A review by lazur
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

It’s difficult to reconcile some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever had the fortune to read with the meandering plot and graphic depictions of incest. 

For me, the effort that this took to get through was rewarded by the stunning writing, but this could definitely not be the case for everyone. It is difficult to follow (especially with the repetitive names), and doesn’t follow a story in any traditional manner.
Often just as you are introduced to the inner workings of one character, Márquez sweeps them away into exile or death.


Once you accept the flow of the story, its beauty shines. The elegance and startling emotion of many passages is jaw dropping. This is clearly why this book is considered an essential. Even the graphic parts feel more honest and unflinching than crude.
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