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Landmarks of World Literature
Gabriel García Márquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude is perhaps the most important landmark of the so-called Boom in contemporary Latin American fiction. Published in 1967, the novel was an instant success, running to hundreds of editions, winning four international prizes and being translated into 27 languages. In 1982, its author received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Michael Wood places the novel in the context of modern Colombia's violent history, and helps the reader to explore the rich and complex vision of the world which Garcia Marquez presents in it. Close reference is made to the text itself (in English translation), and there is a guide to further reading.
132 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 1990
195 people are currently reading
4081 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wood
16 books40 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Wood born in Lincoln, England, is the Charles Barnwell Straut Class of 1923 Professor of English and Professor of comparative literature at Princeton University. He is an alumnus of St John's College, Cambridge.
Prior to teaching to Princeton, he taught at Columbia University, and at the University of Exeter in Devon, England.
He was Director of the Gauss Seminars in Criticism at Princeton from 1995-2001, and chaired Princeton's English department from 1998 to 2004. He writes regularly for The New York Review of Books and on film for the London Review of Books.
Michael Wood born in Lincoln, England, is the Charles Barnwell Straut Class of 1923 Professor of English and Professor of comparative literature at Princeton University. He is an alumnus of St John's College, Cambridge.
Prior to teaching to Princeton, he taught at Columbia University, and at the University of Exeter in Devon, England.
He was Director of the Gauss Seminars in Criticism at Princeton from 1995-2001, and chaired Princeton's English department from 1998 to 2004. He writes regularly for The New York Review of Books and on film for the London Review of Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
September 25, 2012
I don't even know what to say...I stumbled on this book in the sci-fi section of my library (what?), and grabbed it after flipping through a couple of pages. A week later, my head is still in a whirl. I was absolutely not expecting to be drawn into the uniquely small-town mythology of Macondo. Part fairy tale, part historical drama, filled with a romanticism that regularly bleeds into pure sensualism, it felt like at times I was drowning under the all-too-human passions of beings that couldn't figure out whether they wanted to be humans, demigods, or impossible legends, all the while living these magnificently tragic lives...immense. I can already tell I'm going to be coming back to this book more than once, over the coming years, and I never saw it coming.
June 29, 2020
I decided to read this book since this book is important in literature. It's beautifully written in a poetic, circular, symbolic language with a story that almost never seems to move ahead. Many characters have the same names, are interconnected in a myriad of ways, live in the same place with little interaction with the outside world, and repeat the same patterns of behavior. I must admit I was often confused as to which character was doing what with whom. Incest leading to marriage is frequent, as is unrequited love leading to suicide, and blatant, leading flirtations with refusals to commit to relationships. This is not a happy book: set against wars, civil uprisings, government corruption and dramatic personal sagas with tragic endings. Some scenarios are purely sad, others are comical and improbable.
The book ends with this statement, "...because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth." It's possible the message here is closed societies result in self-destructive practices and behaviors from which there is no turning back.
If you like convoluted, ethereal writing filled with symbolism, you will appreciate this book. If you like your literature straightforward, this book is not for you.
The book ends with this statement, "...because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth." It's possible the message here is closed societies result in self-destructive practices and behaviors from which there is no turning back.
If you like convoluted, ethereal writing filled with symbolism, you will appreciate this book. If you like your literature straightforward, this book is not for you.
December 10, 2013
Excellent opening paragraph, unfortunately that's where the magic ends or really begins...
Confusing with to many characters portrayed in a whirlwind of time and space. Fought hard to get through it.
Confusing with to many characters portrayed in a whirlwind of time and space. Fought hard to get through it.
December 5, 2021
That was my favourite book by far. I particularly liked the authors humour and the unrevealed cynicism about the solitude of human beings.
July 2, 2018
As an indie lit postmodernist author, I can say with authority that this fits the description of a postmodernist novel. Yet the global literary community has branded this as a new genre of magical realism, and even gave Gabriel Garcia Marquez a Nobel Prize in Literature for it. Oh well, if you've gotta live your lifetime in Colombia I guess you should have something to show for it.
