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| One Hundred Years of Solitude “It's enough for me to be sure that you and I exist at this moment.” |
I was 17 years old when I first read this book. It was the first Marquez book that I ever read. I remember browsing through the shelves of the college library, desperately seeking a novel I could lose my self in. Those days were slightly depressing. I had no idea about what I wanted to do with my life, and the future was uncertain. I had only a single friend in the college (Hector, a seriously funny Mexican guy. He though he was a real Casanova and would frequently grab random hot girls that passed him in college and start doing some salsa) and didn't really go out of my way to speak to anyone else. I liked being alone and enjoyed the fact that I spent my 3 hour breaks either reading or walking through Kingston. Hector, didn't have lessons on the days that I had my 3 hour break (sometimes it was four hours) and it took me about an hour (or more to get home) so going home wasn't really an option either. Sometimes I'd spend my time in the deserted library and at other times I'd go to the local Borders book shop. That was probably one of my most favorite things to do. The Borders was huge and what I loved most about it was that some of the book shelves were in an alcove-like area, framing a set of super comfortable armchairs, that you could sink into if you cared to sit down. They also had a coffee shop, so you could get your favorite beverage and curl up with a really good book. That's the sort of generosity I love. Those people really knew how to do it. They knew that some people just wanted to read a book that they either didn't want to/ couldn't afford to buy. Also some people needed a place to escape to. I spent most of the free time I had during that year in college, in the Borders. I read countless books, from random manga (they had HUGE collection) to best sellers and just about any book that sparked my interest when browsing the shelves.
Anyhow, on one particular day, it was absolutely pouring outside and I didn't want to brave the weather, especially as I didn't have an umbrella with me, and the walk from the college to the town center wasn't a short one. So I decided to stay in the college library. I sat on a stool in the fiction section of the library, looking for something good, when I came across '100 years of solitude'. I'd never heard of Marquez, but his name along with the blurb reeled me in.
The story basically follows the lives of several generations of the Buendia family, who live in a fictional town called Macando. The town was founded by Jose Arcadio Buendia, who uses his genius and tenacity to build the town and together with his wife Ursula they raise their family in Macando. One day a group of travelling gypsies passes through the town and with them they bring countless wonders; magnifying glasses, maps and compasses etc Things that the towns people have never seen or heard of. Jose Buendia becomes fascinated with the novel things he is introduced to and develops a desire to seek scientific knowledge, something that consumes him. In the meantime his practical and capable wife manages the household and their growing brood. As the town grows, so does the Buendia family and we watch as generation after generation live through different experiences such as birth, love, war, incest and spiritual experiences. Many things happen, I can't recall them all. But I do recall that at one point the entire town falls victim to a sinister disease that causes insomnia and subsequent loss of memories. Then there's the political stuff, the town loses some heart as it grows more bureaucratic and increasingly forgets the lawless yet harmonic living of the earlier days. There isn't really a solid story line as in no real plot. However, overall, what we see is the rise and fall of the Buendia family as well as the town of Macando and ultimately we watch them spiral towards self destruction. I don't remember as many details of this story, as I would like to, but one characters that really made an impression on me (aside from Jose Buendia) was Remedios. Remedios, is an incredibly beautiful young woman, a great-great-great (?) granddaughter of Ursula and Jose. She is oblivious to the extent of her beauty, one that drives men wildly insane, and lives her life like a hermit, dressing in potato sacks and shaving her head. I think a young admirer even falls to his death, after slipping off a roof whilst peeking on her bathing. One day she is out in the garden and slowly and gently floats away into the sky. It's as if she was so pure and so innocent, that she was in fact other worldly. A being that transcended the mundane laws of this world.
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| How handsome was he? Taken from NY Times |
When I first read this, I was unaware of Marquez's popularity, so feel like I loved his work for what it was, rather than liking it for the popularity or something like that. I went on to read 'Love in time of Cholera', 'Leaf storm', 'Autumn of the patriarch', 'Of love and demons', and 'Chronicle of a death foretold' and devoured them all. The magic realism, the unrestrained explorations of the dark side of human nature and the overall dream-like qualities of his novels had me enthralled and still do. I thought I had made an amazing discovery and desperately (although initially reluctantly, as I felt like I had a claim on Marquez and didn't want to share him with anyone, lest it spoil the magic) urged my friends to share in the experience. However, I have yet to find someone who loves his works just as I do. I know there are probably lots of people out there who do, I mean someone who I know for real. One friend tried her best to read 'Love in the time of cholera', but explained on the phone to me: "Man, I tried so hard not to laugh at some points.. it's a bit dry and can't really force myself to read the rest." Something like that. She did me wrong man. Anyways I forced her to return what was obviously not appreciated. Another friend said she'd skip the book and try to watch the movie, but she didn't like the accents....fruggidin fruschtigats the movie? Hmm....
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| The man |
I felt I totally understood the themes and the depth of Marquez's novels when I read them, but I'm sure I was too young and no doubt reading them now my understanding and views will change (I'm sure in years to come they will change again, as I grow older). But I'm glad I read them when I did. An impressionable time in my life, when my personality was yet to set. My mind was still open, untainted and fluid. I was open to the worlds that Marquez created and nothing was impossible or unrealistic. Love, sickness, death, physical pleasures, murder, incest and much more, I took it all in my stride. I was still in the process of trying to understand myself (still am) and like to think that Marquez's novels had a small part in shaping my character. I was in love with the hot, sweaty, dreamy and even sinister Latin America that Marquez explored and much like Jorge Amado (that's another story) he made me want to transport myself in time to witness this stuff with my own eyes.. but of course much of it, though undoubtedly drawn from reality and experiences, was fantastical.
I recall reading somewhere that he penned his first work at the age of 17! Seventeen!!!! :O A real genius for sure. At one point a few years back I researched where he was living (I swear I'm not a hentai stalker) and started planning a trip to Columbia. I even checked flight prices etc and tried to figure out how to save for it and what excuse I'd use with my parents etc... I wanted really badly to meet Mr Marquez and just see what he was like in real life. I'm sure he has many more incredible stories within him that will never see paper. I want to hear what he has to say, what other stories he has and of course what inspires him. Man I would get him to write a personal message in all the books of his I own and of course I'd get a photo with him and we'd both be making the peace sign in it :D
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