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?
