". Arranged Words: Spotlight on Márquez

13 May 2013

Spotlight on Márquez

My well-fingered copy
At the time, the price of One Hundred Years of Solitude:  $2.95.
Great book jackets

Several years ago, I bought One Hundred Years of Solitude in a wonderful shop somewhere in the wilds of Jasper National Park, Alberta. At the time, I'm not sure, given the annoyingly small print, my lack of a dictionary, and my grasping inexperience as a reader, what I gleaned from it, but I was vaguely aware that I had found a treasure. And luckily, although somewhat daunted by the novel and with eye strain, I pressed on. As I read, I did, however, find that One Hundred Years of Solitude more than lived up to its back cover promise of surprise. In fact, the book proved as amazing as the elk that sauntered around, on too tall legs, outside my rented cabin--close yet distant, understandable in form yet wildly mysterious.

Márquez's seamless ability to incorporate magic realism into his novels does surprise, delight and astound.  In One Hundred Years of Solitude, there is a focus on ice.  Nothing unusual--sans magic, but try to explain ice to someone who has never seen it. For example how would you explain ice to an individual from Amazonian Lost Tribe?  (And, yes, speaking of amazing there are still a few tribes  out there!) Could you describe ice so that they could understand? And, more importantly, if you put a piece of  ice in the person's hand, how would they react? What would they think?  In that context and in the context the novel, ice moves from the ordinary to the miraculous.


As you can see from the copies of Márquez's books that I have on hand, and others that I have read and do
not own, One Hundred Years of Solitude did drive me to read more of Marquez's books. And Love In The Time of Cholera ranks as my favorite. The title draws and repels--hints of danger and uncertainty. Complex and unlike anything I've ever read, Love in the Time of Cholera is a wild love story and a great read. "Ain't it prime?" A question from Jane Austen's character Mary Elliot Musgrove of Persuasion ( TV 2007 movie--screenplay written by Simon Burke) better serves the book. And from one who is, most decidedly, taken: I would definitely answer, if an answer is needed: Yes, indeed!

Unfortunately, critics sometimes scoff at the use of magic realism, but perhaps they were born without curiosity, take themselves too seriously, or have forgotten the importance of a sense of wonder.                                 

I have never forgotten where I bought One Hundred Years of Solitude because Gabriel Márquez's intellect is, like the novels and stories he writes, nothing short of miraculous.



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