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dorkestra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The cyclical nature of this family is devastating to watch unfold. There are some patterns I did not even realize until after I finished, looking at the family tree. Not a conventional read, and there are many disturbing parts of this book, but it still rates highly in spite of that. Very well written/translated (Gregory Rabassa's translation).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
cleansky7's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Excrement, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
bites_of_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I finally read Márquez' most recognized novel and now I understand why it is called one of the most influential books of Latin American literature and culture.
I love multigenerational stories and this one goes through multiple generations of the Buendía family as they live through the establishment of Macondo, war, colonization, technological advances, and more. This book is deeply rooted in Márquez' culture and the history of Colombia, which can also translate to several parts of Latin America.
The magical realism was incredible, certain sections had the subtlest uses of it while others were impactful and they almost provoked a visceral emotional reaction. My mom's family has a house in Mexico that was filled with people when I was little, but slowly, as my mom and uncles began to live their lives outside of that house and after my grandma passed away, the house started to become empty and less cared for. The Buendía house mirrors the what happens within the family and what's happening in the community, people leaving, marriages, war, etc. The house is either clean and with additions for all the people in the house, or almost empty and deteriorating due to disuse and abuse.
There are so many things to explore about this book, it's one that I might revisit later in life since I'm sure I'll find more things that will resonate. While I give this book 5 stars, there are plenty of things that were not enjoyable as well and they all would fall into multiple content warnings, among them: sexual violence, war, child neglect and abuse, incest, and more.
I'd recommend this to anyone who'd like to learn more about classic Latin American literature, magical realism, anyone who loves multigenerational stories with a variety of very interesting characters, and also if you love drama, this one is full of it.
I love multigenerational stories and this one goes through multiple generations of the Buendía family as they live through the establishment of Macondo, war, colonization, technological advances, and more. This book is deeply rooted in Márquez' culture and the history of Colombia, which can also translate to several parts of Latin America.
The magical realism was incredible, certain sections had the subtlest uses of it while others were impactful and they almost provoked a visceral emotional reaction. My mom's family has a house in Mexico that was filled with people when I was little, but slowly, as my mom and uncles began to live their lives outside of that house and after my grandma passed away, the house started to become empty and less cared for. The Buendía house mirrors the what happens within the family and what's happening in the community, people leaving, marriages, war, etc. The house is either clean and with additions for all the people in the house, or almost empty and deteriorating due to disuse and abuse.
There are so many things to explore about this book, it's one that I might revisit later in life since I'm sure I'll find more things that will resonate. While I give this book 5 stars, there are plenty of things that were not enjoyable as well and they all would fall into multiple content warnings, among them: sexual violence, war, child neglect and abuse, incest, and more.
I'd recommend this to anyone who'd like to learn more about classic Latin American literature, magical realism, anyone who loves multigenerational stories with a variety of very interesting characters, and also if you love drama, this one is full of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Incest, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
gigireadswithkiki's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is a wonder; upon finishing, its easy to draw parallels to how it has inspired a plethora of other intergenerational novels, though none quite so vast as this story. The way in which Gabriel García Márquez tackles issues of war, imperialism, and colonialism through the lens of the Buendía family members humanizes their struggle to a individual level, interspersing these serious plot points with shockingly jarring moments ranging from pedophilia to incest and everything in between.
Though these disturbing scenes feel add purely to shock readers, it was definitely intriguing to see the way Márquez uses these instances purposefully to show the deterioration of memory and the cyclical nature of time in the six generations of the Buendías. Although, as a book originally written in Spanish, its interesting to ponder whether the voice of the translator serves to give a different perspective than that originally intended by the author.
Either way, this book is by no means perfect, but I enjoyed it very thoroughly, though I would heavily recommend checking the content warnings before reading.
Though these disturbing scenes feel add purely to shock readers, it was definitely intriguing to see the way Márquez uses these instances purposefully to show the deterioration of memory and the cyclical nature of time in the six generations of the Buendías. Although, as a book originally written in Spanish, its interesting to ponder whether the voice of the translator serves to give a different perspective than that originally intended by the author.
Either way, this book is by no means perfect, but I enjoyed it very thoroughly, though I would heavily recommend checking the content warnings before reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Gun violence and Violence
andreew's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Incest
Minor: Gun violence and Violence
rousseure's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this book has amazing commentary and makes great points but it was boring and read like a string of facts from a very detached narrator
more like 100 years of incest
more like 100 years of incest
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
yeahjuju's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Incest, and Pedophilia
nicolleschumacher's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I had really high expectations for this book because I’ve heard great things but I was really disappointed. I wasn’t moved or interested in the story and most characters were very flat.
I also can’t stand when (especially male) authors constantly write about women’s breasts even of very young girls, a lot of the book just gave me the impression that the author was a perv and it just grossed me out.
I also can’t stand when (especially male) authors constantly write about women’s breasts even of very young girls, a lot of the book just gave me the impression that the author was a perv and it just grossed me out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Incest, and Rape
maddyschue's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3/5 stars
This wad a one time read for me, but worth it to read once. It was a very slow at times but quite interesting at times too. It is an early magical realism novel that delves deep into relationships, human nature, how history repeats itself, solitude, progress, family, and civilization. It follows the Buendía family through seven generations starting when José builds a utopian, very isolated city in the middle of a swamp in Colombia. The writing is very beautiful and the setting is described with great detail. The story gets kind of complicated and a lot of characters have the same/similar names so that was a little confusing at times. But I liked how the author really developed the characters and showed the connections of everyone.
< SPOILER BELOW >
Rip like every character in the Buendía you meet, they all go through some hell.
This wad a one time read for me, but worth it to read once. It was a very slow at times but quite interesting at times too. It is an early magical realism novel that delves deep into relationships, human nature, how history repeats itself, solitude, progress, family, and civilization. It follows the Buendía family through seven generations starting when José builds a utopian, very isolated city in the middle of a swamp in Colombia. The writing is very beautiful and the setting is described with great detail. The story gets kind of complicated and a lot of characters have the same/similar names so that was a little confusing at times. But I liked how the author really developed the characters and showed the connections of everyone.
< SPOILER BELOW >
Rip like every character in the Buendía you meet, they all go through some hell.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Incest, Sexism, and Murder
seanml's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'll probably have to read One Hundred Years of Solitude in a decade or two to really understand it. The book's doses of magical realism and a very spacey flowery prose, instead of creating something more fantastical, make the story much more intimate and human. This doesn't distract at all from the bloody murders, strange incest, or sexual assault. The main family we follow is not made up of good people, but they're not supposed to be either way. They are just people going through time. 7/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Abandonment, and Colonisation