Magnificent novel
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A magical book in all senses, this is one of the most enjoyable and memorable novels I have ever read. I rate it up there with Don Quijote and The Feast of the Goat in terms of novels originally written in Spanish. Entertaining, moving and brilliantly written.
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Best Book Ever Written
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I think no other book has had so much impact on me as this one.. Read it when I was 15 - loved it. Read it when I was 30 - was impressed even more.. Everyone has to read this book. Whether you like it or not - different matter. But once you've read it, you will never forget it. Masterpiece.
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*must* be read.
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With his usual magical realist style, marquez weaves a world of fantasy and despair, the contrast between humour and devastation. Described by some as a 'modern fairytale', OHYOS is far more complex and tragic than that. Although a common complaint is that the characters all bear similar names, this in fact adds to the main theme of the book - the cyclical nature of time and the inability to escape fate and foreshadowing. One first approach the book is extraordinarily complex, changing time period, location and emotion in often one or two paragraphs. OHYOS is really a book that needs to be read twice or even three times to absorb the desperate beauty of Marquez's world. however, you could read it 30 times and still never tire of his style, wit and graceful writing. This is not just a book I would recommend, it is a book that *must* be read!! I'd also like to recommend reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates--if you haven't yet!
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100 pages of charm, then aargh.
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The first 100 pages certainly have charm, and a great character in Jose Arcadio Buendia. Likewise, the last 100 pages have two likeable characters in Aureliano and Amaranta Ursula, and there is some respite in which to enjoy them. Most of the book, however, is a mess, and only its reputation kept me reading to the end. There are events with no cause, such as the madness of JA Buendia, which wastes the only really good character for no apparent reason. There are also events without effect, such as the waking plague, which serve to undermine the reader's confidence in the plot. Misery rains relentlessly upon the poor characters, even when the plot does not demand it, so it tends to look like gratuitous sadism on the part of the author, and turns sympathy to cynicism. The "magical realism" is so overdone that the novelty quickly wears off and the fantastical events begin to provoke an "oh, get on with it" reaction. One thing I found especially irritating, was the continual use of the word "solitude", which felt like being poked in the eye with the title. I find it surprising that a book by a Nobel Prize winner should be so poorly written. Give me Mario Vargas Llosa any day.
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Brilliant
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For those who cannot cope with complex narrative (see previous comments), obviously I would suggest sticking to something formulaic.
One Hundred Years of Solitude envelops you in the smells, sights, tragedy and perceptions of the Buendia family. On finishing this novel I was left with the heart-wrenching recognition of the futility of human endurance and the importance of partnership in suffering. Marquez' book is comic and crushing, it has instantly become one of my favourite reads.
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