García Márquez

Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo or Gabito throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, particularly in the Spanish language, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. He pursued a self-directed education that resulted in leaving law school for a career in journalism. From early on he showed no inhibitions in his criticism of Colombian and foreign politics. In 1958, he married Mercedes Barcha Pardo; they had two sons, Rodrigo and Gonzalo.

García Márquez started as a journalist and wrote many acclaimed non-fiction works and short stories, but is best known for his novels, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981), and Love in the Time of Cholera (1985). His works have achieved significant critical acclaim and widespread commercial success, most notably for popularizing a literary style known as magic realism, which uses magical elements and events in otherwise ordinary and realistic situations. Some of his works are set in the fictional village of Macondo (mainly inspired by his birthplace, Aracataca), and most of them explore the theme of solitude.
(Wikipedia)

García Márquez on Disaster and Excess

It is perhaps because ultimately Macondo is so full of the ghosts of the motley cast of characters that have wandered through the book’s pages, that García Márquez can only put an end to it all by shouting “enough!” and bringing on a cataclysmic hurricane that tears the whole place down.

See also the conversation video with Gerald Martin.

Audio | Transcript | Slides | Conversation

García Márquez on Chance and Order

The book militantly refuses regimentation, but is aware that “proliferation” can also be a “plague,” even as it flirts with excess at every turn.

See also the conversation video with Gerald Martin.

Audio | Transcript | Slides | Conversation

  • García Márquez, Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude. Trans. Gregory Rabassa. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.

On Gabriel García Márquez

A conversation about One Hundred Years of Solitude, with Gerald Martin (University of Pittsburgh)

Audio | Lecture I | Lecture II

García Márquez videos

Gabriel García Márquez in His Own Words on Writing “100 Years of Solitude”:

García Márquez: A Witch Writing – First 11 minutes:

“One hundred years of solitude” remembered:

Obituary: Gabriel Garcia Marquez – BBC News:

Ian McEwan tribute to Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Newsnight:

Inside Story – Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A literary giant:

Gabo The Creation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez Full Documenraty [in Spanish]:

Salman Rushdie Opening Keynote of the Gabriel García Márquez Symposium:

Virtual Book Club: One Hundred Years of Solitude:

100 Years of Solitude Part 1: Crash Course Literature 306:

100 Years of Solitude Part 2: Crash Course Literature 307:

Analysis of “One Hundred Years of Solitude”:

  • Bakhtin, Mikhail. Rabelais and His World. Trans. Hélène Iswolsky. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1984.
  • Barnes, Julian. Flaubert’s Parrot. London: Picador, 1985.
  • Borges, Jorge Luis. “The Aleph.” Collected Fictions. Trans. Andrew Hurley. London: Penguin, 1998. 274-286.
  • “Colombian Coffee First Non-EU Brand on Protected List”. New Europe. September 15, 2007.
  • de Bernières, Louis. The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts. London: Secker and Warburg, 1990.
  • Dobozy, Tamas. “In the Country of Contradiction the Hypocrite is King: Defining Dirty Realism in Charles Bukowski’s Factotum.” Modern Fiction Studies 47.1 (Spring 2001): 43-68.
  • González Echevarría, Roberto. Myth and Archive: A Theory of Latin American Narrative. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1998.
  • Kandell, Jonathan. “Gabriel García Márquez, Conjurer of Literary Magic, Dies at 87”. The New York Times. April 17, 2014.
  • Kroin, Amy. “The Winds of War”. Review of Louis de Bernières, Birds without Wings. The New York Times Book Review. October 31, 2004. <>
  • Martin, Gerald. Gabriel García Márquez: A Life. London: Penguin, 2008.
  • “Obituary: Gabriel García Márquez”. BBC News. April 17, 2014.
  • Santana-Acuña, Álvaro. Ascent to Glory: How One Hundred Years of Solitude Was Written and Became a Global Classic. New York: Columbia University Press, 2020.

