they gave their decision was not a feeling of fear but of nostalgia.”

The Point of Myth?

I suppose if your taste runs to JRR Tolkien and Carlos Castaneda this would be a book for you. But mine doesn’t and this isn’t. I prefer James Joyce and Carl Jung. I understand Marquez’s metaphorical recapitulation of the history of Latin America, his articulation of the repetitiveness of human folly over generations, his recognition of the dangers of human inquiry and technological progress, his appreciation of the dialectical quality of things like ambition, masculine strength, sex, and family life. But I am still left unimpressed and unaffected by the result.

For me the various Jose Arcadia Buendia’s and their homophonic relatives are like Hobbits. They operate in the world in a permanent state of awed surprise - slack-jawed and glassy-eyed. They lack the ability for introspective reflection and so bumble from one crisis to the next but never confront the inimical content of themselves with any awareness. They'd rather be at home but only when they're away from it. Consequently there is no tension of development, of discovery, but merely the flatness of yet another unnecessary familial trial that leads nowhere except to further obsession and avoidable grief. After all, at least Joyce’s Bloom and Homer’s Ulysses have moments of personal insight or revelation. In contrast, Marquez’s JAB’s seem obstinately obtuse.

Like any other parabolic myth, One Hundred Years satisfies many interpretations, even contradictory ones: the world of the inquiring intellect vs. the world of the participative human being; personal ambition vs. communal duty; power and its conceits; the sources of tribal identity, etc. But for me these possibilities don’t lead to anything more meaningful than the opportunity presented by a telephone book to ring up any number of strangers. I find nothing ‘larger’ to which such things point. The various JAB’s are fatally fascinated solely by what presents itself in front of them. I think I would prefer the story of Marquez’s gypsy seer, Melquiades, who had “an Asiatic look that seemed to know what there was on the other side of things.” But Marquez doesn’t say anything else about what that might be.

Wow. I loved this

I'd like to think this book defies description, but I lie. It's pretty much an epic 5 generation story of a mythical Colombian town rife with magical realism. There's a lot of walking dead, dead stored in bags, dead bleeding on the streets, and the not quite dead of a peep that lives for over 500 years. Never mind the magic carpets or the thousands of people with the same damn name. It's a family that will damn well reuse a loved name over and over because they loved the originals so damn much.

Huh. Well, as long as I've now given up on tracking them except by their place in time and the events, I rolled with it and listened to the ever-growing complexity of the cyclical tales written simply and passionately, feeling like the town is the MC, from its founding (birth), it's part in the civil war (troubled teens), and it's modernity (this came out in 1967, so just assume there's lots of passionate free-love sex (in marriage)).

Here's the thing about preconceptions. I never looked up what the novel was about, so I based it entirely on the book cover and the freaking title. So what did I think as I read this?

Where's the freaking solitude!!!!!????

Sigh. This novel is FULL OF PEOPLE, people. I mean, lordy, they're everywhere and in everyone's faces. I kept looking forward to the science-minded and scholarly peeps because they, at least, wanted a little time alone! It was tiring for me to keep up with so many damn people! (except, of course, in a flowing tapestry of sensation and recurring themes, of course. That part was actually damn pleasing.)

Did I study and draw diagrams to keep track of everything in this novel? Hell no. I considered it, but in the end, I didn't care enough to do much other than take it all in with huge gulps, burping every once in a while, but determined to drink every last drop.

It was good, dammit. The writing was smooth as silk and managed to accomplish so much so economically, that I see why it's considered a classic. Will I ever try this one again?

No. Likely not. I don't like admitting that a novel tired me out. :)

Many years ago I was told this is one of those books you have to read before you die. I didn't get far on that occasion, but returned recently with steely determination to have a second bite at the cherry (or should that be banana), to see if it really lives up to all the hype. Well, I certainly don't think I would take this as one of my few novels after being dumped on a desert island, nor would I have a special place on my bookshelf, and take it out every now and then to scrape moss from the cover and shoo away any unwanted lizards from within the pages, but yes, I am glad to have read it.

My fifth Marquez book had what I would come to expect in terms of magical realism, but through all the death, violence, and weird happenings, I found many of the characters still attached to real life situations, dealing with love, loss and war that had real consequences. I also found it darker in places than what I expected, but then again, what did I expect?. This is Marquez after all, and he sprung many a surprise on me. Mostly all good.