At any rate, if you're into postmodern this is a worthy read. Jose Arcadio Buendia founds the village of Macondo after a time of wandering in the jungle. Eventually the village begins to grow, and Buendia continues his efforts to develop its community. Only he finds himself bracketed by the mysticism of tradition and technology of the modern world. What the primitives see as magic is explained by Buendia as wonders of the civilized world. Alternately, the technical aspects of new concoctions and contraptions that Buendia cannot fully explained are accepted by the villagers as magic. His consternation grows beyond expectation as political issues in Colombian society have an impact on the village. They are drawn into a revolutionary conflict, and Buendia is heralded as a rebel leader against an oppressive regime.
Sociological issues act as major themes throughout the novel. There is a constant dissonance between the traditional ways of the primitive society which causes conflict between family members, neighbors and social groups within the village. It creates a dysfunctional clannishness that is further disrupted by the armed struggle they are drawn into. The author uses the major protagonist as a moral compass, trying to steady the course his village is forced along at an uncompromising pace. There is lots of room for satire and hyperbole, the tale rich with metaphors as the tribe tries to distinguish between magic and science, fantasy and reality, and the smoke and mirrors of the political struggle.
This is for special tastes in literature, though bright English students will find lots to love in this story. Postmodernist buffs and literature scholars won't want to do without it. As the critics agree, this is definitely a milestone work in Latin American literature.
At any rate, if you're into postmodern this is a worthy read. Jose Arcadio Buendia founds the village of Macondo after a time of wandering in the jungle. Eventually the village begins to grow, and Buendia continues his efforts to develop its community. Only he finds himself bracketed by the mysticism of tradition and technology of the modern world. What the primitives see as magic is explained by Buendia as wonders of the civilized world. Alternately, the technical aspects of new concoctions and contraptions that Buendia cannot fully explained are accepted by the villagers as magic. His consternation grows beyond expectation as political issues in Colombian society have an impact on the village. They are drawn into a revolutionary conflict, and Buendia is heralded as a rebel leader against an oppressive regime.
Sociological issues act as major themes throughout the novel. There is a constant dissonance between the traditional ways of the primitive society which causes conflict between family members, neighbors and social groups within the village. It creates a dysfunctional clannishness that is further disrupted by the armed struggle they are drawn into. The author uses the major protagonist as a moral compass, trying to steady the course his village is forced along at an uncompromising pace. There is lots of room for satire and hyperbole, the tale rich with metaphors as the tribe tries to distinguish between magic and science, fantasy and reality, and the smoke and mirrors of the political struggle.
This is for special tastes in literature, though bright English students will find lots to love in this story. Postmodernist buffs and literature scholars won't want to do without it. As the critics agree, this is definitely a milestone work in Latin American literature.
September 24, 2019
I started reading the book expecting it to be fiction about the life of a Colombian family. It was rather a timeless and spaceless fantasy. With ghosts that hunt people, butterflies that raise people to the sky, rain that doesn't stop for four years followed by a ten-year drought, buried bodies that smell from their grave, people that live for 150 years, and countless other things. Every little detail is exacerbated. A festival of comic and tragedy, of complete idiocy, incest, and, of course, solitude. An endless book of repeated lives and names. Everybody in the book has the same names, Aureliano and Jose Arcadio. I often relied on a picture with the family tree to remember who was who and by the time of completing the book I forgot when did some of the characters come into the picture and who they were related to. Everybody repeats the same mistakes of previous generations. It's like the wheel of fate is grinding on and nobody can escape their destiny. Everything happens in the same place all the time and at the same time. The passing of time is seamless, yet unequal. At times it slows down; other times it rushes. Children don't age at the same pace as their parents. It's long and boring. And Marquez obsession with incest and big penises becomes annoying towards the end. If this his masterpiece then I don't think I want to read any of his other works.
Read
August 9, 2015I couldn't stop reading it till i finished ....in two days .... something in it made me in love. though i know many friends didn't like the idea of it ....
August 28, 2019
I started One Hundred Years of Solitude last week, and became a little obsessed with the book and the author about five percent in. I've developed a One Hundred Years Plan: Finish the Spanish audio (which I'm about 50% done with), listen to the English audio version, read the actual book in Spanish, and read the translation. This may actually take me 100 years. My Spanish reading comprehension and vocabulary is at about at a 6th grade level, so I'm pretty sure I've only taken in about 50% of what I've listened to so far. So many beautiful, melodious, little-used words to learn!
Anyway, I started reading everything I could about the One Hundred Years of Solitude and the author's writing process. I am completely blown away and engrossed in the story, and this is how I stumbled on this nearly 30-year-old text that reads like an academic paper (which it is, in book form). This short and informative book provides analysis and interpretations of One Hundred Years of Solitude, some of which I found interesting and helpful in understanding the text. But because it's academic, it's dense and lofty and I can't say I remember all that much of what I read.
Would love to read analysis/interpretations by Colombian, or even just Latin American critics/writers, if anyone knows of any.
Anyway, I started reading everything I could about the One Hundred Years of Solitude and the author's writing process. I am completely blown away and engrossed in the story, and this is how I stumbled on this nearly 30-year-old text that reads like an academic paper (which it is, in book form). This short and informative book provides analysis and interpretations of One Hundred Years of Solitude, some of which I found interesting and helpful in understanding the text. But because it's academic, it's dense and lofty and I can't say I remember all that much of what I read.
Would love to read analysis/interpretations by Colombian, or even just Latin American critics/writers, if anyone knows of any.
July 29, 2015
The conditions of a solitary bird are five: First, that it flies to the highest point. Second, that it does not seek after company, not even its own kind. Third, that it aims its beak to the wind. Fourth, that it has no definite color. Fifth, that it sings very sweetly. (John of the Cross: Sayings of Light and Love)
Perfect narrative illutration to what St John of the Cross sang.
Perfect narrative illutration to what St John of the Cross sang.
July 17, 2024
I feel like I would have appreciated this book more if I had read it 50 years ago. I appreciate how he created an entire genre to talk about things that were not easy. Perhaps it is just my time in history, but I would prefer more frank conversation on the themes and subjects of the book. I feel like the magical realism was a little too random and repetitive at times (I get that the repetition is important). The end did bring a lot of it together.
November 2, 2017
I read this book years ago and it still remains one of my favorites.
March 25, 2020
I'll be honest, the first time I picked up this book, I immediately set it down after sixty pages in just because the names were so damn confusing. But everyone, everyone, told me how good of a book this was, so a few weeks later I picked up the book again and this time seriously dedicated myself to it, hoping it would pay off in the end. It did.
100 Years of Solitude tells the rise and fall of Macando through a lens of magical realism which is just fantastic to see. The characters, although very alike in name, are quite intriguing and necessary if we want to see the pure genius in this book. The idea that Macando has the same tragedies befall it over and over again, goes to show us that "history repeats itself." Not only in the idea of events, but quite literally, Jose Acardio Buendia is reflected into all of his lineage and this idea of mirrors is rather symbolic in the masterpiece.
In essence, 100 Years of Solitude is one of those books that you grow to appreciate for its genius just like To Kill a Mockingbird that I didn't appreciate reading in high school but, instead, have a new-found appreciation for it since being an adult and teaching it. Give this book its due respect and its due time and you'll be rewarded with a fantastic novel about the corruption of capitalism, fantastical elements such as flying carpets and my favorite sorcerer (move over Merlin) Melquiades.
100 Years of Solitude tells the rise and fall of Macando through a lens of magical realism which is just fantastic to see. The characters, although very alike in name, are quite intriguing and necessary if we want to see the pure genius in this book. The idea that Macando has the same tragedies befall it over and over again, goes to show us that "history repeats itself." Not only in the idea of events, but quite literally, Jose Acardio Buendia is reflected into all of his lineage and this idea of mirrors is rather symbolic in the masterpiece.
