In the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez highlights the
complexities of human relationships, feelings, and fate. This story follows the Buendia family
through the generations covering both the founding and ruin of the town of Macondo,
juxtaposing the growth and decay of the town with the family. Macondo starts isolated from other
forces but slowly grows and becomes synonymous with fortune and power. Similarly, the
Buendias begin as a mildly wealthy family whose later generations create waves that affect all
around them. Sadly, a series of seemingly unstoppable disasters erode both titans till they are
nothing but legends.
This novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, is by far the most complex and confusing
read I have had the pleasure of exploring. Not only is the diction hard, the names confusing, and
the themes endless, but its length compounded with the need to connect the beginning with the
end to understand the themes, shrouds each reading session with a heavy layer of exhaustion
and tediousness. Even after what I would consider a thorough read--carefully annotating as I
went along--I lack any confidence in knowing what the author wanted to express. It is a special
book that deserves its reputation, having brought me much pleasure, but it isn’t something for
the faint of heart. I can only give this a three out of five, no matter how good, because I can not
recommend it to everyone