Book review: "One hundred years of solitude", by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Synopsis: Starting at the birth of a tiny, isolated village deep in the Colombian jungle, the book takes you through the highs, lows, and inevitable death of this endearing and yet tragic mini-society. Focusing on the Arcadio family, it touches on a number of ideas throughout, and is more than just a story. It's a reflection of society, family life, and the journey that our short time on earth picks up from and that our descendants will carry on...

Review: It's easy to see why this won a Nobel Prize- it holds the weight of a great novel, and is quite unlike anything previous. Garcia moves quite quickly through their lives, convincingly covering the hundred years, and yet still giving the reader the appropriate glimpse into their contribution to the village. A tip, however- it would be worth having a copy of the family tree beside you when you read the book, to keep track of who's who... Names are frequently repeated, and without a visual aid for guidance, you could find yourself asking "Who's he, again?" "What did she do when she was young?" quite a few times throughout.

Oh, and also- there's A LOT of incest...!

Score: 9/10