Gabriel García Márquez

The brilliant, bestselling, landmark novel that tells the story of the Buendia family, and chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love—in rich, imaginative prose that has come to define an entire genre known as "magical realism."

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Tells the story of the Buendia family, set against the background of the evolution and eventual decadence of a small South American town

Aisha Mugo

… that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and for ever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth. 

Luca Stromann

He became lost in misty byways, in times reserved for oblivion. in labyrinths of disappointment.

He thought confusedly, finally captive in a trap of nostalgia, that perhaps if he had married her, he would have been a man without war and without glory, a nameless artisan, a happy animal.

"We have still not had a death," he said. "A person does not belong to a place until there is someone dead under the ground.'"

Úrsula replied with a soft firmness: "If I have to die for the rest of you to stay here, I will die."

Lukas

 but what pained her most and enraged her most and made her most bitter was the fragrant and wormy guava grove of love that was dragging her toward death.  

“What did you expect?” he murmured. “Time passes.”

 “That’s how it goes,” Úrsula said, “but not so much.”

in that flash of lucidity he became aware that he was unable to bear in his soul the crushing weight of so much past. 

He could not understand why he had needed so many words to explain what he felt in war because one was enough: fear. 

At the end, Colonel Gerineldo Márquez looked at the desolate streets, the crystal water on the almond trees, and he found himself lost in solitude. 

Cent'anni Di Solitudine

martina

In realtà non gli importava della morte ma della vita, per questo la sensazione che provò quando pronunciarono la sentenza non fu una sensazione di paura ma di nostalgia.

Era solo un modo per sfogarsi, perché in realtà li avrebbe uniti fino alla morte un vincolo più solido dell’amore: un comune rimorso di coscienza.

eileen lee

"It's the largest diamond in the world." "No," the gypsy countered. "It's ice."

"We have still not had a death," he said. “A person does not belong to a place until there is someone dead under the ground."

They grew to be so happy that even when they were two worn-out people they kept on blooming like little children and playing together like dogs.

bella <3

she let him finish, scratching his head with the tips of her fingers, and without his having revealed that he was weeping from love, she recognized immediately the oldest sobs in the history of man. 

perhaps, not only to attain her but also to conjure away her dangers, all that was needed was a feeling as primitive and as simple as that of love, but that was the only thing that did not occur to anyone. 

Aureliano José had been destined to find with her the happiness that Amaranta had denied him, to have seven children, and to die in her arms of old age, but the bullet that entered his back and shattered his chest had been directed by a wrong interpretation of the cards. 

he had not stopped desiring her for a single instant. he found her in the dark bedrooms of captured towns, especially in the most abject ones, and he would make her materialize in the smell of dried blood on the bandages of the wounded, in the instantaneous terror of the danger of death, at all times and in all places. 

the handfuls of earth made the only man who deserved that show of degradation less remote and more certain, as if the ground that he walked on were transmitting to her the weight and the temperature of his blood in a mineral savor that left a harsh aftertaste in her mouth and a sediment of peace in her heart. 

after many years of death the yearning for the living was so intense, the need for company so pressing, so terrifying the nearness of that other death which exists within death, that Prudencio Aguilar had ended up loving his worst enemy. 

One of the 20th century's enduring works, One Hundred Years of Solitude is a widely beloved and acclaimed novel known throughout the world, and the ultimate achievement in a Nobel Prize–winning career. The novel tells the story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. It is a rich and brilliant chronicle of life and death, and the tragicomedy of humankind. In the noble, ridiculous, beautiful, and tawdry story of the Buendía family, one sees all of humanity, just as in the history, myths, growth, and decay of Macondo, one sees all of Latin America. Love and lust, war and revolution, riches and poverty, youth and senility -- the variety of life, the endlessness of death, the search for peace and truth -- these universal themes dominate the novel. Whether he is describing an affair of passion or the voracity of capitalism and the corruption of government, Gabriel García Márquez always writes with the simplicity, ease, and purity that are the mark of a master. Alternately reverential and comical, One Hundred Years of Solitude weaves the political, personal, and spiritual to bring a new consciousness to storytelling. Translated into dozens of languages, this stunning work is no less than an accounting of the history of the human race.