In essence, 100 Years of Solitude is one of those books that you grow to appreciate for its genius just like To Kill a Mockingbird that I didn't appreciate reading in high school but, instead, have a new-found appreciation for it since being an adult and teaching it. Give this book its due respect and its due time and you'll be rewarded with a fantastic novel about the corruption of capitalism, fantastical elements such as flying carpets and my favorite sorcerer (move over Merlin) Melquiades.
June 16, 2016
I will always remember it. I read it when i was 16 or 17 and it was the best experience. It made me dream, Gabriel open my eyes to another kind of beauty. I remember when i finished this book i felt so sad because inside me i knew that i would never read something so good. It's the best book i read, and probably it will continue. I cant imagine something better than this, after this book i read great books, but this will be my favourite. And i dont even know why and i cant explain why i liked it so much.
October 26, 2010
It lures me in every time I pick it up off the shelf.
September 5, 2019
One of the best books ever written!
September 20, 2020
Excellent read in South American setting with magical realism. Warm, fun and strange.
October 19, 2020
This is a multi-generational story of the Buendia family in the isolated town of Macondo.
“There is always something left to love.”
The novel traces the societal, political, religious layers of the mythical Colombian town of Macondo over a period of a hundred years- right from its inception by the head of the Buendia lineage. The author emphasizes the theme of solitude.
This book is an optimal amalgamation of magical realism and surreal- the earthly and the supernatural fusing together perfectly. The narrative is alluring and vivid- adding life to the characters and to the scenery alike with lots of historical references that emphasize the maxim that war is not good.
On my first attempt, I really got stuck with all the Jose Arcadios and Aurelianos. However, as I proceeded further I just couldn’t stop. The author gives you the opportunity to delve as deep as you wish into the everyday life of the Buendias. My favourite character has to be Ursula, the meticulous and uptight mother of the household who strives through life to keep the family going.
I recommend it to a patient reader. I had to muster all of mine to overcome the initial hiccups!!!
“There is always something left to love.”
The novel traces the societal, political, religious layers of the mythical Colombian town of Macondo over a period of a hundred years- right from its inception by the head of the Buendia lineage. The author emphasizes the theme of solitude.
This book is an optimal amalgamation of magical realism and surreal- the earthly and the supernatural fusing together perfectly. The narrative is alluring and vivid- adding life to the characters and to the scenery alike with lots of historical references that emphasize the maxim that war is not good.
On my first attempt, I really got stuck with all the Jose Arcadios and Aurelianos. However, as I proceeded further I just couldn’t stop. The author gives you the opportunity to delve as deep as you wish into the everyday life of the Buendias. My favourite character has to be Ursula, the meticulous and uptight mother of the household who strives through life to keep the family going.
I recommend it to a patient reader. I had to muster all of mine to overcome the initial hiccups!!!
December 24, 2023
I was so disappointed. I heard about how great the book is prior to reading it, so I was excited. But to me, this book is written as a pretty yet terribly confusing short summary. Short summary just so you don't get in trouble for not reading the full version when the teacher asks you about it in the class. Bacause of it's briefness (100 years of family history in _00 pages), no characters are developed. Simply due to the fact that they die in a few chapters. Ursula may be an exception here although I didn't get enough of her either. There are like 20 male characters that share literally different combinations of three names. Out of good things: writing style is sometimes so poetic; the last few pages put a cool as period to the story, getting the morale of it to the surface. It's my first ever one star review. I'm not a critical reader and I hate to drop books. But here, even I had to skip a hundred of pages to get through this mess.
