100 Years of Solitude / Gabriel Garcia Marquez / 1967

100 Years of Solitude / Gabriel Garcia Marquez / 1967

This book has been on my reading list for a long time and I'm grateful Josh finally challenged me to read it, as he believed the short story collection I'm working on is in conversation with it. Sweeping and dizzying in scope, this is a multigenerational story that feels like two or so short story collections jammed into the shape of a novel. Following a linear plot was impossible in the audiobooj version, so instead, as I listened, I found myself immersed in a strange, sexual and violent world built around me. It was deeply enjoyable, though it featured a disturbing amount of taboo intra-familial relationships. This book captures a panorama of Latin American sensibility and psychology perhaps without the revolutionary politic and romanticism of Eduardo Galeano. The book felt cyclical and inevitable in some of its dramas. It sat back and enjoyed the ride despite not being able to keep straight the narrative pieces and familial relationships while on the audio book, which did limit my experience. I recommend a hard copy if you're considering reading it. I recommend it to all fiction lovers, those interested in Latin American lit, and a particularly juicy read. 4.5/5