Nica Rhiana

The secret of good old age is simply an honorable pact with solitude.

One hundred years of solitude

Angela Miramontes

He did not feel fear or nostalgia, but an intestinal rage at the idea that this artificial death would not let him see the end of so many things that he had left unfinished.

Only he knew at that time that his confused heart was condemned to uncertainty forever. At first, intoxicated by the glory of his return, by his remarkable victories, he had peeped into the abyss of greatness.

Tell him that a person doesn't die when he should but when he can. 

ggm you sicko. witty and melodic prose you cannot stop reading. tale(s) of generational trauma, the oedipean oracle and various attempts to subvert it, nietzsche's eternal return, freud's compulsion to repeat, and closed loops

Ghee

This book was such a journey. The first 40% flew by but then I got caught in this slump in the middle and nearly DNF'd it. The final 30% picked up again and I do understand why so many people talk about the last chapter giving the book more meaning. Was it an interesting read? Yes. Do I think it deserves the hype and "intellectual" recommendations it receives? No. If that makes me not cool or smart enough then I don't care. I was not confused at any point, I just don't think there is anything groundbreaking enough to warrant the title. Glad I pushed through but won't be reading again or recommending

Soph

100 Years of Solitude

This was a reread from many years ago. I found it difficult to sink into, and really had to force myself to midway. My pace picked up in the 2nd half. This Nobel was, of course, groundbreaking, and I was conscious of how its aspects of “magical realism” can no longer be read with the sort of wonder generated at the time of publication —for the very reason that this work inspired generations of writers to incorporate and develop this kind of imaginative leaps and suspension of disbelief. What was then so bold is now much more common place. However, Marquez’s deftness with language (albeit I read in translation) and poetic vision reach a kind of sustained hypnosis rarely achieved. 

On a personal level, I craved more interiority from the mostly opaque characters, especially Ursula. I felt limited to surface observations and at more of a distance than while reading novels I find more compelling.  

I also found a lot of glorification of toxic masculinity, notwithstanding the tragedy shown to follow in its wake. Still, there seemed a nobility and honesty conferred on acts/lives of selfishness and violence. Women were mostly relegated as care takers and agents of damage control, while the males had the agency, for better or, usually, for worse. In this same vein, there was much violence against & negligence of animals, passed over in such a way as to infer they do not even merit consideration. I credit this to gaps of both culture & time, but also an inescapable extension of that same toxic masculinity, despite women exhibiting an equally inhumane behavior & attitude—the women limited, of course, as the vehicles of the male author.

I’m glad I did the reread, s my memories of the experience were only vague shadows, mostly of the house & violent men. I’m left with the fuller narrative, and also a sense of the power and magic of the images, as well as a feeling of trepidation so ponder the strange and tragic circular futility of characters & generations portrayed in the epic. 

While reading, I learned about the new Netflix adaptation, and have since watched a preview. I will likely watch, and expect it may be a rare instance of the screen outperforming the novel, not in its own time, but now in our world that has become very familiar with devices of magical realism, and because portraying the characters so stoically means there’s little complexity that might not be rendered visually. I’m interested to see how it’s handled. 

Note: obviously, the novel is considered a masterpiece, and I fully concede it merits such consideration, based on what was at the time such a unique and bold approach, and also for the complexity and cohesion of the novel as a whole. I give 4 stars, not 5, based on my personal standard/preference of “readability,” and due to them lack of depth in female characters and casual violence to animals.

Susan Steinkamp

This was a reread from many years ago. I found it difficult to sink into, and really had to force myself to midway. My pace picked up in the 2nd half. This Nobel was, of course, groundbreaking, and I was conscious of how its aspects of “magical realism” can no longer be read with the sort of wonder generated at the time of publication —for the very reason that this work inspired generations of writers to incorporate and develop this kind of imaginative leaps and suspension of disbelief. What was then so bold is now much more common place. However, Marquez’s deftness with language (albeit I read in translation) and poetic vision reach a kind of sustained hypnosis rarely achieved. 

