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saturn_rage's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Okay, so Remedios the Beauty is the only saving grace of this thing. That, and some really interesting ideas, love the concept of reading your past and present as your world ends around you. But, holy shit, we need to stop tolerating shit like this. This is a book about MEN written by a MAN. The women are not characters, they are only things to be fucked, assaulted, or confounded by. Furthermore, there are far too many age-inappropriate relationships here (any, really), and the “excuse” that “it was normal at the time” doesn’t fly. Again, there’s so neat ideas to be found here, but it’s always just bogged down by horrendous shit that the novel and its author seem gleeful to include. This should be better, but that would require a different approach to all of it.
Also, I only found out halfway through this reading that Netflix is adapting the book into a series, so that explains why it was in such high demand.
Also, I only found out halfway through this reading that Netflix is adapting the book into a series, so that explains why it was in such high demand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Rape
Moderate: Murder and War
maia313's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Really enjoyed this book, can see why it won the novel prize for literature. Took me a very long time to get through it and found it challenging at points, definitely helped to refer back to the family tree and found that as you go through the book, the names become easier. Have never read anything in this style before, found it a really interesting read, some beautiful lines.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Sexual harassment, and War
bklein827's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Pedophilia
1957s's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Dementia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic
acacia_kunkel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
agnes_bc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Violence, and Murder
shendrixson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I remain conflicted about Márquez as an author. On the one hand he is a skilled storyteller that builds comprehensive worlds and complex characters, as in this familial epic. I enjoy the magical realism elements, and find his writing captivating. On the other hand, the unconventional romantic relationships (and here, outright incest) are really challenging. As much as I might like a character it’s difficult to be on anyone’s side when they are going after their sistercousinauntmother…
All told this is an immersive, engaging story that spans generations of a family in a unique setting, with compelling narration. But parts of it give me the ick.
All told this is an immersive, engaging story that spans generations of a family in a unique setting, with compelling narration. But parts of it give me the ick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Incest
toadie's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow. Definitely a weird one. I get why many people don’t like it but I felt hooked until the very end. Instead of focusing on one character, it follows a family line from start to end from a third person perspective. The reader is an outsider looking in at the misfortunes of this family. I found each character interesting (but why did so many have the same name?) and their motives for their actions so bizarre. Big warning about soooo much pedophillia and incest, but that was intentionally part of the family’s curse.
I really liked the little world Garcia Marquez creates and I felt swept along with it. It immediately reminded me of some of Salman Rushdie’s works, specifically Victory City.
I really liked the little world Garcia Marquez creates and I felt swept along with it. It immediately reminded me of some of Salman Rushdie’s works, specifically Victory City.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, and War
abhi_vijay94's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content
sineadw9's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.5
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this and how quickly I worked through it. The town of Macondo, and the Buendias’, intertwine and come to life in a compelling, magical way - I feel close to them. I can picture myself in their home, in the town. In so many ways it’s a tragedy but it unfurls so naturally that it doesn’t feel that way. I couldn’t keep track of the Aurelianos by the end but it didn’t really matter. This sort of reads like a long-exposure photo. It’s so rich and dense that I’ll probably reread it at some point. I actually found the writing to be quite fast-paced.
Lives up to the hype? Read it if you’re up for an ever-unwinding family saga and some OG magical realism, don’t read it if you get frustrated keeping track of names or by problematic protagonists 😂 not for everyone
Lives up to the hype? Read it if you’re up for an ever-unwinding family saga and some OG magical realism, don’t read it if you get frustrated keeping track of names or by problematic protagonists 😂 not for everyone
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism