Scan barcode
A review by whippycleric
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This must be the lowest rating I've ever given a book I plan to re read. Like a lot of reviewers have said you need to concentrate when reading this book, if you're in the wrong mindset you're not going to have a good time. I expect for a chunk of it I was not concentrating enough, but even when putting in the effort I'm not sure this is really for me. I must be missing something given the praise this book has received.
The way the book flows is a bit jaded and leans towards the feel of a history textbook much more than a novel. Regularly it jumps months at a time in a few sentances with sometimes major plot points mentioned seemingly in passing during these jumps.
I can't say I found any of the characters particularly loveable except maybe the very first José Arcadio who was a bit of a loveable fool. The rest of his descendents seem to be mostly incestuous lunatics.
The idea that family members named Aureliano are cursed with certain traits and lives when compared to those named Jose Arcadio is a fun idea, until you realise this means in a novel with about 30 male characters, 22 are called Aureliano, and then 5 or 6 José Arcadio. Even trying to figure out who is who in context is a nightmare because of the incessant incest. I assumed at one point that it must be cousin Auréliano having sex with the girl, but no... It's her nephew... Not be confused with the other other Aureliano who gets of with his niece , which started as rape but became a consensual ongoing thing because she liked it a lot?
The mirroring of the house, family, and town across 200 years effectively is really nicely done. With the final incest of siblings resulting in the end of the family, and the final memories of the history of the town going with them being the end to the saga
I'm going to keep hold of my copy to plan to read again given how well regarded this book is, but given how much I have my on my to read pile arguably more deserving I suspect it will be a long time coming.
The way the book flows is a bit jaded and leans towards the feel of a history textbook much more than a novel. Regularly it jumps months at a time in a few sentances with sometimes major plot points mentioned seemingly in passing during these jumps.
I can't say I found any of the characters particularly loveable except maybe the very first José Arcadio who was a bit of a loveable fool. The rest of his descendents seem to be mostly incestuous lunatics.
The idea that family members named Aureliano are
The mirroring of the house, family, and town across 200 years effectively is really nicely done. With the
I'm going to keep hold of my copy to plan to read again given how well regarded this book is, but given how much I have my on my to read pile arguably more deserving I suspect it will be a long time coming.