The names though, Ggggrrrrr!!!!! where was my copy of the family tree?, I bloody well could have done with one. Took much wrangling with the old grey matter to figure out just who is who's son/daughter etc...but just about got there. The narrative is a magician's trick in which memory and prophecy, illusion and reality are mixed and often made to look the same. How does one describe the techniques and themes of the book without making it sound absurdly complicated, labored and almost impossible to read. Though concocted of quirks, ancient mysteries, family secrets and peculiar contradictions, it makes sense that it doesn't always make sense but that's what gives the pleasure in dozens of little and immediate ways. The book is a prognostic history, not of governments or of formal institutions of the sort which keeps public records, but of a people who, like the earliest descendants of mankind are best understood in terms of their relationship to a single family. In a sense, José and Ursula are the only two characters in the story, and all their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are variations on their strengths and weaknesses. José, forever fascinated by the unknown, takes up project after project, invention after invention, in order among other things, to make gold, discover the ocean and photograph God. He eventually goes mad, smashes things, refuses to speak except in Latin and is tied to a giant chestnut tree in the middle of the family garden. A mixture of obsessive idealism and durable practicality informs the lives of the Buendía descendants. The males, all named Arcadio or Aureliano, go off to sea, lead revolutions, follow gypsies, fall disastrously in love with their sisters and aunts (except one who develops a passion for a 12-year-old-girl) but most of them add to the family's stature and wealth and all contribute generously to its number. The women are not overshadowed by the men, one feature I found most welcome, and the bizarre events including eating dirt through depression, burning hands in the wake of suicide, and sending an innocent beauty to heaven with the family sheets left for never a dull moment.

Márquez creates a continuum, a web of connections and relationships. However bizarre or grotesque some particulars may be, the larger effect is one of great gusto and good humor and, even more, of sanity and compassion. The author seems to be letting his people half-dream and half-remember their own story and what is best, he is wise enough not to offer excuses for the way they do it. No excuse is really necessary. For Macondo is no never-never land. Its inhabitants do suffer, grow old and die, but in their own way. It is a South American Genesis, an earthy piece of enchantment and so much more. It might have been just another phase in the incestuous life of Macondo, like the 32 revolutions or the insomnia plague, but enchantment and solitude cannot survive the gringos any more than they can avoid the 20th century.

The novel is packed full of political commentary on real-life events and there are several reminders of the tangible material world, we can say that the misogyny and violence don’t matter because none of it is real? depends how you interpret Márquez, the one thing I found to be the novels strongest assets were that he offers plenty of reflections on loneliness and the passing of time, the caustic commentary on the evils of war, and a warm appreciation for familial bonds. Through all the magical and strange tidings García Márquez has urgent things to say, about the world, about us.

It didn't all work for me structurally, and I still prefer the shorter writings of 'Innocent Erendira and Other Stories' as my favourite Márquez to date, but it's easy to see why for so many this remains such a cherished novel throughout the world.

My experience with Gabriel García Márquez so far ( Love in the Time of Cholera  and One Hundred Years of Solitude) have not been my favorite reading experiences. I feel that I did enjoy One Hundred Years of Solitude more, but in general I do not think his writing is for me. However, this does not discredit in anyway the writing and story – and I can very easily see why some people like his writing and why it is considered a classic.

I am sure people want an explanation of why I cannot give Márquez and his books a glowing review. Mainly, I just think the subject matter and style are not for me. While I usually enjoy magical realism, the way that he tells his various stories only gets me truly invested 1/5 of the time. The rest of the time I tend to be either bored and/or confused. Often, I find myself revisiting sections to make sure I understood what I had just experienced. With that being said, I did find myself more invested and interested in this book over Cholera – is that because it is a better book or because I knew better what I was getting into? I am not sure.

This book is worth a try if you want an interesting atmospheric, genre-specific historical fiction story (I hope that description makes sense . . . it made sense to me in my mind!). Also, it is worth trying if you are “collecting the classics”. But, if you are looking for an exciting or riveting read, I think chances are low that you will find it here.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a tremendous piece of literature. It's not an easy read. You're not going to turn its pages like you would the latest John Grisham novel, or The DaVinci Code. You have to read each page, soaking up every word, immersing yourself in the imagery. Mr. Marquez says that he tells the story as his grandmother used to tell stories to him: with a brick face. That's useful to remember while reading, because that is certainly the tone the book takes. If you can get through the first 50 pages, you will enjoy it. But those 50 are a doozy. It's hard to keep track of the characters, at times (mainly because they are all named Jose Arcadio or Aureliano), but a family tree at the beginning of my edition was helpful. The book follows the Buendia family, from the founding of fictional Macondo to a fitting and fulfilling conclusion. The family goes through wars, marriages, many births and deaths, as well as several technological advances and invasions by gypsies and banana companies (trust me, the banana company is important). You begin to realize, as matriarch Ursula does, that as time passes, time does not really pass for this family, but turns in a circle. And as the circle closes on Macondo and the Buendias, you realize that Mr. Marquez has taken you on a remarkable journey in his literature. Recommended, but be prepared for a hard read.