Gabriel García Márquez may be Colombia’s most famous literary export—a global figure, his work translated into dozens of languages—but its biggest agricultural export is coffee, of which it is the third or fourth largest producer in the world (Brazil is the largest), with a focus on the arabica bean (of which it is the world’s number one producer), which generally goes into more expensive, gourmet coffee. In 2007, coffee labelled “Café de Colombia” was the first non-EU product to be granted “protected designation of origin” by the European Union as a food or beverage “whose identity is so tied up with the region where [it] are produced that only producers in that region are allowed to use the name” (“Colombian Coffee”). The “Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Coffee is grown at altitude (the plant needs a consistently mild or cool climate), and so in the Andean region rather than the lowland plains or swamps where Macondo is set. But coffee is drunk consistently throughout One Hundred Years of Solitude, most notably by Colonel Aureliano Buendía, who continues his habit even after his cup is poisoned with “a dose of strychnine [. . .] that was enough to kill a horse” (103). And though the novel will stress the ambivalent influence of the banana industry—which was indeed established on the tropical coast—in fact it was coffee, always present but taken for granted, that played the major role in the country’s economic modernization.

As everything in Macondo is falling apart in the novel’s final pages, Aureliano deliriously staggers around the town, at a complete loss. After months feverishly closeted in with his aunt, he is out in the open again, and realizes how much he misses his friends “and how much he would have given to be with them at that moment” (413). He seeks out Pilar Ternera, the most long-lived of them all (“years before [. . .] she had reached one hundred forty-five years of age” [395]), apparently unaware that she, too, has passed on. He stumbles into a bar, “the last open salon of the tumble-down red-light district,” where a bartender with a withered arm “invited Aureliano to have a bottle of cane liquor, and Aureliano then bought him one.” They drink, and end up “weeping together and Aureliano felt for a moment that the worst was over” (413). Little does he know that worse still awaits him at the house, where ants are devouring his child. It is fitting, then, that he is drinking aguardiente. Translated here as “cane liquor,” in fact aguardiente can be made from almost anything—fruit, rice, potatoes, as well as sugar cane. Literally “fire water” (agua + ardiente), it is only one step up from moonshine, and sometimes not even that. It is the drink of the poor, of those who can afford nothing else, of those who drink simply to get drunk, of anyone in extremis.

García Márquez II questions

The following questions are taken from your blog posts…

On the Ending

How did you feel about the book’s ending? Were you satisfied with it or were you also expecting a bit of a happy ending?

What stuck out to you in the ending? Did you interpret it as totally lacking hope or is there a brighter way to look at it?

Every character dies a sad death at the end of the novel, however Márquez writes the most gruesome death for the newborn baby. Why do you think he chose to kill the baby like that? Did being eaten by ants add something more to the story?

If Marquez were to have ended the story in a fashion which continued the theme of cyclical repetition – what do you think would have happened?

I notice a lot of people saying the second half of the book was more difficult to follow than the first? What do you consider the main reason for that to be?

Do you believe that the cyclical nature of time and predetermined fate portrayed in One Hundred Years of Solitude reflects the reality of human existence? Do our innate desires for never-ending advancement (e.g. AI) foretell our predetermined destiny, one that may ultimately lead us towards catastrophe, or do we have the agency to break free from the cycle?

Do you believe the hurricane and the erasure of Macondo leaves the door open (“sign of health”) or closed (“death / bare life”) for potential future settlements? (ignoring the the novel certainly ends with Macondo being seemingly wiped off the face of the earth)

What do you think the turning point for the Buendia’s was, when everything truly started to fall apart for the family? Do you think one incident played into isolation and tragedy that ended up plaguing members of the family?

On Fate

Do you think something else could have saved the Buendías from their fate?

Was there any way to prevent Macondo’s decline? Or would the curse ultimately destroy the town and people even if it stayed closed off from the outside world? Why do you think that?

Do you agree with my interpretation of the free will of the characters? Do you think there could have been a possibility for a Buendía to break the generational cycle? Are we just as flawed as the characters of One Hundred Years of Solitude?

On Characters

Who was your favorite character overall and why? What changes or details did you observe in this character as he story progressed?

If the novel were to be more centrally foregrounded in one individual’s viewpoint, is there a specific character whose perspective you’d want to lean in on?

Who was your favourite character from the book, and why? Please specify as there are a lot of repetitive names.

What is the function of Remedios The Beauty? Is she a religious symbol? Or perhaps a personification of the original Macondo?

What do you all think about Remedios the beauty and everything that happened to her?

We see many references to religion within this novel, how does the character Remedios the Beauty play into this? Do you think that she actually floated up to heaven as if she was supposed to be an angel, or do you think that she is a metaphor for something larger here?

