One Hundred Years of Solitude [Paperback]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2006

One of the most influential literary works of our time, One Hundred Years of Solitude is a dazzling and original achievement by the masterful Gabriel García Márquez, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race.” (William Kennedy, New York Times Book Review )

“More lucidity, wit, wisdom, and poetry than is expected from 100 years of novelists, let alone one man.” (Washington Post Book World )

About the Author

Gabriel GarcÍa MÁrquez was born in Colombia in 1927. His many books include The Autumn of the Patriarch; No One Writes to the Colonel; Love in the Time of Cholera; a memoir, Living to Tell the Tale; and, most recently, a novel, Memories of My Melancholy Whores. Gabriel GarcÍa MÁrquez was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics; 1ST edition (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006112009X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061120091
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Latin American

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative Mastery, September 5, 2006

By 

Jenna Moore (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Paperback)

I truly cannot remember the last time I have read something so imaginitive and insightful. While this book is sure to make you laugh, the wisdom imparted through hysterical and fantastic happenings is almost chilling at times. This book reminds me of Voltaire's "Candide," in that it takes a satirical tone towards the human race. A piece of advice: Definitely read this book at a time when you won't have to take too much time away from it. The character list is long, and it can be difficult to become reoriented. A perfect vacation read!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A House of Mirrors for Humanity, September 15, 2008

By 

Marc "Drunk On The Wind" (Out cycling- plz leave msg.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Paperback)

If you understand "house of mirrors" is the name of the town, and you understand that each generation repeats the errors and mistakes of the past, and Melquiades, and the inventions, and the click-clocking of the bones in the wall, and the magical realism, and the cyclical pattern of the stories, and the corkscrew tail of a pig on a wailing child being carried off into the jungle by ants, you will get this story. There is a reason this book won the Nobel Prize for Literature. This is a book for lovers of literature, for those who search the world for meaning. Amazing. Blinding in its beauty and brilliance. A sheer joy to read.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Story, But Not an Easy Page Turner, April 5, 2009

By 

PFS "PFS" (Burlington, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Paperback)

I thought this book was alright. It is a good story with excellent insights into human nature. There are many truths about people and society ingeniously woven into the text. However, it is not a leisurely read, which I admit, I read way too often. Therefore, I began reading this book with the wrong attitude, which has probably tainted my opinion. Nonetheless, enjoying this book is hard work. It is very long and, in my opinion, very wordy at times. It is not one of those books that caused me to hang onto every word and read for hours on end because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. There are also many characters who share similar names (many are named after each other) which gets confusing. Some of them are not mentioned for long stretches in the story, only to pop up again, making you ask, "And who was that again?" There is a family tree printed inside the cover which I had to refer to often. So, if you begin reading anticipating some mental stamina, you will probably enjoy it more than I.