إحساس غريب أثناء القراة و كأننى أركض وراء الكلمات و خلف السطور حتى أستطيع متابعة تلاحق الأحداث و كأننى أقرأ ألف ليلة و ليلة فلا مجال للتفصيل و لا مجال للتكرار.

إنه يقص علينا قرنا من الزمان بأربعة أجيال من البشر و عشرات الحكايا و الأساطير و الأحداث التاريخية مع شذرات من الفلسفة البسيطة و الموعظة الكامنة فيما وراء الحدث و الرأي السياسى لابسا قناع الرواية متسترا برداء الحكى.

تود لو لم تترك الكتاب أبدا إلا و قد انهيتها و تود ألا تنهيها أبدا و تشتاق لمتابعة الأحداث من البداية للنهاية.

الإنطباع الأول هو لماذا تكرار الأسماء في كل جيل و أحيانا في الجيل الواحد لدرجة أنه ذكرنى بنكتة تقول: كل اخواتى اسمهم إبراهيم ما عدا أخويا عصام إسمه مصطفى.

قراءة أولى لماركيز و لن تكون الأخيرة بالطبع.

(Book 399 from 1001 books) - Cien Años de Soledad = One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude is a landmark 1967 novel by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez that tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founds the town of Macondo, a fictitious town in the country of Colombia.

Characters: Úrsula Iguarán, Remedios Moscote, Remedios, la bella, Fernanda del Carpio, Aureliano Buendía, José Arcadio Buendía, Amaranta Buendía, Amaranta Úrsula Buendía, Aureliano Babilonia, José Arcadio Segundo, Aureliano Segundo, Aureliano José, Pilar Ternera, Rebeca Buendía, Santa Sofía de la Piedad, Arcadio Buendía, José Arcadio Buendía, hijo, Meme Buendía, Petra Cotes, Pietro Crespi, Melquiades.

One Hundred Years of Solitude is the story of seven generations of the Buendía Family in the town of Macondo.

The founding patriarch of Macondo, José Arcadio Buendía, and Úrsula Iguarán, his wife (and first cousin), leave Riohacha, Colombia, after José Arcadio kills Prudencio Aguilar after a cockfight for suggesting José Arcadio was impotent.

One night of their emigration journey, while camping on a riverbank, José Arcadio dreams of Macondo, a city of mirrors that reflected the world in and about it.

Upon awakening, he decides to establish Macondo at the riverside; after days of wandering the jungle, his founding of Macondo is utopic.

José Arcadio Buendía believes Macondo to be surrounded by water, and from that island, he invents the world according to his perceptions.

Soon after its foundation, Macondo becomes a town frequented by unusual and extraordinary events that involve the generations of the Buendía family, who are unable or unwilling to escape their periodic (mostly self-inflicted) misfortunes.

For years the town is solitary and unconnected to the outside world, with the exception of the annual visit of a band of gypsies, who show the townspeople technology such as magnets, telescopes, and ice.

The leader of the gypsies, a man named Melquíades, maintains a close friendship with José Arcadio, who becomes increasingly withdrawn, obsessed with investigating the mysteries of the universe presented to him by the gypsies.

Ultimately he is driven insane, speaking only in Latin, and is tied to a chestnut tree by his family for many years until his death. ...

صد سال تنهایی - گابریل گارسیا مارکز انتشارات امیرکبیر، ترجمه بهمن فرزانه؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه آوریل سال 1978میلادی

عنوان یک: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: بهمن فرزانه؛ انتشارات امیرکبیر در سال 1353، در 363ص، اما همین ترجمه بهمن فرزانه بارها توسط انتشاراتیهای متفاوت چاپ شده؛ انتشاراتی دادار، 1380 در 360ص، شابک 9647294352؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان کلمبیایی - سده 20م

عنوان دو: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: محمدرضا راهور، نشر تهران، آبگون، چاپ نخست 1379، در 496ص، شابک 9649166831؛ همین ترجمه را انتشارات شیرین در سال 1382، با شابک 9645564937؛ و انتشارات آربابان در سال 1380، با شابک 9647196040؛ منتشر کرده اند