How much sympathy do you have for the characters’ continuation of past mistakes? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being “completely critical omg why are they so stupid” and 10 being “no I completely get it and don’t blame them at all,” where are you?

Why do you think the only person to remember Rebeca is Ursula, what happened to her after her marriage to José Arcadio?

 

On Repetition

What do you think the reason of repetitive and similar names was in the novel? What point was Garcia Marquez trying to make?

What do you think is the intention behind the repeated and passed down names?

Why do you think García Márquez gave his characters the same names, do you think this was stylistic or do you think it has a deeper meaning?

On Magic Realism

How do you think the book was able to explore both life, death and repetition through magic realism?

What other aspects of magical realism did you find connected to the overall theme of time or memory throughout the book?

How does the novel utilize magical realism to express its themes and ideas?

Other

Is there a ‘purest form’ of love? Is one manner of love more desirable than another? If not, how do you justify Amaranta Ursula’s irreverence to controlling the ants, because of her passionate escapades, which results in the death of her son (and bloodline)?

My question to you is how you think solitude is most exemplified in this book, by whom or in what circumstances? It is a large, decade-spanning novel with historical impact about many events, but there is a through line of .. emptiness?

What would you argue was the biggest or most prominent theme in Cien Años de Soledad?

What are some positive themes you noticed in this novel? Do you have a more positive interpretation of choice and destiny?

How does the book depict the relationship between memory and history?

Would you like to read this book again? Do you have a favourite quote? Would you want to emulate his writing style if you were a writer?

Did others notice further similarities and differences between Márquez and Borges? Or do you think comparing the two is even justified or worthwhile?

What specific moment did you realize before the childbirth that Macondo was in decline as a town? There is a multitude of reasons for this decline, including the expansion of Macondo

This book is like Genesis, Exodus, Job, and Revelations wrapped into one story, one lineage. I think then, my question is do you think this applies? Did you have any afterthoughts of the book that change your perception of it?

Which romance intrigued you the most?

Do you agree that this should be “required reading for the entire human race?” (as a New York Times book review said).

Did you find yourself reflecting on your own family and ancestry? Did you notice any behaviours/bad habits that have been relentlessly passed down through your own lineage?

My question, or probably just a personal thought, is that the presence of the rocking chair seems to be there all throughout the book. I relate it to solitude and loneliness since it’s usually a symbol of being old, or sitting down and having a though or two, and no two people can be on it at the same time (unless maybe it’s someone holding an infant). Do you think there was any symbolism or relation of it to the story?

How do you view time in the novel as a whole, and do you believe the author presents it as favourable or an obstacle for his characters?

How do you think the themes of “100 Years of Solitude” relate to our world today? What might this say about the society we built?

How has “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez influenced your understanding of progress and change? Is the search for progress and improvement all that productive considering all of the unforeseen possible outcomes that may come as a result of it?

What is your favorite theme that was explored in the novel?

Which was do you believe the Buendia family is cursed due to Ursula and Jose Arcadio Buendia’s relationship? Working off that, what do you think the turning point for the Buendia’s was, when everything truly started to fall apart for the family? Do you think one incident played into isolation and tragedy that ended up plaguing members of the family?

García Márquez I questions

The following questions are taken from your blog posts…

On Technology

What do you think the book is trying to say about technology? Is there a stance, for or against, that is being promoted? How do you explain the insanity of Jose Arcadio Buendia with your answer?

Do you think the incoming railroad is a sign of transition for Macondo? Do you think it will bring the town to a new era, or will this be too modern and cause (even more) chaos in the town?

On Time and Memory

How does time influence your memory or vice versa? Do you perceive time through memories? Do you think Garcia’s usage of time enhances the story?

I think Macondo’s insomnia period is its most interesting era. How does a lack of sleep contribute to a sense of timelessness and memory loss in the novel? Is this depiction accurate if you yourself have ever experienced bouts of insomnia?

How does the preview into the future right from the beginning impact your experience reading forward?

How did you make sense of time in the novel? At times it felt like the narrative crawled along at snail’s pace and then sped into overdrive skipping across decades. I could never get a sense of the children’s ages or relationships to each other. Do you think time is also subject to the magic of Macondo?

Can you provide an example of where this theme of time/repetition repeats itself? How does it contribute to the greater overall story?

What aspects about this cycle of repetition interested you the most? Do you think that as the novel evolves the Buendías will be able to break free from this cycle?

