Book Review: One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Review by: Anam Fatima, First Year
A fantastic epic tale of a civilization from its very birth to its annihilation. Marquez draws us into a web of of a complex narrative where myth and reality, truth and fantasy all get merged, an air of surreality and a degree of madness surrounds each character. Though the book is basically a family saga, yet its unlike anything i've ever read. It traces the history of a miniature civilization, a fictional village mocondo, through the lives of its founding family. The story with its multiple themes and poetry like prose is more like an emotional magic ride spanning through 100 years in a vibrant yet mythical columbian town. Situations in the novel can be hilariously comic at times and heart rendingly tragic at others. The richly detailed INTENSE narrative deals with the eccentric obsessions and peculiar natures of many generations of Beundia family. There are times of peaceful prosperity and then there are times of war, love is found and lost, dreams are shattered, concrete strong personalities found themselves torn and decayed by age, there are characters who burn in the flames of bitterness and envy all their lives. All this runs in a century long mythical drama.
The many generations of Buendia family are diverse in many ways yet they are all attracted towards the passions and mistakes of their ancestors. And this idea OF HISTORY MOVING IN CYCLES is from where the novel gets its name. SOLITUDE is a dominant theme in book. Right from the Buendia the 1st, every member of that household goes through periods of complete seclusion at the end of the book Marquez himself says "the Buendias are a race condemned to solitude, and therefore they will not get a second chance."
The book is no doubt heavily inspired from the violent columbian history. The sad undertone of the tale has a definite nostalgic yearn for primitive simpler patterns of life.
SOUNDS CLICHED BUT I'LL still call it a GREAT book: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Review by: Anam Fatima, First Year
A fantastic epic tale of a civilization from its very birth to its annihilation. Marquez draws us into a web of of a complex narrative where myth and reality, truth and fantasy all get merged, an air of surreality and a degree of madness surrounds each character. Though the book is basically a family saga, yet its unlike anything i've ever read. It traces the history of a miniature civilization, a fictional village mocondo, through the lives of its founding family. The story with its multiple themes and poetry like prose is more like an emotional magic ride spanning through 100 years in a vibrant yet mythical columbian town. Situations in the novel can be hilariously comic at times and heart rendingly tragic at others. The richly detailed INTENSE narrative deals with the eccentric obsessions and peculiar natures of many generations of Beundia family. There are times of peaceful prosperity and then there are times of war, love is found and lost, dreams are shattered, concrete strong personalities found themselves torn and decayed by age, there are characters who burn in the flames of bitterness and envy all their lives. All this runs in a century long mythical drama.
The many generations of Buendia family are diverse in many ways yet they are all attracted towards the passions and mistakes of their ancestors. And this idea OF HISTORY MOVING IN CYCLES is from where the novel gets its name. SOLITUDE is a dominant theme in book. Right from the Buendia the 1st, every member of that household goes through periods of complete seclusion at the end of the book Marquez himself says "the Buendias are a race condemned to solitude, and therefore they will not get a second chance."
The book is no doubt heavily inspired from the violent columbian history. The sad undertone of the tale has a definite nostalgic yearn for primitive simpler patterns of life.
SOUNDS CLICHED BUT I'LL still call it a GREAT book: 4.5 out of 5 stars
3 comments
YER TUM NOVEL KI ASSAL THEME TO PORE REVIEW SE HI KHA GAI HO!!.............U JUST CLOAKED THE WHOLE THEME AS FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANCESTORS AND doing THE SAME MISTAKES........NOT FAIR..NOT FAIR TO THE BOOK
ReplyDeleteseems like a nice book...i'd be sure to buy this one the next time i go to a bookshop...! =)
ReplyDeleteThis sure is a masterpiece. Nice review.
ReplyDelete