Jump to content

Have You Ever Read 100 Years of Solitude ? What do yo think of it ?


hanz

Recommended Posts

My class is reading it now too. I don't think it's that bad, but I just get so irritated with the names and keeping up with the characters. Grr. It's an annoying book. It's like a spanish soap opera, so ehh. Too bad I'm not that interested ;/.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I read this book for my Spanish A1 class, so I read the book in the actual language it was written, and I have to say that I loved the book. I haven't read the book in English, but I can definitely tell how the names can be annoying. I mean: Aureliano Buendía, José Arcadio, Úrsula Iguarán, etc...

Yeah, in Spanish its no problem to remember and pronounce them, and there is an actual literary purpose behind them which is easier to understand in Spanish. But in English, I can tell why it might be annoying.

Well, in my opinion the book is awesome, and I really didn't see any form of Spanish soap opera in it XD

By the way, if anyone needs help with the book, I'd be glad to try and help.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I read the book in Portuguese which is, of course, a lot more similar to the original than an English translation, linguistically and culturally.

I have to say that this is my favourite book. It surpassed in quality and greatness any othe book I have ever read, and the beauty of it makes me shiver.

But I understand this book isn't for everyone. Some people like Harry Potters and whatever keeps them turning pages without having to think about what happened so long ago in the story. But to all of you who might not be mature enough as a reader to take this one right now, I suggest you do so in the future. Just don't die without having read this.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No meaning? A lot of the events that occur in the book and a lot of the characters represent parts of the history of Latin America. The book not only follows its own cyclical time, but at the same time it represents the historic time of Latin America. Well, thats one of the "meanings" that can be found in the book, although I didn't really understand what you meant by "no meaning", sorry.

But, if you really don't like the book, I doubt there's anything I could say to change your mind.

Edited by Redstar
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Redstar: What is the purpose behind the names? I can see that characters are reborn in other characters with similar names, but is there anything else, more related to the Spanish language?

One of the best books I've read. I have also read Chronicle of a Death Foretold and a collection of short stories. Márquez is at his best in Hundred Years of Solitude. The author has a unique style there. The other books I've read are pretty good, but are only examples of traditional story-telling. That's no way near as impressing.

Edited by ibislife
Link to post
Share on other sites

Purpose behind the names:

(Warning: this post contains long explanations intended to help you in your notes. Don't read this if you are expecting any sort of discussion on whether I enjoyed the book or not)

(Warning again: there are some spoilers)

You could actually write a pretty long essay about all the names. Unfortunately, any notes or essays I wrote are in Spanish, so they probably wouldn't help you.

First of all, José Arcadio Buendía, the patriarch of the family, is the only one of all the male characters in the family who is referred to by his full name (first, middle and last name). This is intended to demonstrate how important and powerful he is: not only did he start the whole family, he also founded the town Macondo. Having to always refer to someone by their full name makes the person seem more powerful than if you simply referred to them by their nick name or first name.

The name Melquíades (the guy who appears shortly after the start of the novel, and is mentioned constantly throughout the novel), according to most critics is associated with the name Melquisedec (in English this would be Melchizedek). Melchizedek is described in the Hebrew Bible as being one "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God." Sort of like Melquíades, whose father and mother we don't know, we have no idea about his lineage, and the guy just never seems to die. And when he finally dies, he keeps on coming back as a ghost.

The name Amaranta is a reference to the "Amaranto", which in English is the Amaranth. It comes from the greek word "Amarantos", which means the "one that does not wither". The Amaranth was also frequently used in poetry as a symbol of everlasting beauty (one that does not decay). Amaranta, throughout her life, despite being a bitter woman, was constantly attracting men. Pietro Crespi wanted her when she was a teenager, and so did the Colonel Gerineldo Marquez once she was an adult. Aureliano José almost had an incestuous relationship with her and José Arcadio (the one from the fifth generation) couldn't stop thinking of her even after she's dead. All through her life, men are attracted to her. You could say that that's a type of everlasting beauty.

I can't seem to find my notes and I can't remember the explanation behind the name Arcadio, and Úrsula Iguarán's last name. I think in Úrsula's case it's the fact that her last name sounds like Iguana (written the same both in English and Spanish) which refers to her initial fear that her children with José Arcadio Buendía (her cousin, so she sees it as a slightly incestuous relationship) may be born with animal features, such as being iguanas. However, I think this iguana thing is only mentioned once and throughout the rest of the book the fear of having a child with a pig's tail is mentioned more. But I'm not entirely sure about this.

Edited by Redstar
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...