September/Marquez Book: 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'

[Scheherazade]

What's Amaranta's problem? Why does she keep refusing the people she seems to love?

[Idril]

I wondered that too. She was so cunning in regards to Pietro Crespi and then when she ultimaltely won, she shut herself up in her room and refused to see him. I thought maybe it was her guilt, you know maybe you plot to get something you want, you maybe do something you know isn't completely above board and then you when get what it is you want, you suddenly feel ashamed at the method in which you got it. I thought perhaps once she finally won Pietro, she felt guilty for all the murderous thoughts she had about Rebeca but that doesn't really fit with her personality at all, she was a cold woman. And then there's Colonel Gerineldo Marquez, there's no reason why she should've felt the need to reject him.

Do you think it's a case of catholic guilt? She's attracted to these men, she encourages them to a certain extent but when she realizes they return her affections, she panics because she knows it will lead to impure thoughts and actions? I don't know, I'm really reaching here but it's a theory.

I suppose it's just the curse of solitude that seems to haunt that family, nobody can be happy for very long and no one seems capable of having a good, healthy relationship with spouses or children or siblings or anyone really.

[Scheherazade]

Do you think it's a case of catholic guilt? She's attracted to these men, she encourages them to a certain extent but when she realizes they return her affections, she panics because she knows it will lead to impure thoughts and actions? I don't know, I'm really reaching here but it's a theory.

I am not sure if it is Catholic guilt... because they don't seem particularly bothered with religion as a family; not to that extreme.

She just seems to avoid commitment when it comes to the crunch.

I suppose it's just the curse of solitude that seems to haunt that family, nobody can be happy for very long and no one seems capable of having a good, healthy relationship with spouses or children or siblings or anyone really.

Yes, they seem incapable of commitment and stability for long periods of time but it feels as if they bring it on themselves. They are so restless.

[Idril]

I am not sure if it is Catholic guilt... because they don't seem particularly bothered with religion as a family; not to that extreme.

Yeah, I knew it was a stretch and I fully acknowledge they didn't seem to be all that devout but then again, they were grooming one of the boys to be Pope so I thought perhaps...

Yes, they seem incapable of commitment and stability for long periods of time but it feels as if they bring it on themselves.

Oh, they do! It's frustrating because it seems like at some point they just decide they're done and that's that. They seem to be a very self-involved lot. The only one with any staying power is Ursula.

[papayahed]

100 years of solitude. What does that refer too?

[Pensive]

Finally, it's Friday. I am going to start it today!

[Scheherazade]

100 years of solitude. What does that refer too?

I think it refers to family members' inability form lasting, meaningful relationships; hence, they all end up living in 'solitude', without achieving any real contact with others. I am still reading the book but probably it is the history of the family over 100 years?

I came across this passage about Amaranta (Ursula's thoughts on her) last night. What do you guys make of it?

Amaranta, however, whose hardness of heart frightened [Ursula], whose concentrated bitterness made her bitter, suddenly became clear to her in the final analysis as the most tender woman who had ever existed, and she understood with pitying clarity that the unjust tortures to which she had submitted Pietro Crespi had not been dictated by a desire for vengeance, as everyone had thought, nor had the slow martyrdom with which she had frustrated the life Colonel Gerineldo Marquez been determined by the gall of her bitterness, as everyone had thought, but that both actions had been mortal struggle between a measureless love and an invincible cowardice, and that the irrational fear that triumphed in the end.

[bazarov]

100 years of solitude. What does that refer too?

I think it's hunderd years of family Buendia. None of them were actually happy.

[Idril]

I think it's hunderd years of family Buendia. None of them were actually happy.

I get the impression Ursula could've been quite happy if her family would just behave and stop getting involved in revolutions and succumbing to weird obsessions and making inappropriate romantic choices.

I came across this passage about Amaranta (Ursula's thoughts on her) last night. What do you guys make of it?

I don't know if I buy that. We were privy to Amaranta's thoughts regarding Rebeca and Pietro and those were not thoughts of unmeasurable love, they would more accurately be described as murderous thoughts. I guess I can see the bit about her cowardice, I do believe she was terrified of happiness, terrified at the thought of being loved and possibly eventually hurt but I don't buy that deep down she was a generous, loving person, she never exhibited that in any aspect of her life.

[papayahed]

I don't know if I buy that. We were privy to Amaranta's thoughts regarding Rebeca and Pietro and those were not thoughts of unmeasurable love, they would more accurately be described as murderous thoughts. I guess I can see the bit about her cowardice, I do believe she was terrified of happiness, terrified at the thought of being loved and possibly eventually hurt but I don't buy that deep down she was a generous, loving person, she never exhibited that in any aspect of her life.

I think I disagree, Amaranta raised all the kids even though none of them were her own. She really had nothing of her own.

I think it's hunderd years of family Buendia. None of them were actually happy.

That would be counted from the time that they settled Macondo right? I haven't finished the book yet. At first I thought it refered to Ursula but she lived way passed 100.

i'm still trying to figure out what happened to Remedios the beauty (she's the one that ascended right?) can there be a natural phenomenon that happened?

Yeah, I knew it was a stretch and I fully acknowledge they didn't seem to be all that devout but then again, they were grooming one of the boys to be Pope so I thought perhaps...

I think that was Fernanda's doing, she was the only one that I think really followed religion. She would have made a great Nun.

[Idril]

I think I disagree, Amaranta raised all the kids even though none of them were her own. She really had nothing of her own.

But she raised them without any real affection or warmth. It never seemed like it was out of the goodness of her heart that she did it, it was mostly because that was her role in the family. I admit she had moments of affection or something almost approaching warmth but that was more the exception than the rule. I just found her to be a very cold and unsympathetic character so I'm going to be a little reluctant to acknowledge her bitterness and cruelty were because she was really filled with measureless love even though that's obviously what Marquez wanted us to see but what does he know, he's just the author.

I think that was Fernanda's doing, she was the only one that I think really followed religion. She would have made a great Nun.

I thought it was Ursula who decided the one child should be Pope and I remember thinking it was odd because before that she hadn't seemed that devout. I could certainly be wrong about that though and really, it doesn't matter because I don't really think religion and christian guilt is what motivated Amaranta, I was just thinking outloud. I should maybe stop doing that.

[papayahed]

I found some reading group guides online, this question seemed one of the more interesting questions:

On the first page we are told that "The world was so recent that many things lacked names." What is the importance of names and of naming (of people, things, and events) in the novel?

[Erna]

I came across this passage about Amaranta (Ursula's thoughts on her) last night. What do you guys make of it?

I think it makes sense when thinking about Amarantas behaving to men. I think she was afraid of connecting herself to somebody else. Deep inside she wants it and loves the men, but she doesn't dare to have a real relationship, for the rest of her live.

I found some reading group guides online, this question seemed one of the more interesting questions:
On the first page we are told that "The world was so recent that many things lacked names." What is the importance of names and of naming (of people, things, and events) in the novel?

For the names of people this is quite clear. Family member are called Aureliano or Arcadio again and again. And all have the same character, besides the twins, which may have mixed up their names.

[Idril]

I think it makes sense when thinking about Amarantas behaving to men. I think she was afraid of connecting herself to somebody else. Deep inside she wants it and loves the men, but she doesn't dare to have a real relationship, for the rest of her live.

I think it makes sense in that instance too. She did clearly have feelings for those men in the beginning, she pursued them in a way, she enjoyed their company but when it became obvious that they returned her affections, she just snapped. She's afraid of getting close, of letting herself be loved and I don't know if that's out of fear of rejection or just that she doesn't feel worthy of their love but something stops her from letting herself be happy.

She probably doesn't feel worthy of their love because she knows, deep down, she's just a bitter old woman. But seriously, I think even if she had married, she would still have ended up a bitter old woman, I truly think that was her nature, a family curse, so to speak, that she couldn't avoid.

For the names of people this is quite clear. Family member are called Aureliano or Arcadio again and again. And all have the same character, besides the twins, which may have mixed up their names.

There was a line in the novel, where Ursula realizes that time doesn't pass, it just turns in a circle and I think the repetition of names embodies that theory. It's not just the names that are repeated, it's the tragedy, the emotional remoteness and the obsessiveness that reoccur generation after generation. Sometimes I think if they just named a kid Bob or Mary, everything would be alright.

[papayahed]

Holy toledo!! I finished this book in the assigned month!! I'm not sure that has ever happened. I have a few questions but I'll wait til more people are done.