On a personal level, I craved more interiority from the mostly opaque characters, especially Ursula. I felt limited to surface observations and at more of a distance than while reading novels I find more compelling.  

I also found a lot of glorification of toxic masculinity, notwithstanding the tragedy shown to follow in its wake. Still, there seemed a nobility and honesty conferred on acts/lives of selfishness and violence. Women were mostly relegated as care takers and agents of damage control, while the males had the agency, for better or, usually, for worse. In this same vein, there was much violence against & negligence of animals, passed over in such a way as to infer they do not even merit consideration. I credit this to gaps of both culture & time, but also an inescapable extension of that same toxic masculinity, despite women exhibiting an equally inhumane behavior & attitude—the women limited, of course, as the vehicles of the male author.

I’m glad I did the reread, s my memories of the experience were only vague shadows, mostly of the house & violent men. I’m left with the fuller narrative, and also a sense of the power and magic of the images, as well as a feeling of trepidation so ponder the strange and tragic circular futility of characters & generations portrayed in the epic. 

While reading, I learned about the new Netflix adaptation, and have since watched a preview. I will likely watch, and expect it may be a rare instance of the screen outperforming the novel, not in its own time, but now in our world that has become very familiar with devices of magical realism, and because portraying the characters so stoically means there’s little complexity that might not be rendered visually. I’m interested to see how it’s handled. 

Note: obviously, the novel is considered a masterpiece, and I fully concede it merits such consideration, based on what was at the time such a unique and bold approach, and also for the complexity and cohesion of the novel as a whole. I give 4 stars, not 5, based on my personal standard/preference of “readability,” and due to them lack of depth in female characters and casual violence to animals.

Unique. Lurid. Hallucinogenic. Glad the trip is finally over. I don't expect any flashbacks.

Dave Goldsmith

Love every minute. Beautiful prose and wild imagination 

Patton Christofides

For any fiction lover, this is a must read. A literature classic that is a fantastical journey into the lives of the Buendía family. A must read!

Maureen

"The need to feel sad was becoming a vice as the years eroded her. She became human in her solitude."

"He really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude."

***

Finally got around to reading this great classic! Partial credit goes to my PI 100 prof who lowkey raved about the book. At first, it was a tough read. Marquez's worldbuilding infused with imagery and magical realism was definitely unlike anything I've read before (not that I have much experience). Also, that darn Buendía family tree with all the same names! But it got easier to distinguish them eventually...

I wouldn't call this a favorite of mine because I'm not sure if I've grasped the novel well enough in its entirety—but my takeaway is how every Buendía member is extremely lonely. Case in point: it's impossible to count the number of times "solitude" is inscribed in the text. Nevertheless, it doesn't come off as redundant because the way Marquez describes each member's experience with solitude feels so intimate and unique. 

The book is a thorough examination on the rise and fall of the Buendía family; I just know I'll be thinking about the ending for a long time. What an epic way to wrap up this cult masterpiece.

so magical, deeply tragic, and a lot funnier than i was expecting. i will never experience a book like this again 

marlisa

Fantastic realism has opened my brain to new dimensions. I grieve the fact that I won’t be able to read this book for the first time ever again. 

Ines Camacho Rodrigues Dias Ferreira

“He really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude.”

there is no proper way to describe this book or summarise it in a way that doesn’t make it seem so absurdly complicated that it might appear almost impossible to read, but it is a fever dream of over 400 pages, focusing on the doomed bloodline of the Buendías over 7 generations. in all this, Márquez doesn’t just chronicle the story of a family, but also of the lasting, infernal effects of colonialism. despite being inevitable and foreseeable, the ending lands with such ferocity it left me speechless; it was so well-delivered. i genuinely thought this would be harder to get through, overcomplicated by the cyclical nature of each generation (the family tree at the beginning was really helpful, and at some points, as i came to discover who was who, also very shocking), cursed to bear the same names as their predecessors and to follow down the same destructive, depraved, and solitary paths, but it was not. it was actually quite accessible, although in some parts not easy to stomach (it is a story filled with incest, violence, and pedophilia). that being said, the magical realism aspects were weaved in so masterfully, they almost felt so natural, that it's making me reconsider my previous adversity for the genre (the yellow flowers raining from the sky following José Arcadio's death remains my favourite part). 