March 3, 2017
REALISMO MAGICO , SITUATIONS WHEN REALITY BECOMES ONE WITH TALES AND STORIES BEYOND A LOGICAL EXPLANATION , STORIES SHARED THROUGHOUT YEARS , MAYBE CENTURIES , ABOUT A SAGA INVOLVING GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES HAVING LASTS NAMES IN COMMON , STIGMA , SIMILARITIES OVER TOTEM AND TABOO , OVER GOOD AND EVIL , OVER SLAVERY DIMENSIONAL OF TIME , THE ORIGINS OF A DUSTY VILLAGE (MACONDO) , INGENUITY TRANSFORMED IN CHRONICLES , GUILT , SIN , SHAME ......PERHAPS A DESCRIPTION OF ANY GIVEN SMALL TOWN , IN A COUNTRY YOU CAN CHOOSE IN LATIN AMERICAS EARLY 20TH CENTURY.....
MARQUEZ ONCE WAS ASKED : YOU DO HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMMAGINATION !!?? , MARQUEZ : BUT NOT AT ALL , COLOMBIA ITS LIKE IT..The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point".
MARQUEZ ONCE WAS ASKED : YOU DO HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMMAGINATION !!?? , MARQUEZ : BUT NOT AT ALL , COLOMBIA ITS LIKE IT..The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point".
July 23, 2017
Even though I'm from Argentina myslef, I've never read a book by an Latin author before. However, after a literature project in school I came upon this book and it was a-ma-zing. I was so enthralled by this book that it was physically impossible for me to put down. I've never read something like this before and I can't begin to explain how magnificent not only the plot is, but the characters and the retelling of this wonderful story. I have to addmit that is was rather hard to follow from time to time, mostly the family tree topic as it was rather confusing, but the grip this story has on you is out of this world.
October 2, 2019
"Nonsense is precious and should not be recklessly converted into meaning on all occasions."
I loved "One Hundred Years of Solitude" but felt that I would have trouble saying why. Wood's little book does a great job of considering the novel in the light of a number of different contexts (its literary techniques, Colombian history, magic realism, and in an especially good final chapter, 20th Century modernism) and does so in a way that always seems to open the text, rather than shoehorn it into some tiresomely singular interpretation. To me this is the sign of good criticism -- I like the novel a little more rather than a little less for having read this.
I loved "One Hundred Years of Solitude" but felt that I would have trouble saying why. Wood's little book does a great job of considering the novel in the light of a number of different contexts (its literary techniques, Colombian history, magic realism, and in an especially good final chapter, 20th Century modernism) and does so in a way that always seems to open the text, rather than shoehorn it into some tiresomely singular interpretation. To me this is the sign of good criticism -- I like the novel a little more rather than a little less for having read this.
October 12, 2019
I really liked the way this book flowed across generations. The way the story is told and everyones personal affairs make for a captivating read. I think the ending is really well done and finishes it off well. It can be quite sensual and sexual at times but some themes of incest sat very weird with me. My biggest bug bear was character names. Why why why did the males in the family have to be named after each other (how many Aureliano’s?)? I needed a googled family tree to keep track after generation 2 which gave me spoilers of who had children etc!
Very different to what I would normally read which is probably why I like it so much. Would recommend
Very different to what I would normally read which is probably why I like it so much. Would recommend
October 15, 2020
This is a magical piece of writing. I don't think I've ever read magical realism before, or maybe this did it so much better than anything I have ever read in the genre. The mystical and magical in this novel is just a natural part of the narrative. The first couple of times it is mentioned that a dead man walk the street I paused and thought; "Is this a metaphor?". It probably _is_ a metaphor but not in the sense that I thought at that time. The dead walk, thing hover, people can tell the future and nothing could be more natural or apropriate in One Hundred Years of Solitude.
I throughly enjoyed this and the ending was just stunningly beautiful.
I throughly enjoyed this and the ending was just stunningly beautiful.
February 6, 2021
En definitiva uno de los mejores libros que he leído. Personajes completos, envueltos en enredos de amor, venganza, miedo y locura. Me ha mostrado la complejidad de la vida y sus vueltas. Todo en un contrato de verosimilitud que te transporta a un mundo mágico, donde todo es y no es al mismo tiempo. Lo he disfrutado de inicio a fin, hay personajes que me resultan fascinantes y otros repudiables. Pero nada está polarizado, no es blanco y negro. Nos muestra un universo con personas llenas de matices, tan humanas y tan irreales que creo que he encontrado un pedacito de mi en todos ellos. Que linda forma de iniciar oficialmente un año de lectura.
