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ptenorio71's review against another edition
5.0
The book tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family in the fictional town of Macondo, Colombia.
1. Founding of Macondo:
The story begins with José Arcadio Buendía and his wife Úrsula Iguarán founding the isolated town of Macondo after leaving their hometown due to a tragic incident.
2. Family Generations:
The novel spans seven generations of the Buendía family, each inheriting names and characteristics from their ancestors. The family members often exhibit recurring traits, with José Arcadios being impulsive and strong, while Aurelianos are more introverted and focused.
3. Magical Realism:
García Márquez employs the literary style of magical realism, blending fantastical elements with realistic situations. This is evident in events such as a plague of insomnia, a rain that lasts for years, and characters with supernatural abilities.
4. Isolation and Progress:
Initially, Macondo is isolated from the outside world, with only occasional visits from gypsies bringing new technologies. As the town establishes contact with other regions, it experiences both progress and turmoil.
5. Civil Wars and Political Strife:
The novel incorporates historical elements, including civil wars and political conflicts. Colonel Aureliano Buendía, one of the main characters, becomes a revolutionary leader fighting against the Conservative government.
6. Love and Relationships:
Throughout the generations, the Buendías experience various romantic entanglements, including incestuous relationships and passionate affairs.
7. Decline of Macondo:
As the story progresses, Macondo faces numerous challenges, including the arrival of a banana plantation, worker exploitation, and a massacre of striking workers. These events contribute to the town's gradual decline.
8. Prophecy and Fate:
A recurring element in the novel is a set of prophecies written by the gypsy Melquíades, which are gradually deciphered throughout the story. These prophecies foretell the fate of the Buendía family and Macondo.
9. Cyclical Nature of Time:
The novel explores the concept of time as cyclical, with events and character traits repeating across generations. This creates a sense of inevitability and fatalism in the family's history.
10. Final Destruction:
The book concludes with the last Buendía deciphering Melquíades' prophecies, revealing that the family's entire history was predestined. Simultaneously, a hurricane destroys Macondo, erasing all traces of the town and the Buendía family.
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" is renowned for its complex narrative structure, vivid characters, and exploration of themes such as solitude, family, love, and the impact of history on individuals and communities. The novel has become a classic of Latin American literature and a defining work of magical realism.
1. Founding of Macondo:
The story begins with José Arcadio Buendía and his wife Úrsula Iguarán founding the isolated town of Macondo after leaving their hometown due to a tragic incident.
2. Family Generations:
The novel spans seven generations of the Buendía family, each inheriting names and characteristics from their ancestors. The family members often exhibit recurring traits, with José Arcadios being impulsive and strong, while Aurelianos are more introverted and focused.
3. Magical Realism:
García Márquez employs the literary style of magical realism, blending fantastical elements with realistic situations. This is evident in events such as a plague of insomnia, a rain that lasts for years, and characters with supernatural abilities.
4. Isolation and Progress:
Initially, Macondo is isolated from the outside world, with only occasional visits from gypsies bringing new technologies. As the town establishes contact with other regions, it experiences both progress and turmoil.
5. Civil Wars and Political Strife:
The novel incorporates historical elements, including civil wars and political conflicts. Colonel Aureliano Buendía, one of the main characters, becomes a revolutionary leader fighting against the Conservative government.
6. Love and Relationships:
Throughout the generations, the Buendías experience various romantic entanglements, including incestuous relationships and passionate affairs.
7. Decline of Macondo:
As the story progresses, Macondo faces numerous challenges, including the arrival of a banana plantation, worker exploitation, and a massacre of striking workers. These events contribute to the town's gradual decline.
8. Prophecy and Fate:
A recurring element in the novel is a set of prophecies written by the gypsy Melquíades, which are gradually deciphered throughout the story. These prophecies foretell the fate of the Buendía family and Macondo.
9. Cyclical Nature of Time:
The novel explores the concept of time as cyclical, with events and character traits repeating across generations. This creates a sense of inevitability and fatalism in the family's history.
10. Final Destruction:
The book concludes with the last Buendía deciphering Melquíades' prophecies, revealing that the family's entire history was predestined. Simultaneously, a hurricane destroys Macondo, erasing all traces of the town and the Buendía family.
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" is renowned for its complex narrative structure, vivid characters, and exploration of themes such as solitude, family, love, and the impact of history on individuals and communities. The novel has become a classic of Latin American literature and a defining work of magical realism.
lar_iiious's review against another edition
2.0
This book certainly took me a long time. It was somehow really tough and actually I couldn't enjoy it because I was just focused on finally finishing this book. It took me 3 months. So yeah. But I had to read it. Having been in Colombia and all.
justindaze's review against another edition
2.0
I don't normally do spoiler reviews, but I felt it necessary in the case of this book, as I feel that I must discuss what it is that kept me from getting into the book, and most of that has to do with the story.
First off, if I were to judge this book on it's technical skill alone, it would be a 4, no contest. But for me, when I am scoring a book, it is a mixture of elements. Often pitting the more tangible aspects of the book against the abstract or emotional impact and my enjoyment of moving from beginning to end.
Technically, this book is amazingly executed, and if it weren't so well done, I would have given it one star based on my need to force myself through the story line and try to find a single interesting quality to combat my over-all indifference to the characters.
I know I know. This is one of those books everyone likes and I'm not bemoaning their enjoyment, simply expressing my own lack of enjoyment.
So here is one more positive for you, I actually enjoyed "seeing" the town of Macondo's growth from a longview perspective. This was honestly the only aspect of the story I enjoyed, and only slightly. I liked it in a Simcity kind of way.
As far as the Buendia dynasty, I couldn't have cared less. Since Marquez re-uses names (to prove that history repeats itself blah blah), half the time I was mixing people up, but not in a good way. I didn't feel close to a single character, I couldn't even relate to them on a person to person level. I'm seeing them from way up in the clouds and their emotions and motives become that of a representative avitar, same person - different generation...
Now some may argue that Macondo itself is the character, but I can't relate to a city because I am not a city, I am a person and without what I felt to be an actual human element to cling to, besides this view from above of a single family recycling their own mistakes (and the same 5 names).
Even when things should get interesting with the loss of innocence of Macondo as it is finally influenced by the outside world and it's later declines into civil war -- even then I didn't feel interested! Just indifferent, bored, secretly thinking about other better books I could be reading. But I stuck it out because this is a classic, according to many folk, and I wanted to take it all in before I talked about it.
I'd say that it may haver done a lot for the Latin Boom of the late 60s, pushing the visibility and availability of great works of Latin fiction -- and that is great! And it may have even invoked a technical impact on writers and really influenced styles and standards -- all that I can totally understand and I feel that, as a writer, I grew a little reading this.
But I rate my books as a reader. And as a reader this book bored the hell out of me and mostly annoyed me with its characters and settings.
First off, if I were to judge this book on it's technical skill alone, it would be a 4, no contest. But for me, when I am scoring a book, it is a mixture of elements. Often pitting the more tangible aspects of the book against the abstract or emotional impact and my enjoyment of moving from beginning to end.
Technically, this book is amazingly executed, and if it weren't so well done, I would have given it one star based on my need to force myself through the story line and try to find a single interesting quality to combat my over-all indifference to the characters.
I know I know. This is one of those books everyone likes and I'm not bemoaning their enjoyment, simply expressing my own lack of enjoyment.
So here is one more positive for you, I actually enjoyed "seeing" the town of Macondo's growth from a longview perspective. This was honestly the only aspect of the story I enjoyed, and only slightly. I liked it in a Simcity kind of way.
As far as the Buendia dynasty, I couldn't have cared less. Since Marquez re-uses names (to prove that history repeats itself blah blah), half the time I was mixing people up, but not in a good way. I didn't feel close to a single character, I couldn't even relate to them on a person to person level. I'm seeing them from way up in the clouds and their emotions and motives become that of a representative avitar, same person - different generation...
Now some may argue that Macondo itself is the character, but I can't relate to a city because I am not a city, I am a person and without what I felt to be an actual human element to cling to, besides this view from above of a single family recycling their own mistakes (and the same 5 names).
Even when things should get interesting with the loss of innocence of Macondo as it is finally influenced by the outside world and it's later declines into civil war -- even then I didn't feel interested! Just indifferent, bored, secretly thinking about other better books I could be reading. But I stuck it out because this is a classic, according to many folk, and I wanted to take it all in before I talked about it.
I'd say that it may haver done a lot for the Latin Boom of the late 60s, pushing the visibility and availability of great works of Latin fiction -- and that is great! And it may have even invoked a technical impact on writers and really influenced styles and standards -- all that I can totally understand and I feel that, as a writer, I grew a little reading this.
But I rate my books as a reader. And as a reader this book bored the hell out of me and mostly annoyed me with its characters and settings.
lakinyaminami's review against another edition
4.0
Sebuah buku historical fiction yang ditulis dengan liar dan penuh plot kompleks, harus full energi dan mood yang baik ketika membacanya. Silsilah keluarga Buendia yang dipenuhi dengan skandal dan tabu, dari Oedipus Complex hingga incest. Sejarah yang berulang terasa satir kepada sejarah Amerika Latin. Mengaburkan mana yang nyata dan fiksi, pokoke khas Amerika Latin mirip dengan Indonesia yang kental logika mistika.
jennmag_reads's review against another edition
3.0
30 pts (part 2 of 2) 8. Leora’s Task – Pick and Read 2 Books From The '1001 Books To Read Before You Die' List. http://www.listology.com/list/1001-books...
While I liked it, I think I would have liked it more if I had more focus - wasn't the best summer choice ;).
While I liked it, I think I would have liked it more if I had more focus - wasn't the best summer choice ;).
davidgrasse's review against another edition
5.0
There is a sadness I feel in the finishing of such a wonderous book.
jeffo24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75