One Hundred Years Of Solitude

odhran

I'm just coming to the end of this book and although I'm really enjoying it, I'm not at all certain that I know what's going on. I mean people living for hundreds of years, ascending to heaven, insomnia plagues, premonitions etc. Anyone care to share their opinion?

dezine

so long since iv read it cant even remember how it went, still class it as one of the best Iv ever read cos I remember how much I enjoyed it, time for another read I think, for the record 3 most books I enjoyed reading were Catch 22, World according to Garp and 100 years of Solitude......

simu

This might be of interest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism

However, interesting as the theory might be, the most important thing is that it's a rockingly good read!

toomevara

Ah yes, welcome to the wonderfuly weird and whacky world of 'magic realism'. While Marquez' work is unquestionably a masterpiece, he is almost singularly responsible for a whole slew of second rate imitators who use the time and reality bending parameters permitted in a good work of magic realism, not as an effective illustrative or metaphorical device, but alas, as a means to cover the fact that they are. in fact, lazy, inimaginative and frankly, quite bad, authors.

If you feel the need to delve any further into these reality bending works why not check out Rushdie's Satanic Verses, particularly the stunning first chapter and if you really want to push the boat out and venture into the realms of the utterly surreal, but frankly fabulously brilliant, check out The Master and Margarita by Mihhail Bulgakov

odhran

I finished the book this morning, it truly was a wonderful read. I'll be checking some of those recommendations out soon!

Misty Moon

Maybe I should give this one another go. Never was able to finish it despite a couple of attempts - found myself more bored most of the time than anything else.

Misty Moon

Maybe I should give this one another go. Never was able to finish it despite a couple of attempts - found myself more bored most of the time than anything else.

Anouilh

I read this astonishing book years ago. The sense of landscape was unforgettable and the characters reminded me of figures on an old tapestry. The plot, I have to admit, was demanding in the extreme.

toomevara

Anouilh wrote:

I read this astonishing book years ago. The sense of landscape was unforgettable and the characters reminded me of figures on an old tapestry. The plot, I have to admit, was demanding in the extreme.

Really intrigued by your tapestry analogy, could you expand on that a little...in what way do the characters seem similar?

muesli_offire

Here's another good analogy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langton's_ant

Anouilh

toomevara wrote:

Really intrigued by your tapestry analogy, could you expand on that a little...in what way do the characters seem similar?

I'm having to think back almost twenty years here, Toomevara. In fact, the whole experience was like studying a tapestry, using the metaphor of weaving a story with characters interlinked and worked into the narrative. My memory is that there was a lot of action which led nowhere, suggesting figures caught in a static web.

Now that I've started thinking about this, I'm off to get a copy of the book to reread it and will look at why I have such a vivid visual sense of a jungle landscape with little people trying to survive against all the odds.

This is an interesting link, and it seems that the metaphor of tapestry is often used when discussing work by Marquez:

http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060740450&tc=rg

Miguel_Sanchez

This was the first Magic Realism book I ever read. My Dad recommended it to me when I was going on holidays with my family as a teenager. It's absolutely outstanding. Definitely among my favourite ever reads. And one I have re-read several times.

The first time especially that I read it I found myself referring back to the Family Tree at the start constantly. But, while it does take concentration to remember which José Arcadio Buendía is being described at which time, it is definitely a most rewarding read.

odhran

Yeah, I would have been seriously lost initially without the family tree. It did get easier towards the end though. I finished this books a few weeks ago now and I still can't get it out of my head- it really was excellent!

toomevara

Anouilh wrote:

This is an interesting link, and it seems that the metaphor of tapestry is often used when discussing work by Marquez:

http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060740450&tc=rg

fascinating stuff, now rooting out my own copy, like you its been a while (ten years). should give me a whole new perspective....