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
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.