one hundred years of solitude (part 1) - Márquez

Hello everyone! I hope that you all had a nice break and enjoyed this extra reading time for this class especially haha. So far, this book has been really fascinating for me. Even though I'm barely halfway through, I can understand why this book is so popular. Right off the bat, I've found that the style of writing is much easier than what we've been assigned previously for this class. But I can understand why it was recommended to read in larger chunks vs splitting it due to its complicated plotline and introduction to different characters (and their very similar names). 

I was in constant awe of the character's abilities to push through difficult times and yet follow their own paths… They are quite a resilient bunch! One of those tough times that I found crazy was the plague of insomnia that was sweeping through the village. To not be able to sleep and yet not die (but suffer from memory problems if I understood correctly?)...(but I looked it up and it's very rare). I found it ironic a bit that at the start they mentioned when things had not been named and had to be pointed at to be referred to, and now the same thing was happening later on under different circumstances. But more generally I found the theme of family and relationships to be quite prevalent in the first half. Whether that is one member having to follow the life of the gypsies, or the family accepting new members like Rebecca, the dynamics are always changing. However everyone seems to always be up to their own unique things, whether that be José Arcadio Buendía in his workshop for days on end, or Ursula taking a few weeks to discover a new connecting route. The theme of politics surrounding the town also became more prevalent later on. There were more people coming through the village which began to cause José Arcadio Buendía more problems to solve and have rules put into place. This will be interesting to see how this continues to play out.

While reading, I was often thinking how wonderful of a movie this would make then saw that Netflix is coming out with one late this year or next! The trailer looks good. My question to the class is how does the preview into the future right from the beginning impact your experience reading forward? For me, it adds an element of suspense that makes me look forward to what's to come. 

Comments

  1. Daniel OrizagaFebruary 27, 2023 at 9:53 PM

    In various ways, the preview of the future also serves to link the different plots of the characters, making us want to know what will happen to them but giving just the necessary elements to arouse curiosity. As you say, that is an example of García Márquez's narrative talent. On the other hand, I want to refer to the video of Dr. Beasley-Murray and the function of objects in this novel. Each character develops a particular relationship with them and their activities (something that the same narrator makes explicit). Do you think that will appear in the Netflix production? How complicated will it be to transfer Macondo to the screen?

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  2. MONFebruary 28, 2023 at 11:48 PM

    Hey! I really enjoyed your blog post! To answer your question, I would say that a the preview into the future right from the beginning can be a very good plot twist tool if used properly. But personally, for me what it does, is that it makes me engage more with the story, ebacuse now I feel that it is puzzle that I need to desipher (As I read the book) and I like that no matter what you know how it ends and you can concentrate on the little details of the junery and even imagoen what could have been done differently to arrive to a different outcome.

    -Montserrat Avendano

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