عنوان سه: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: محسن محیط، نشر تهران، محیط، چاپ نخست 1374، در 479ص، شابک 9646246125؛ چاپ پنجم 1378؛

عنوان چهار: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: کیومرث پارسای، نشر تهران، آربابان، چاپ نخست 1382، در 560ص، شابک 9647196229؛ چاپ بیست و سوم 1393؛

عنوان پنج: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: حبیب گوهری راد، نشر تهران، رادمهر، چاپ نخست 1388، در 420ص، شابک 9789648673678؛ و انتشارات جمهوری در سال 1388 در 420ص و شابک 9789646974961؛

عنوان شش: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: مژگان فامیلی، نشر تهران، لیدا، چاپ نخست 1391، در 552ص، شابک 9786006538549؛

عنوان هفت: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: رضا دادویی، نشر تهران، آدورا، چاپ نخست 1391، در 416ص، شابک 9786009307197؛

عنوان هشت: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: محمدرضا سحابی، نشر تهران، انتشارات مصدق، چاپ نخست 1393، در 416ص، شابک 9786009442119؛

عنوان نه: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: زهره روشنفکر، نشر تهران، مجید، چاپ نخست 1388، در 456ص، شابک 9789644531064؛

عنوان ده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: محمدصادق سبط شیخ، نشر تهران، تلاش، چاپ نخست 1390، در 540ص، شابک 9786005791426؛

عنوان یازده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: ناصر جوادخانی، نشر تبریز، یاران، چاپ نخست 1390، در 400ص، شابک 9789642340828؛

عنوان دوازده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: مریم فیروزبخت، نشر تهران، حکایتی دیگر، چاپ نخست 1388، در 518ص، شابک 9789642756124؛ چاپ چهارم 1392؛

عنوان سیزده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: اسماعیل قهرمانی پور(شمس خوی)، نشر تهران، روزگار، چاپ نخست 1389، در 415ص، شابک 9789643741822؛

عنوان چهارده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: عبدالرسول اکبری، نشر تهران، شبگون، چاپ نخست 1393، در 584ص، شابک 9786009454518؛

عنوان پانزده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: بهاره خدادادی، نشر: تهران، نسل آفتاب، چاپ نخست 1389، در 4644ص، شابک 9786005847192؛

عنوان شانزده: صد سال تنهایی؛ اثر: گابریل گارسیا مارکز؛ مترجم: آوینا ترنم، نشر تهران، ماهابه، در سال 1393، در 477ص، شابک 9786005205596؛ و توسط نشر هنر پارینه، در سال 1390، در 584ص، شابک 9786005981032؛

چاپ نخست این اثر در سال 1967میلادی، در «آرژانتین»، با تیراژ هشت هزار نسخه منتشر شد؛ همگی نسخه‌ های چاپ نخست از «صد سال تنهایی» به زبان «اسپانیایی»، در همان هفته ی نخستین انتشار به فروش رفتند؛ در چهار دهه و سالهایی که از نخستین چاپ این کتاب بگذشت، بیش از سی میلیون نسخه از آن، در سراسر جهان نیز به فروش رفته، و به بیش از سی زبان برگردان شده است؛ جایزه ی «نوبل ادبیات» سال 1982میلادی، به «گابریل گارسیا مارکز»، برای آفرینش همین اثر اهدا شد

هشدار و اخطار برای کسانیکه میخواهند داستان را گرم گرم بخوانند؛ ...؛ لطفا ادامه این نوشتار یا سطرهای پایانی آنرا نخوانند؛

داستان به شرح زندگی شش نسل، از خانواده ی «بوئندیا» پرداخته؛ که نسل نخست آن‌ها در دهکده‌ ای به نام «ماکوندو» ساکن می‌شوند؛ ناپدید شدن، و مرگ بعضی از شخصیت‌های داستان، به جادویی شدن روایت‌ها می‌افزاید؛ صعود «رمدیوس» به آسمان، درست در برابر چشم دیگران؛ کشته شدن همگی پسران سرهنگ «آئورلیانو بوئندیا»، که از زنانی در جبهه جنگ به این دنیا آمده‌ بودند، و توسط افراد ناشناس، از راه هدف گلوله قرار دادن پیشانی آنها، که علامت صلیب داشته؛ و طعمه ی مورچه‌ ها شدن «آئورلیانو»ی نوزاد و تازه به دنیا آمده ی «آمارانتا اورسولا»، از این موارد هستند

