Book notes | One Hundred Years of Solitude
The UMRA Book Club discussed One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez at its January meeting. The book was first published to rave reviews in 1967, and in 1982 Márquez was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in large part as a result of this book.
One Hundred Years of Solitude is the history of the isolated town of Macondo and of the family who founded it, the Buendías. The history follows a biblical arc, with the town being an idyllic and isolated place initially.
Gradually, the village loses its innocence and solitary state when it comes into contact with other towns in the region.
José Arcadio Buendía, the family patriarch and founder of the (fictitious) town, is impulsive and inquisitive, and his obsessive investigations into mysterious matters leads to his insanity and exile. When the outside world finds the town, it becomes caught up in government regulations and civil wars and is then colonized by American banana plantation owners who usurp the land and treat the workers badly.
One of Jose’s sons eventually becomes the leader of the rebels. The 20-year war ends with a peace treaty that results in no real changes.
Witnessed, but denied
When the plantation workers protest their treatment by the American owners, the government purges thousands of townspeople in a mass shooting. A train carrying the bodies to be dumped in the ocean is seen by a survivor, but the event is denied by the government and no one believes it really occurred.
A biblical purging of the town by five years of rain occurs that results in the town falling into ruin as the last of the Buendías family translates an ancient set of prophecies and finds that all had been predicted—that the village and its inhabitants have merely been living out a preordained cycle.
Most members of the UMRA Book Club found the book difficult reading and did not like it, although many have family members who loved the book. Difficulties expressed included numerous characters with similar names and characters that are difficult to relate to, much less like, as the characters, both men and women, seem either to be solitary loners or sexually rapacious.
—Kathryn Sedo, UMRA Book Club member
UMRA Book Club to meet January 15
Fri, Jan 15 2021, 2pm
Kathryn Sedo will lead the discussion of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, January 15.
The UMRA Book Club currently has 16 members, a number that works well for our discussions. Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected]for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.