shainalite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Blood, Excrement, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Murder, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Abandonment, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Dementia, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Violence, and Vomit
lissybeth91's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Even so, I don't think I can honestly give the book more than three stars, even for the brilliance of the final chapters. I don't think it makes up for the unnecessarily graphic descriptions of the Buendia family's hereditary vices.
Graphic: Dementia, Excrement, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Police brutality, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, and War
kianga_black's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Incest, Infertility, Excrement, Vomit, Sexual content, Rape, Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Colonisation, Cursing, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
jolineliest's review against another edition
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Body shaming, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Death, Grief, Incest, Violence, Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit, Self harm, and Pregnancy
notartgarfunkel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Incest, Death, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: War, Vomit, Blood, Pedophilia, Child death, and Medical content
Minor: Gun violence and Cannibalism
lizzzitro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, Eating disorder, Incest, Mass/school shootings, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, War, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
catapocalypse's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
First, I can't believe how seldom its humor is brought up by others! There's a lot of focus placed on the heavy, cynical, serious elements, but there's also many absurd and silly and tongue-in-cheek and clever elements!
Even while mixing all those things, García Márquez subtly shifts the feel of the narrative as it progresses. Mind, this is an entirely character-driven story, with little to no real plot beyond the lifespan of the Buendía family and their town of Macondo. Folks who prefer plot-driven stories may find this book incredibly boring! But as time passes, the family, town, and narrative itself seem to shift and mature in a way. The beginnings of all three feature many fantastic elements. There are flights of fancy viewed with an almost childlike wonder. Time feels more sprawling.
But as things progress, they become more grounded in reality (though never entirely), and more serious events and concerns pop up. The little town of Macondo starts without even a mayor, but gradually sees Colonel Aureliano Buendía's war, the influence of foreign colonizing powers, and the high tension of the banana company worker strikes. Time gradually speeds up to the hurricane pace of the ending.
Across this lifespan of the Buendía family and Macondo, there's a lot going on, and García Márquez brilliantly connects all of it together. Even fanciful elements are not careless. I feel it has high reread value, and might even consider an immediate reread if I didn't have so much else to get to right now.
I do have some warnings. While the narrative is fairly linear in time, there are some overlapping points where events are retraced when the focus has moved between characters. This isn't so bad, so long as you can keep track of the many similarly-named ones. I recommend an edition that provides a family tree, like that from Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
There are also many Content Warnings, some rather significant, so please check out those listed for the book on its entry!
The prevalence of some of this, especially of the incest and problematic relationships between adults and minors, will definitely turn off some readers, which is valid! I was conflicted on its inclusion the entire way through, but ultimately, I think it ties into the presentation of the Buendía family as being deeply flawed. Let's face it, Úrsula was probably right about everything all along.
I'm sure there are even further layers I'm not fathoming. I do think that this book fully deserves its status as a classic, and I will absolutely read more Gabriel García Márquez.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Dementia, Eating disorder, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, and Trafficking
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Cannibalism, Homophobia, and Vomit