“There is always something left to love.”
This was a weird, memorable and exhausting read for me.
"One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the Buendia family, and chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love."
I really thought I was going to love this book, but I didn't. It's aways on those "Top Books to Read Before You Die" kind of lists so naturally my expectations were high- which may have contributed to my disappointment a bit. I think people will either love or hate this book but I totally get the appeal and why it's so many people's favourite. I was enthralled with it for the first two hundred pages. I found the writing to be loose and lyrical and at first very gripping. I couldn't stop reading about all the weirdness that was happening, even at times when I had no idea what was going on I just kept turning the page to find out. But after 200 pages of said weirdness it just became an exhausting and boring read for me. My interest suddenly stopped and I almost DNF'd (did not finish) this book. Maybe it could have been shorter? Or perhaps that would take away from the "epicness" of the family's history? Maybe there could have been more dialogue and better character development. I found that I could not connect to any of the characters in a meaningful way-which for a story like this I think is important. Regardless, my interest dwindled halfway through and it took me a while to push through after that.
Overall it wasn't a bad read-especially the first part- but it wasn't great for me either. It's a solid book but not one I would jump to recommend. If you are a fan of magical realism with a meandering plot, then I think you might enjoy this book.
This book is part of my Top 100 Books of All Time Challenge.
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