BOOK REVIEW

Book Review: One Hundred years of Solitude

The book : One Hundred Years of Solitude was written by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia

Marquez in 1967. The book is a saga of war, conflicts, love, death, incestuous affairs and

mysteries.

The main theme of the book revolves around the Buendia family in the town of Macondo and

follows a tale of prosperity and adversities on the descendants of the family for many years.

A BIZARRE EXPOSURE

The book is actually not an easy read and to be really honest, at times you will feel monotonous and confused. Obviously because it was written many years ago and we as readers in this era are not accustomed to the writing style of the writer. But as you keep on delving into the book, you would actually be able to read behind the words and be able to encapsulate the deeper meaning of words.

I would say that it is a psychological narration of the lives of different characters.

As far as I could comprehend as a reader , one of the interesting facets of the book is that it has no protagonist! Each character in the book has been described very deeply to the core in the mysteries of their own solitude.

The book has dealt with instances of ‘Taboo love’ or ‘Incestuous sex’ which also bore it's own

consequences because of the omens of Ursula that “the child born will have the tale of a pig”.

THE OCEAN OF MAGICAL REALISM

As the title suggests, the keyword here is "solitude" because in this book there are stories of

different personalities and the writer has tried to capture the lives of all characters in a very

nuanced way.

You will experience another side of "Living life" and how different people find their own ways to search for the essence of their own lives. One of the things that will keep you moving into the book is the element of "magical realism" which has been portrayed by the writer in a lyrical way and I believe that, it is something which will not fail to surprise you.

The thrilling aspect of the book is surely the enigmatic manuscripts written by Melquiades, a

gypsy and many lineages of the Buendia family try to decipher it over the course of 100 years.

The most surprising elements are the ending lines of the book which won't fail to give you

goosebumps !!

(PS : I am trying hard not to give any spoilers)

The book has perfectly analyzed how people in their solitary ways of life tend to enjoy it and

finally await death. The author has dealt with "Death" in a very sadistic way. Even ‘death’ has not escaped the Surrealism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

I would say that the catch to read the book is that you have to connect the dots from beginning to the end, and delve into the lunatic yet mystical life in the town of Macondo.

Genre of the book : Fiction , Classical

My reviews : 4/5

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By : Anadhi Sharma

sharmaanadhi25@gmail.com