On Macondo

How do you think that the town of Macondo accomplishes to represent the world and human society? How does the place/seting contribute to the development of the story and the fate of the family?

The idea that no one can escape their family’s past is a big theme throughout the novel. So, in your opinion why do you think Márquez created this world where every characters future is predetermined?

On Magic Realism

What impact does Marquez’s use of magical realism have on the reader’s understanding of the world around them? How does this technique challenge traditional notions of reality and storytelling, and what does it reveal about the power of literature to capture the complexities of human experience?

What role does magic realism play in the novel, as it is a book that is both repetitive and one that “appeals to many senses and generates many affects”?

What effect do you think magic realism has on the narrative of this novel?

What was your favorite usage of magical realism within this book? Or, what theme that magical realism impacted benefitted the most from their coupling?

Why do you think Garcia Marquez chooses to employ magical realism in their writing? What do it accomplish that say a more natural approach couldn’t?

Were there any events, people, or objects within the book that seemed “magical”? What reminded you of “magical realism” throughout the book?

Did any of the vignettes speak to your own human struggles or experiences, or they remained more magical than real?

On Characters

What character do you resonate the most with, if any, and why?

Do you think the choosing of the names had a causal effect to the children’s characters? Might the course of the family have changed if they were a bit more creative when naming their kids?

Why does the liberal party not have any meaning for anyone in Colonel Aureliano Buendia’s opinion?

Do you think Remedios the Beauty’s character was helpful to the story? If yes, please explain because I feel like she wasn’t.

Who or what do others think could best be characterized as the “protagonist” of this book?

Which character out of all of them is the most unforgettable to you? It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone you like or dislike, but rather the character you find yourself caring about the most.

How did you interrupt the character development, was there a character in particular you felt experienced solitude in other ways, or maybe who didnt seem to follow this pattern?

On Solitude

What is the significance of the novel’s title, and how does it encapsulate the major themes and motifs of the story?

what did the role of Solitude play in your reading of the book? Were there more accounts of Solitude that are different? Whose Solitude was most remarkable to you?

I am curious what you have seen/not seen, in terms of foreshadowed themes of solitude in the first part of the story?

Other

Why incest plays such a role in the story. Is it just because it happened a few generations before the start of this family? Is it just playing on stereotypes of rural people? Is it more just about the attraction this whole family has to the same old, same old?

Were there any other key words (like loneliness and isolation) that you saw repeated throughout the novel? If so, how do you think these words affected the themes of the novel?

What literary purpose or meaning do you find for Gabriel Garcia Marquez to write Cien Años de Soledad in such a complicated manner?

What do you think the yellow butterflies present throughout the novel represent, if anything?

Do you think this book should be read as a fairy tale, myth, or fable? Do you like his metaphorical expressions? If so, what are your favourite phrases?

What do you think is the significance of the whole insomia thing?

How can we interpret the course’s themes of games and play with this novel? How do you think “play” as a theme or maybe a general concept is integrated into this novel, if it is at all?

Can you alter fate? Or all the choices that could change your path simply leading you to your destiny?

What do you think of José Arcadio’s and Rebeca’s marriage, should they have married in the first place or would they be better off apart from each other?

Does madness highlight the irrelevance or the significance of a theme or idea? Does the madness of a character over a specific topic show that they have understood something to a deeper and meaningful level that puts them out of touch with those around them who do not understand it? Or is the opposite true, that they become out of touch with those around them because of the insignificance of their obsessions?

What do you believe the role of love plays within the novel so far? How do these complicated feelings affect the decisions and consequences of the characters?

Did this book remind you of a time when you had order and familiarity, and chaos arose and shifted things? Did it shape your life like the characters’ lives in the book from chaotic events?

What is the role of gender and sexuality in the novel, and how do the female characters challenge or reinforce traditional gender roles and expectations?

What contribution does magical realism make to the novel’s central ideas and themes, such as the interrelatedness of people’s lives and the relationship between history and myth?

How do the different characters of the story respond to grief? Do characters that experience different variations of grief respond in predictable ways?

What stood out to you in the first half of One Hundred Years of Solitude? Are there any specific events or episodes in the narrative that have impressed you for one reason or another?

Do you think the bad luck upon the family is some sort of “curse” that Ursula is suffering due to consummating her marriage?

Do you think it would have been easier had the family members have different names, or do you think this contributes to the theme of magic realism?

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