Reviews

I really enjoyed this book as an introduction to magical realism! It was a tough read for me but as I kept trying and getting further into it it became easier for me to recognize the intentionality of repetition and also to confuse the reader across space and time. It was a game changer to realize that I was supposed to be disoriented.
In terms of message, I think the book does an incredible job of demonstrating how the world can be beautiful and/or fucked up on a small scale and large scale and how history repeats itself no matter how bad the consequences are.

lonelyhuman's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

I went into this book expecting wholesome family moments because I did not read the synopsis before I bought the book. I could not have been more wrong.
Overall, it's a really great character-focused book. I went in expecting all vibes and no plot, so I worried the book would be really slow or drag. although a lot of time was spent on certain parts of the book, it was actually pretty fast-paced so that the author could get to all of the characters in the Buendia family. Generally, I need character-focused books to have likable characters, but even though the only character I liked was Ursula, I found myself enjoying the whole book, mostly because a lot of it felt like reading a telenovela with no continuous plot. Even though many of the relationships in this book were questionable from a moral standpoint, I read through them quickly because of the drama.
I would definitely recommend One Hundred Years of Solitude but don't go into it expecting cozy family stories.

mitchjjt's review

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informative mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

stoleyourfoodinthelibrary's review

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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