The writing of Garcia Marquez is so especially unique that I feel as if I’ve experienced 100 lifetimes from following all the events, when really I’ve only read 40 pages. This book is probably my favourite read so far in the course, and I am decently surprised that this book reads so much better than his other book “Chronicles of a Death Foretold”. I am also decently pleased that despite all the characters sharing approximately 3 names, I can discern them fairly well, and I think that credit also goes to the storytelling of Garcia Marquez.
The entirety of the book follows the bizarre adventures of every character, and in each corner there is magical realism and an interesting morphing with temporality to be found. At the centre of the story is a family, which I think also signifies a key feature of the book, that being human relationships. With the use of naming each children after some other figure before, I think that highlights the inherent connections and ultimately the tangled threads of fate belonging to each member of the family. Another notable feature of the book was the repetition in describing the experiences of each family member that ultimately fall to this feeling of “solitude”. I think in some ways, as the little things that occur in their lifetime are chained to one another, it all eventually trickles into this state of solitude that each character experiences, and no doubt we would experience at some point in our lifetimes, hopefully magnitudes weaker than the tragedies they experience.
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” carry on the torch of Latin American Literature’s proclivity for extravagant drama, which permeated a decent chunk of the books we have read before, only this one is much more bizarre and overwhelming, and pays special attention to the intricacies of human relationships, whether between father and son, husband and wife, or even between a family and other townsfolk. An additional feature that joins later on in the book is when war eventually breaks out, and the impact of that period of Mexican history on its people is once again illustrated very poignantly. From a personal standpoint, I was on the down low rooting for Aureliano to overcome his foreboding mortality when facing the firing squad as I was following his story in the first half of the book, but once it did actually get there I couldn’t care less about his demise, or at the very least I felt no remorse if he had died.
Altogether, this book has provided me with a reading experience like no other before, and pushed the bounds of fiction for me, and for that will always remain memorable. Which sort of leads me to my question to you all: Which character out of all of them is the most unforgettable to you? It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone you like or dislike, but rather the character you find yourself caring about the most. (For me, it was Ursula)
It may be that Mexican history has had a certain impact in Macondo (a general of the Revolution appears there), but the references to the Colombia that García Márquez knew provide some historiographical clues. The novel, as you well point out, is the one that is most concerned with the intricacies of the encounters in a space that clearly surpasses the strength of the characters. (And there is indeed a similarity with Pedro Páramo in this regard).
Hi Kelly,
I really liked the character of Rebecca. Her nature was very unpredictable and fun to read. She also came across as very headstrong. I was pretty hooked on her character right from when she showed up with a bag of bones, which was such a wild image. The dynamic between her and her sister was also very interesting. I think her character speaks a lot to the theme of family as she was adopted into the family later in life and how the treatment between her and Amarantha is pretty much equal amongst the household. The differences between the two are more attributed to how their appearance is viewed by the community.
Hi!
I think you bring up a great point when you mention the importance of human connections throughout the book so far. It is so prevalent all throughout, I agree! Especially with family, fates can be presumed or anticipated, and we see that and the fear of such, especially from Ursula, throughout our reading. To answer your question, Ursula was the most unforgettable for me–she has such a caring and warm nature about her that you can feel it when you read!
Hi Kelly! Great post, as always! To answer your question, I think I found Ursula v memorable like you did, but also Remedios the Beauty. Not necessarily her personality, but more just her storyline. Interestingly, I discussed this book with my parents because they read it yearsss ago and the first thing they both referred to was Remedios the Beauty. I feel there’s a lot that could be gleaned and discussed from her story. – deeba
Hi! Really enjoyed your post! I totally agree with you as I also read chronicles of a death foretold and although it was interesting, I wasnt impressed.
“Its the little things that occur in their lifetime are chained to one another, it all eventually trickles into this state of solitude that each character experiences..” really nicely put:)
-Mai
Úrsula stood out to me too as the main force holding the Buendia family together for most of the book, doing her best to keep order and hold back the extravagances of her (mostly male) relatives while never really getting her due respect. Melquíades was fascinating as well as someone representing the outside world and its mysteries, periodically returning to introduce change to the cloistered inhabitants of a town seemingly stuck in time.
Hey Kelly, I think you bring up a great point about the names may be connected to characters fate. As for the discussion question, Ursula is the most unforgettable character in my opinion. I enjoyed seeing her throughout multiple generations of the Buendia family (there’s no other Buendia that outlives her). Her role as an opposing force to her eccentric husband brings meaning to the struggles, they endure through their life in Macondo.