به باور بسیاری، نویسنده در این کتاب است، که سبک «رئالیسم جادویی» را آفریده اند؛ داستانی که در آن همه ی فضاها و شخصیت‌ها واقعی، و حتی گاهی حقیقی هستند، اما ماجرای داستان، مطابق «روابط علّت و معلولی شناخته شده ی دنیای ما» پیش نمی‌روند؛ سرهنگ «آئورلیانو بوئندیا»، پسر دوم «اورسولا» و «خوزه آرکادیو» است؛ نخستین فرزندی است که در «ماکوندو» به دنیا می‌آید؛ این شخصیت فاقد هرگونه احساس عشق، نفرت، ترس، تنهایی و امید است؛ وی از کودکی تحت تأثیر برادر بزرگتر خود «خوزه آرکادیو بوئندیا»، قرار دارد، و در اوج داستان، توسط برادرش که در نقطه ی مقابل دیدگاه سیاسی وی است، و به نوعی نماینده ی دشمنان او نیز به شمار می‌آید، از اعدام نجات پیدا می‌کند؛ وی بارها و بارها، از مرگ می‌گریزد؛ نه جوخه اعدام، و نه زخم و سم، و نه خودکشی، نمی‌توانند، وی را بکشند؛ وی به نوعی نماد شخصیت کسانی است، که باید زنده بمانند، و عذاب بکشند، تا پلی بین سنت و مدرنیته، در شهر خیالی «ماکوندو» باشند؛ وی در طول جنگ‌های داخلی، در تمام جبهه‌ های جنگ، با زنان بیشماری همبستر شده، و هفده پسر، که همگی، نام کوچک وی، و نام خانوادگی مادرانشان را داشته اند، از او بوجود آمده‌ اند؛ تو گویی در تمام مسیر پیشروی در جبهه، تخم جنگ را نیز میپراکنده است؛ اما همه ی این هفده پسر، که یک کشیش روی پیشانی آن‌ها علامت صلیب را، با خاکستر حک کرده، به سرعت کشته می‌شوند؛ در نهایت، سرهنگ در اوج تنهایی، و فراموش شدگی می‌میرد

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 07/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 10/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Cien años de soledad... Gracias por cambiarme la vida.
No quiero adelantar nada porque estoy guardando absolutamente todo para la reseña y el vídeo especial que le quiero dedicar. Gracias a todos los que participaron en la lectura conjunta y a todos los que alguna vez me recomendaron este libro. Tenían razón, este libro es una obra maestra.

I was rather intimidated and contemplated for quite some time whether I would be able to understand this book – don`t repeat my stupid mistake , just pick this book up and let the story overwhelm you!

My advice would be to get some info on major themes and the structure of the book beforehand, and you`ll be alright. This does not mean that it takes intense research before reading the book in order to appreciate it, but some clues will help you to navigate through the magic and abundance of the story that make this book so beautiful and will take your head for a ride.

The book tells the story of the Buendía family from the foundation to the destruction of the city of Macondo. Yes, there are many characters with the same or very similar names in this family – and with good reason, as the book questions the concepts of time and history. The same character traits are repeatedly displayed in different people throughout seven generations, and the idea that history evolves in circles is brought up again and again. Macondo, the city of mirrors, is located in the jungle, and while reading, you constantly feel the humming of the insects, you feel the heat, the rain, the storm – the language is unbelievingly beautiful. The effect of disorientation and involvement is heightened by surreal events that, in the style of magical realism, are presented as completely normal – so it is raining yellow blossoms when the family patriarch dies, Melquíades resurrects because he could not stand the solitude of death, and Remedíos the Beauty ascends into the heavens because she was too pure-hearted for this world (well, supposedly :-)). The magical and the real melt into each other and form a whole new kind of reality, and believe me, it will blow your mind.

In order to enjoy the overwhelming effect while staying on top of the story, I got myself a Buendía family tree (just google it) and held on to the events that structure the book in five parts and refer to Latin American history: The founding of Macondo, the arrival of the judge as a representative of a central power, the civil wars, neo-colonization represented by the events around the banana plantation, and the destruction of Macondo (btw: what finally happens at the plantation strike really took place in Colombia). I am certainly far from being an expert for Latin American history, but that did not cause any problems here. I really felt with the members of the Buendía family and could see the events through their eyes, as every one of them struggles with his or her own kind of solitude, with their vices (and there are tons of them), their virtues, their personal struggles and the events they have to face.

I never read anything comparable to this book, and I was overwhelmed by its beauty and sadness. So don`t get discouraged because you hear that there are so many characters in this story and that the book does not conform to the standards of “creative writing 101” – that is part of why this book is so special and fascinating!