September 6, 2020
I'm enjoying it, but it's also a bit annoying. I don't really understand why it has quotes on the cover like Salman Rushdie - "the greatest novel in any language in the last fifty years." It's so all over the place, and it's really hard to keep up with all the characters, what they're into and who their children are... which is really not helped by them all having the same names!
I'm only just past halfway through and have nearly abandoned it a few times, but it's holding my attention enough for me to persevere.
I'm only just past halfway through and have nearly abandoned it a few times, but it's holding my attention enough for me to persevere.
January 10, 2022
I like this book! Had good laughs in the 1st half - Lots of absurdity made me think about popular culture back in the days, so it was very enjoyable.
Also liked the end. To me it was unexpected and brilliant!
My problem was with the war part - so boring and so long, that is the reason why I can’t give it 4 stars.
It is amazing to follow the authors construction of the family line for so many generations- really admirable!!
In my opinion, even though this is a classic and have the cultural and historical relevance - it’s not a must read, but I’ve enjoyed it.
PS: Also could totally see a link with the Disney movie: Encanto
Also liked the end. To me it was unexpected and brilliant!
My problem was with the war part - so boring and so long, that is the reason why I can’t give it 4 stars.
It is amazing to follow the authors construction of the family line for so many generations- really admirable!!
In my opinion, even though this is a classic and have the cultural and historical relevance - it’s not a must read, but I’ve enjoyed it.
PS: Also could totally see a link with the Disney movie: Encanto
February 6, 2018
É um livro cheio de imaginação com uma dinâmica alucinante.
A fantasia mistura-se com a realidade, sem regras para o que deve ou não deve ser.
Tem partes hilariantes, mas sem qualquer pendor cómico, apenas o é pela capacidade do escritor em surpreender.
Dei 4 estrelas e não cinco, porque parece-me que no final o livro se arrastou um pouco, com os personagens a perderem o interesse. Mas o final foi surpreendente tal como o início.
A fantasia mistura-se com a realidade, sem regras para o que deve ou não deve ser.
Tem partes hilariantes, mas sem qualquer pendor cómico, apenas o é pela capacidade do escritor em surpreender.
Dei 4 estrelas e não cinco, porque parece-me que no final o livro se arrastou um pouco, com os personagens a perderem o interesse. Mas o final foi surpreendente tal como o início.
October 31, 2021
Even better than I expected it to be. I'm an idiot for waiting till my 60th year to read this. I really wish I'd read it as a teenager and then I could have re-read several times since. I don't feel the need to critique it, there are far more erudite and informed literary experts here who do a far better job. Suffice to say it's a masterpiece and lives up to the hype. I will read it again and I will read more by the same author.
January 5, 2024
Olvasás közben az első benyomásom az volt, hogy mennyire egyedi és jó stílussal van megírva a könyv. Aztán kiderült, hogy ami az első ötven oldalra jellemző, pontosan olyan lesz végig a könyv. Sem íve sem ritmusa nincs a szövegnek. A család történetének a leírása sokkal jobban működött volna számomra harmad ekkora terjedelemben, a lényeg, az idő körbe forgása úgy is átjött volna. De mindez több mint négyszáz oldalon át fűzve, már unalomba fulladt.
September 17, 2020
It is a classic; then why only 3 stars?
This is just a personal opinion. The book is amazing. True genius of prose, Gabriel Garcia, weaved another magical surreal tale. However, the book does get a bit confusing with the usage of the same names. I know and understand, that could be one of the exact reasons why he did that, but then I am a very simple minded person sadly :)
This is just a personal opinion. The book is amazing. True genius of prose, Gabriel Garcia, weaved another magical surreal tale. However, the book does get a bit confusing with the usage of the same names. I know and understand, that could be one of the exact reasons why he did that, but then I am a very simple minded person sadly :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews