One Hundred Years of Solitude Audiobook By Gabriel García Márquez, Gregory Rabassa - translator cover art

One Hundred Years of Solitude

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One Hundred Years of Solitude

By: Gabriel García Márquez, Gregory Rabassa - translator
Narrated by: John Lee
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About this listen

Includes a bonus PDF with a character chart!

One of the twentieth century’s enduring works, One Hundred Years of Solitude is a widely beloved and acclaimed novel known throughout the world and the ultimate achievement in a Nobel Prize–winning career.

The novel tells the story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. Rich and brilliant, it is a chronicle of life, death, and the tragicomedy of humankind. In the beautiful, ridiculous, and tawdry story of the Buendía family, one sees all of humanity, just as in the history, myths, growth, and decay of Macondo, one sees all of Latin America.

Love and lust, war and revolution, riches and poverty, youth and senility, the variety of life, the endlessness of death, the search for peace and truth—these universal themes dominate the novel. Alternately reverential and comical, One Hundred Years of Solitude weaves the political, personal, and spiritual to bring a new consciousness to storytelling. Translated into dozens of languages, this stunning work is no less than an account of the history of the human race.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©1964 Gabriel García Márquez (P)2013 Blackstone Audio
Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Fantasy Magic Inspiring Scary Funny Suspenseful Latin America

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Editorial Review

Already a journalist and writer of literary fiction, lauded Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez made his true debut into magical realism with One Hundred Years of Solitude. This piece of literature is a treasure of Latin America's 20th-century literary scene and a strong piece of Colombian history.
The character-driven story of the mythical town of Macondo showcases all aspects of the human race. From the introspective and haunted patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, and his wife, Úrsula Iguarán, to illegitimate son Aureliano José, one of the many Aureliano Buendía's fathered by Colonel Aureliano Buendía, each character is unique and emblematic of the spectrum of humanity housed in this fictional town.
Gabriel García Márquez did more than launch his own foray into magic realism with this piece of classic literature. He was also one of the first four authors from South America named as part of the Latin American Boom, a literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Alongside Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, Argentine writer Julio Cortázar, and Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, the Colombian icon’s work was circulated worldwide. To date, One Hundred Years of Solitude has sold 50 million copies in 46 languages and counting.
John Lee adds his voice to this brilliant chronicle of life for Latin Americans, making the audiobook come to life for the listener. He brings the art of García Márquez’s fiction and the lyrical magic of the town of Macondo to the forefront with a strong delivery, worthy of patriarch José Arcadio Buendía, all the way down to Aureliano Babilonia of the sixth generation. — Audible Latino Editor

Magical Realism • Beautiful Prose • Excellent Pronunciation • Rich Characters • Historical Depth • Masterful Performance
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One Hundred Years of Solitude has made a name for itself as one of the most stunning novels of the 20th Century. So, it’s no surprise that many readers, like myself, have anxiously awaited its release on audiobook… yet it should also come as no surprise to fans like myself, that this is an intricately woven piece of literature, often requiring a little legwork to fully grasp the complex web of characters. I went into my listening experience knowing this, and after reading some scathing reviews by other listeners – while I understand how translation from page to digital can create some inevitable need for clarifications – I have to disagree with such harsh reviews that seem to trash the audiobook as a whole. If needed, there are plenty of resources online to help the listener along, not to mention, a hard copy of the novel (which, in my opinion, everyone should have regardless)! I found John Lee’s performance full of clarity and rhythmic narration, quickly and effectively engaging me as a listener. After much anticipation, I was thoroughly pleased with this audiobook, and would definitely recommend it - with the understanding that, as a novel, it is complex – but SO worth it!

Outstanding Audiobook!

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this book will take you time to get into. it's odd, overtly sexual, and grotesque. it has a Stark beauty that is overwhelming.

weird shit

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The story itself is just as good as it is hyped up to be, but I couldn't get over the narrator's performance. It was okay for the expository portions of the story, but the voices of the female characters sounded so simpering and goofy it was like listening to a Mrs. Doubtfire impression. Otherwise enjoyable.

Great story

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Surprising surreal family saga. Bizarre mystical story reminiscent of Don Quixote in absurdity. I have heard of this book for many years, since childhood. For some reason, I was under the assumption that this was going to be a long and hard listen. Nothing of the sort. The book was wacky, weird and fun. Wish I was fluent enough in Spanish to enjoy it in it's original language.

Not at all what I was expecting

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What a crazy, crazy book! My first in the “magical realism” category. Was not impressed. In all fairness to Marquez he had many great one line zingers in the book. Thus my 3 stars. Was this really a story or maybe a satire or a fable? Really hard to follow! Saw some reviews that John Lee was not a good narrator. I thought he was amazing!! So many people consider this a classic and I can understand they may be twisted that way but I was really disappointed with the 14 hours I invested in this book.

Magical Realism???

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I struggled with keeping up with all the people, so many with the same name or almost the same. The story is strange but very interesting and enjoyable.

Strange but fascinating and thought-provoking

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Wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment of deciphering the final line of the parchment, one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity to be reviewed with jubilation and hallucinations on earth. John Lee is a fantastic and charismatic narrator!!!

The greatest novel in any language of the last fifty years

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Just really felt forced and couldn’t ease into story with the narrators hard voice and approach to the story

Narrators voice drove me mad

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What did you love best about One Hundred Years of Solitude?

The flowing, stream-of-thought prose. Very enjoyable!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I couldn't pick one. They were all quirky, flawed, funny and likeable.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

Everything! His perfect pronunciation of place names and character names is flawless and unlike other readers, I felt that his unaccented English narration in no way detracted from the story. He is the narrator after all and not one of the characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I don't think it could be enjoyed in the depth it deserves in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Well worth the purchase.

Great Story

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the narrator is great and it is a such a wonderful classic of magical realism...

Wonderful magical realism classic

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