Jessica reflects on reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez—exploring themes of culture, family, and magical realism while revisiting the novel through the lens of motherhood.
The summer is almost here and I’m sure we’re all brainstorming for ways to keep the kids entertained and the best ways to make it through it sane. That’s great, as it is important. Also, I’m here to remind you to think about you.
If you haven’t, let’s not get to a breaking point that forces us to do so. Allow me to give you a suggestion on one that you can make last all summer or get it done in a few days because it’s just that good:
“Cien Años de Soledad” by Gabriel García Márquez.“Gabo,” as he’s lovingly known.
Do I have your attention now?
If you’re not a reader or this is the first time you hear about it, keep reading for the perspective of a Mexican-American on this Colombian joya de la literatura that manages to keep us connected to our roots, family, and emotions with a salpicón de magia that summons the energy of our ancestors and makes us wonder about the lives lived throughout our heritage.
For those of you who already read it or even watched the Netflix series, I’m so excited for you, I’d love to hear your thoughts so reach out on IG and let’s dive into it, because I’m sure I’ll barely scratch the surface with the following.
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” came to my life when I had just moved from Mexico to Florida, as a teenager who left her known family to pursue an education en el gabacho with her less known family. I was already missing family and friends, and the culture that as a young kid you don’t realize is there until you’re out of it. I tried to find connection to the only life I knew back then and en español, which was the only language I fully understood.
I heard of the novel before but wasn’t old enough to read it, however, this was a perfect opportunity to dive into it and satiate my hunger for familiarity. There it was, Gabo and his magical, eccentric, and abstract tone giving life to a community based around la familia Buendía, and at the center (at least for a bit) la matriarca, Úrsula Iguarán. As I read through the pages, Úrsula represented the many women in my family who I always knew to be strong, dedicated to their families, sacando adelante la familia because that’s the only way they knew to go about life. Not my go-to character in the story at that time but one that felt like home because it made me wonder about the journey my grandma and great grandma went through to keep their family going.
It’s strange what your mind remembers and what it chooses to forget, or as I like to see it, to let go and make room for new and pertinent information. I read the book over 20 years ago now, but I relived it watching the Netflix series at the end of last year. And what a beautiful reencuentro with another time in my life, now with kids of my own and a busy life as a working mom.
It was hard to remember some details, but delicious to hear the dialogue from the actors while also “hearing them” in my head and voice as I read it for the very first time. “Aureliano Buendía nació mirando al mundo.” Not a literal phrase from the book, but one that triggered my mind about the first baby born in Macondo, un pueblo forjado por la familia Buendía y sus amigos. As magical as it can be, not only make-believe from your typical witches or wizards but the mystical realism of extraordinary events that open doors to the many possibilities of our memories and our supernatural powers that we all wished and even thought we had as kids. I wasn’t the only one right? García Márquez creates such a special place in Macondo, un rinconcito del mundo en que todo parece posible y común.
Reading the novel during my teenager years while starting high school where everything seems to be about appearances and looking your best according to others, I enjoyed the character of Remedios, la bella. Someone who seemed so magical and so effortless, the most beautiful woman in all Macondo, that had a magical end, which I won’t spoil but can share a dose of reality around it. Much like when I grew up and realized looks should be the least of our concerns (especially as a sign of acceptance from others), I later noted how García Márquez could have hidden a less ideal scenario for Remedios where she might have actually run away with one of her many admirers. Definitely less dreamy than the story in the book but still loved the depiction of her character. Her story made me reflect on how we choose to tell our story, y que los demas hablen. A similar feeling from when I watched a great novel turned movie Life of Pi.
When watching the Netflix adaptation, I loved to see the locations that I once pictured in my mind. Some are similar, some are different, but all with the same taste to it. They really did a great job bringing the book to life. I remember that while reading the book I felt el olor a tierra¸the breeze that ran through the different stages of la casa de los Buendía, the look and feel of the skin when you’re en el campo with the slightest layer of dust, sweat, and freedom. This project is rich in Colombian talent dedicated to fully building Macondo, developing the costumes designed based on the period and the legacy of indigenous communities led by Catherine Rodríguez, with Laura Mora as the director, accomplishing the magical realism in which the book is written. En resumen, se disfrutó cien por ciento y se recomienda.
I hope I have at least sparked your interest in picking up this book from Gabriel García Márquez or binge watch the series this summer. I’m definitely thinking of re-reading the book because let’s be honest, our imaginations can surprise us with zero limits.
Looking for more gems like this one from Gabriel García Márquez? You can find our other recommendations here and some movie recommendations here.
