Before delving into the tremendous work of One Hundred Years of Solitude, I have already learned about its fame for being a hard piece that is not easy to read. Apparently, one can not turn its page like how we generally read the latest John Grisham novel or The DaVinci Code. You have to carefully go through each page, soaking up every word, and immerse yourself in the imagery.

This book depicts the rise and fall of the Buendia family over several generations. It chronicled the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love – in rich, imaginative prose that has come to define an entire genre known as “magical realism”. Marquez once said that he tried to write the way his grandmother told him stories as a child as if she truly believed the far-fetched stories she told. I guess it was exactly because of the way he unfolded the story that has made it more empathetic and unforgettable. Marquez skillfully portrayed a range of characters, each with their own unique stories and struggles. He made everything about this family totally believable except for the fact that you know much of it is impossible.

To be more specific, the story centered around Jose Arcadio Buendia, the family's patriarch, who embarked on a mission to establish the town of Macondo. However, Macondo's isolation led to a passive existence until outsiders brought their culture and technology, thanks to Buendia's open-mindedness. Despite his innovative nature, Buendia's pursuits had led to his confinement and subsequent descent into madness. His son, Colonel Aureliano Buendia, also faced his own battles, which mirrored the struggles of his ancestors. Just like that, characters died, eerily similar characters took their place within the story, and the narrative continued until the well had completely run dry of any actual life. Harshly, the line was pushed so terribly far, one hundred years, to be precise.

In general, with ornate style and thought-provoking prose, the book explored themes of loyalty, ambition, and the destructive nature of power. It challenged the society at the time, and created a self-contained history in its isolated framework, reflecting the nature of mankind. It painted a vivid picture of a family caught in a cycle of repeating tragedy, which had achieved its unique and enduring beauty of inherent pessimism. With the portrayal of characters who navigated their own paths amidst a backdrop of brutal rulers and an ignorant society, the book revealed its unfortunate understanding that history can and will invariably repeat itself. All good intentions eventually go awry, which is crucially true: No matter how much people want to change the world through revolution, things may go warped when faced with the horrors of war and bloodshed with nothing really altered.

It is no fairy tale that lies to you about the dreamy world where every protagonist is going to have a happy ending. Instead, it is something we all have to learn to understand and adapt to. It is intelligent, creative, and full of powerful anecdotal wisdom. Just be prepared for a hard read.