Reviews with content warning for Child death - Cem Anos de Solidão

I understand that this is a critically acclaimed classic, and I do agree that the writing style is unique. It’s more that I think it was a little too heavy on the metaphors and nonsense for me personally. I wouldn’t ward people off from reading a classic but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it

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gabrielwerthman's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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kjf524's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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glowworms's review against another edition

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challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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tashba's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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deadgirlreads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nothing could’ve prepared for this book.

without much knowledge about one hundred years of solitude nor the writer, i ventured into an unknown world of magical realism and latin american literature. i didn’t have high hopes for this book despite being a widely praised one. to be honest, i took me twice read of the first chapter to fully get myself interested and after the second read everything went smooth.

i don’t think i’ve read a book full of unlikable characters like this one. everyone’s own flaws clung onto them till the day they die and are even passed down to their successors named after them. the little choices they make in life become a huge part in their endless cycle of distress and sufferings yet it seemed that not a single one of them learned from that. caught up in their own dramas and dilemmas in life, they get stuck in isolation and solitude countless of times. it’s written in such a beautiful and tender manner that despite of the revolting and heinous actions of the characters, you’ll find yourself turning to the next page.

Content Warnings

bites_of_books's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I finally read Márquez' most recognized novel and now I understand why it is called one of the most influential books of Latin American literature and culture.

I love multigenerational stories and this one goes through multiple generations of the Buendía family as they live through the establishment of Macondo, war, colonization, technological advances, and more. This book is deeply rooted in Márquez' culture and the history of Colombia, which can also translate to several parts of Latin America.

The magical realism was incredible, certain sections had the subtlest uses of it while others were impactful and they almost provoked a visceral emotional reaction. My mom's family has a house in Mexico that was filled with people when I was little, but slowly, as my mom and uncles began to live their lives outside of that house and after my grandma passed away, the house started to become empty and less cared for. The Buendía house mirrors the what happens within the family and what's happening in the community, people leaving, marriages, war, etc. The house is either clean and with additions for all the people in the house, or almost empty and deteriorating due to disuse and abuse.

There are so many things to explore about this book, it's one that I might revisit later in life since I'm sure I'll find more things that will resonate. While I give this book 5 stars, there are plenty of things that were not enjoyable as well and they all would fall into multiple content warnings, among them: sexual violence, war, child neglect and abuse, incest, and more.

I'd recommend this to anyone who'd like to learn more about classic Latin American literature, magical realism, anyone who loves multigenerational stories with a variety of very interesting characters, and also if you love drama, this one is full of it.

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