Ties to the Bible

This is interesting. . . " the opening page of the novel is clearly an echo of the book of Genesis. In fact, much of One Hundred Years of Solitude is structured like the Bible, with a Genesis, an Exodus, plagues, miracles, a flood, and an Apocalypse. How much was this intentional? Probably all of it. "— Gene Bell-Villada

That thought seems to tie in to Efrat's comments regarding the reflection and evolution of the human race, as the Bible is thought by some to be. Obviously I am not very familiar with the bible but I was wondering what other's thoughts might be on this statement, given the literary context of the Bible and how it may be parallel to 100 Years. It is interesting that that parallel would even be there given Marquez is not religious and perhaps anti-clerical and that potrays most priests in a not so positive light in his books (so I read).

My Food for Thought Contribution

So, I looked at Oprah's website, and a couple of things really struck me, so I'll share:
One part said something to the effect of "The characters only find peace when they opt out of emotional social life, and accept their solitude."

And then another part noted that the characters all lived in the same house, yet were very different; and referred to this as symbolizing the entire human race.

So, if you go along with those two statements, is Marques saying something about humans needing to retreat to (maybe communal?) solitude in order to find peace? Is that a link that should even be drawn?

Perhaps a productive weekend discussion?

No! The Book Club ain't lost!
How about this: (yeah, I'm being a municipal employee dork, but delegating is how anything gets done...)
How about if we each post one question this weekend? Maybe something a bit thought-provoking?
As for the next book...I told Lis that I heard Life of Pi was really good...anyone read it?

Is the club lost before it's started?

I know Chelle and Julie have read the book, and I know Em and Efrat read it with me. . . but have we lost this club thing already? I include myself in this because I haven't logged on here in a bit. . . I did finish it and loved it to the very end. At some point I will have to read it again I think, just to catch nuances and events I feel like I may have missed. It was so much to absorb, and once it was down to the younger generations, I did not feel as immersed in their story as the older generations. But I love the way it ended, I finished it at the gym and stopped my bike to read the last lines. Smiling like a goofy idiot. I am reading the Lovely Bones now. It's a nice break in that it's a very easy read... What shall we read next then?

Uh oh! It's time to finish!

Hi All! I am about 75 pages away from being finished so hopefully I will be done in the next two days (if not today). I feel like I am late for an assignment! I have a feeling I may not be the only one, though. ;-) I've continued to enjoy the book very much. I have been thinking a lot about the title and the meanings of solitude in relation to the themes in the book. It is interesting how each character experiences solitude in different ways, but it seems to lead to a connection between people and environments that would diminish that solitude...the interconnectedness of people, family, neighbors, outsiders, cultures, communities....
As for my favorite characters, that seems to be evolving throughout the book. You cannot help, I think, but have a continuous affection for Ursula. As the matriarch of the family, she influences the many generations throughout the book whether it be subtle or blatant. When the book began I favored Aureliano Buendia over Jose Arcadio as children but my views of them changed as they became men...
Well, I suppose I should finish it and then we can talk more. Not to jump the gun, but I have about six novels I haven't read yet that could be potentials for the next book. I don't want to dominate the book decisions though so I am happy to shop for something new (I can always spend money at the bookstore!)