by the time that the original cast of characters dies off, i have to admit i doubted for a moment that Márquez could continue to keep me interested in the story, and was i wrong! as soon as we reach the deluge, the entire story feels even more intensified, more insane. and it all culminates with the ending, the only possible ending for an endless cycle of a family cursed from the very beginning by violence, depravity, and an endemic, unbearable solitude, that no one but the Buendías could ever truly properly understand. there is probably a lot that went over my head in this first read, and i will have to come back to it again sometime, after i’ve properly digested it. 

it was a solid 4 stars for me, but i think the ending catapulted it up to 5 stars. what a journey!

Maria

“He really had been through death, but he had returned because he could not bear the solitude.”

there is no proper way to describe this book or summarise it in a way that doesn’t make it seem so absurdly complicated that it might appear almost impossible to read, but it is a fever dream of over 400 pages, focusing on the doomed bloodline of the Buendías over 7 generations. in all this, Márquez doesn’t just chronicle the story of a family, but also of the lasting, infernal effects of colonialism. despite being inevitable and foreseeable, the ending lands with such ferocity it left me speechless; it was so well-delivered. i genuinely thought this would be harder to get through, overcomplicated by the cyclical nature of each generation (the family tree at the beginning was really helpful, and at some points, as i came to discover who was who, also very shocking), cursed to bear the same names as their predecessors and to follow down the same destructive, depraved, and solitary paths, but it was not. it was actually quite accessible, although in some parts not easy to stomach (it is a story filled with incest, violence, and pedophilia). that being said, the magical realism aspects were weaved in so masterfully, they almost felt so natural, that it's making me reconsider my previous adversity for the genre (the yellow flowers raining from the sky following José Arcadio's death remains my favourite part). 

by the time that the original cast of characters dies off, i have to admit i doubted for a moment that Márquez could continue to keep me interested in the story, and was i wrong! as soon as we reach the deluge, the entire story feels even more intensified, more insane. and it all culminates with the ending, the only possible ending for an endless cycle of a family cursed from the very beginning by violence, depravity, and an endemic, unbearable solitude, that no one but the Buendías could ever truly properly understand. there is probably a lot that went over my head in this first read, and i will have to come back to it again sometime, after i’ve properly digested it. 

it was a solid 4 stars for me, but i think the ending catapulted it up to 5 stars. what a journey!

Cien Años de Soledad

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

"100 años de soledad" es una obra maestra de la literatura escrita por el aclamado autor colombiano Gabriel García Márquez. Publicada en 1967, esta novela épica es una amalgama de realismo mágico, historia, mito y folclore que cautiva al lector desde la primera página hasta la última.

La historia se desarrolla en el ficticio pueblo de Macondo, fundado por la familia Buendía, cuya línea genealógica es el hilo conductor de la narrativa. A lo largo de varias generaciones, la novela sigue las vidas y desventuras de los miembros de la familia Buendía, desde la fundación de Macondo hasta su eventual declive y desaparición. A medida que la historia avanza, García Márquez teje una trama densa y multigeneracional, llena de eventos extraordinarios, personajes inolvidables y un profundo sentido de la soledad y el aislamiento humano.

El realismo mágico impregna cada página de la novela, llevando al lector a un mundo donde lo fantástico y lo mundano coexisten en perfecta armonía. Los eventos surrealistas, como lluvias de flores amarillas, personas que ascienden al cielo en sábanas, y una mujer que asciende al cielo con sábanas, se entrelazan con la historia política y social de América Latina, creando una narrativa que es a la vez íntima y universal.

Los personajes de "100 años de soledad" son vibrantes y complejos, cada uno con sus propias luchas y aspiraciones. Desde el patriarca visionario, José Arcadio Buendía, hasta la matriarca obstinada, Úrsula Iguarán, pasando por el solitario y melancólico Aureliano Buendía, los personajes cobran vida en las páginas de la novela, dejando una impresión duradera en el lector.

