Compared to the other stuff I’ve been reading lately, “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez was much smaller. I have to say however, that I wasn’t prepared for the depths of emotion it would stir in me. According to many reviews, this book works on multiple levels. The constant naming of newborn children using the same set of names like “Arcadio” and “Aureliano” implies that life goes around in a circle and at the same mistakes are made by each generation over and over again.
For me however, the take away from this awesome read was very different. The novel starts with the founding of a town called “Macondo” built largely by the energetic, enterprising and highly intelligent Jose Arcadio Buendia in a forgotten swampland. In the beginning, we think he’s something of a madman and a wastrel. It becomes increasingly clear however that Jose Arcadio Buendia is a rare genius. One who gives himself selflessly to the building of the village. His wife Ursula is a perfect match for him as she deftly manages a household brimming with people, relatives and does so with aplomb. Her integrity and strength of character is apparent throughout the novel.
But nothing can stop the ravages of time. Not even Ursula. Jose Arcadio Buendia goes insane and his like will never be seen in the village again. Several of his descendents seem to have something of his qualities, but none of them quite match up. Ursula herself fights a heroic battle against age and the changing times. In fact, the history of the Buendia family is the history of the town itself. We see the brutal effects of war, and how in spite of ideological differences both sides of the conflict come to look increasingly the same. We observe the devastating effects of “corporatization” of the village and how it strips the town of its humanity.
With each successive generation, I keep hoping that the glory days of the village would somehow return. That the latest descendent, the latest mother, or the newest arrival would be a worthy successor to the indefatigable Jose Arcadio Buendia and his wife Ursula. But it never happens. Either due to a flaw in the character, or because of some personal tragedy, no one is able to be the pillar of strength and the rallying point for a revival of the doomed town of Macondo.
In the end, there is no one left. No one who has in their memory the bustling, productive and startlingly fresh atmosphere of either the town, or its most prominent family. No one remembers Ursula or indeed Jose Arcadio Buendia himself. The grand house which Ursula herself built room by room with love and care decays, and no one is able to stop it – and no one cares too much either.
Can land possess memories? Does it maintain a record of happier times? We would certainly like to think so, but I suspect it doesn’t. The past is past, and there is no going back. Good times come to an end and no one remembers them. It’s heartbreaking to see the downfall of a town when no one remembers what it used to be like. So much tragedy, so much happiness, so many births, so many loves, so much… personality lost forever.
I realize that this tragedy plays itself out every single day, with every single family. We all remember “golden days” in the past and are filled with nostalgia. It is our cause and our cross to bear. Often however, the future becomes better. But this happy ending was denied to the town of Macondo and it was destroyed in the end by nature itself.
What about that land now? Does it still retain the echoes of laughter, and does it remember the energetic exertions of Jose Arcadio Buendia and the tireless efforts of Ursula, and their children, grandchildren, and great great-grandchildren? The answer unfortunately is “probably not”. For every one word of history written down, thousands upon thousands are lost forever. Everything decays, everything is forgotten. And one day when humanity itself comes to an end… who will remember us?
Gosh!
After all this blogging and replying to these comments, you still find time to read all these books and review them?
Hat’s off.
I have a shelf full of books, waiting to be read.
Some are half read and I don’t know when I will finish reading them.
Okay, after reading your review, I can at least keep in touch with the new books even if I am unable to read them.
Keep up the good work
Regards
GV
Ps:
Do you have a Kindle?
What is your experience , reading books on the Kindle?
Should I buy one?
I am hesitant.
I don’t want to have one more gadget lying around unused after the novelty wears off.
My son has one and has been recommending that I get one.
But he is a voracious reader and can do justice to it.
Not me. The Ipad keeps me busy. I don’t think I can handle one more gadget.
Do let me know what you feel
Regards
GV
In reply to G Vishwanath
If you’re a heavy reader, then there’s nothing like an ereader like the Kindle or a Nook – I use the latter with a touchscreen. An iPad is ok for casual reading, but because of the low battery life, the backlight strain, the form factor and the delicate hardware, it’s not really ideal for long time reading…
Hmmm…Frankly, I found the book torturous and overrated – magical realism truly doesn’t make sense to me…I guess I’m not intellectual enough :-)
I thought it was way too slow…Also, I found it hazy and confusing and had to often flip back a few pages to remind myself how a current character was related to a previous one…I guess that is magical realism…
In reply to Sraboney
Isn’t it amazing how two people can have completely different reactions to the same book? Usually, I’m the one who complains that a book is to torturous and lacking in plot. I hate overrated books like “Ulysses” and “The great Gatsby”. So hearing from someone else that a book I liked was boring is a new experience!
But I found the magical realism to be mostly insignificant. I liked the book without concern for its “magical” elements…
In reply to bhagwad
‘The Great Gatsby’ – don’t even talk about that book! I had it as a text when I was in school and I HATED it!
I think Hundred Years… brings out a definite reaction…Either people like it or don’t…I don’t think there’s anybody who will say it was so-so…
I can never write a review! But if I could this is exactly what I would have written. I would like to read it again… what stops me is the many other books as yet unread.
In reply to Shail
I can count the number of times I’ve read a book twice on one hand!
That’s a really beautiful interpretation of the book, and if I hadn’t read it, your review would definitely make me want to read it. Unfortunately I found myself wading in a sea full of “Arcadios” and “Aurelianos” and the back and forth flipping to figure out which Arcadio and which Aureliano kept jerking me out of the prose. I do intend to (eventually) give it another go. My thought is – if everyone’s been raving about it forever, surely there’s something I might have missed. Another book i felt the same about was “Unbearable lightness of being”. I will read it again to ‘get it’. Maybe this time it will be more than just “unbearable..”
ps: or maybe i’m not deep enough to get it! its a definite possibility.
In reply to KMKH
Don’t force yourself to read it just because everyone says it’s good. I’ve learnt from bitter experience that what pushes one person’s buttons can entirely turn another off. Each to his own and no judgement passed either.
As an example, I can’t abide by the book “Ulysses” by James Joyce or the movie “Citizen Kane”. Both are considered the best book and movie of all time!
A person I admire a lot read it and didn´t like it so I decided to not read it but I thought it had to have something special for a lot of people to read it so I had to read it to have my own impresion of it. I loved it so much that I read several of his books after it, read his biography by Gerald Martin and was amazed by his own life (root of inspiration for all of his books). I am glad you enjoyed it!
Luis Rico
I never read this book, but I’d like to. Very lovely review, by the way, it really makes me want to read it now. Postmodern magical realism is appealing to me. I have read some of “Love in the Time of Cholera.” Interesting so far. :)
In reply to RenKiss
I never looked at this book in terms of “magical realism”. Sure, there were a few things out of the ordinary, but I interpreted that as artistic license :)
Might read “love in the time of cholera” one day myself…
Well, I like your review but reading the book was exceedingly exhausting.
I was totally petered out and also exhilarated when the story finally ended…
I thought about the Harappa civilisation a lot while reading..
It was exasperating to make a family tapestry in my head with almost every male having same names..it was convoluted and bamboozling…I was mocking the ludicrousness of the plot throughout…
I’ve no plans of lifting another Garcia book again!!!
In reply to Bhavini
Yeah, that was definitely odd – having the same names over and over. I guess that’s also how their culture works…
In reply to Bhavini
Bhavini: May I ask you who is your favourite author/book?
In reply to Luis Rico
Sure…these days my favorite author is Amitav Ghosh and my current favorite book is ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ by Azar Nafisi