Además de su riqueza narrativa, "100 años de soledad" aborda temas universales como el amor, la muerte, el destino y la memoria. A través de la historia de la familia Buendía, García Márquez reflexiona sobre la naturaleza cíclica de la vida y la inevitabilidad del paso del tiempo, lo que confiere a la novela una profundidad emocional y filosófica que resuena en el lector mucho después de haber terminado de leerla.

En resumen, "100 años de soledad" es una obra monumental que ha dejado una marca indeleble en la literatura mundial. Con su prosa exquisita, su imaginación desbordante y su profundo conocimiento del alma humana, Gabriel García Márquez nos ofrece un viaje inolvidable a través de la historia y la cultura de América Latina, dejando una impresión duradera en todos aquellos que tienen la suerte de adentrarse en sus páginas.

Vicky  Nuñez 

This book marked my reaching of my teenage years.
It is the prime example of magical realism blending fantasy to the realistic feel of the book. 
A challenging read and a must read to all book lovers.

Nabila Azahra

My first ever Gabo's book and I devoured it in a heartbeat. The writing flows so beautifully and got me craving for something more despite me not fully loving the book. Yes, unfortunately I didn't completely fall in love with the book. For me, while we have a lot of characters that are undoubtedly interesting to read, the switch between event (or tragedy) happened too quickly that I found it a bit too chaotic.

this might be the most fascinating book that i've ever read in my entire life (as of now)... i just got so invested in the buendia family i am starting to think that they are real people because of how they were written as actual living humans who do human things and human mistakes. so much drama and horrible decisions i love it!

ayoni

0xADADA

Simply put, the best work of literature I've ever read, a distillation of pure human experience into the written word.

Actually, this wasn't the magical realism I expected. I finished the book despite the disturbing stories of the male characters, but I found the stories of the women characters engaging.

Ceej Manaloto

Wow. What a (multi-generational) ride, GGM.

readingsnmusings 

** spoiler alert **
           Simply transformative. 

"The rain would not have bothered Fernanda, after all, her whole life had been spent as if it were raining."

"Before reaching the final line, however, he had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth."

"The first of the line is tied to a tree and the last is being eaten by the ants."

Cody Degen

I think I appreciate this book more than I liked it? Probably the most difficult book for me to get through in a long time. Could see it being much more enjoyable on second go through but who has time for that

remiel

Even a year after reading it, I find it still feels too audacious to attempt any commentary on the book. The intricately woven world and the delicately crafted family tree of the Buendía family, resembling a spider's web, never cease to amaze me. I made a conscious decision to read it slowly, and it turned out to be the best choice. I firmly believe that it's impossible not to love this book. The characters, the story — everything is so charming and engaging that finishing it feels like a vital part of me has been torn away.
It remains my all-time favorite, an essential classic of 'magical realism.' The characters' quirks and the philosophy woven into the story are truly enchanting. Even after a year, it still gives me goosebumps, occupying my thoughts every waking second. I am still profoundly affected by it, and I always will be. I can't express enough gratitude for having had the opportunity to read and enjoy it.
The only downside is the pain of finishing it, of knowing there won't be another book quite like it. But hey, it's still awesome!

Blew my mind! I could not put this book down, which is why I'm really surprised that it's known as a book that's hard to follow. I fell in love with the nonlinear storytelling, it brought so much depth to the main theme of the book. Instead of just telling you about the trappings of the past, the book makes you feel like time really does move in a circle. It taught me so much about valuing the past, but not letting yourself be consumed by it. The political commentary held nothing back and unflinchingly showed the tragedy of neocolonialism. I hope to read it again someday, and understand it even more.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez you got me fucked UP 

Francesca

jess larry

après avoir vu la hype autour de ce livre et étant une amoureuse du réalisme magique j'avais vraiment hâte de commencer ma lecture.

ce fut une aventure beaucoup trop confuse, que je me dois donc d'arrêter.
 
life's too short to force myself to finish books i'm clearly not enjoying reading.

a big let down.

Stan D

This took more out of me than any history book ever has. This required a lot of work. All was worth it.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Reviews

Highlights