If you were unsure before, the following information will be definitive proof of my true and very profound inner nerd. Let’s press on.
You might know that I’m in graduate school. What you might not know is that my degree will be in Hispanic Literature. Some people think that means I’m a nerd because I read books, poetry, and critical essays all the days of my life. Some people think I’m even more of a nerd because I read them in a language that is not my native tongue.
I’d like to discuss my favorite book of all time with y’all: Cien años de soledad (100 Years of Solitude) by Gabriel García Márquez.
Written by the winner of a Nobel Prize for Literature, this is the story of José Arcadio Buendía and his wife Úrsula who found a fictitious town (Macondo) which is a metaphor for Colombia. The town actually makes an appearance in several other works by García Márquez. It spans several generations and most editions come with a large family tree to keep readers from being totally confused. The characters are incredible. There’s war, sex, magic, ghosts, family, adventure, and love. I love the symbolism, metaphors, and major themes. I love the author’s ability to tell the story, even though the plot is non-linear. This novel is one of the best examples of magic realism, a style highly representative of modern Latin American literature. When I grow up and become the matriarch of a big family, I’m modeling myself on Úrsula Buendía. I can’t think of a single thing about this book that I don’t like.
Have you heard of Love in the Time of Cholera? Same author.
I certainly don’t think a single one of my readers is stupid, but people tend to avoid “real literature” or “heavy literature” because they think it is too hard to read or too deep. But please, if you are looking for something to read, go for this one. Trust me. And I promise you can find it in English.
What book brings out your inner nerd?
One of my all time favorites too. But I’m a bigger “Cholera” fan:)
I’m actually not a Cholera fan as much. I love how this is like an epic novel (I wrote a paper on that…) hahahha
Holy camoly, Meredith, I 100% agree. Cien años is an amazing book. Thanks for supporting my blog! Let’s be blog buddies!
Anything by Jose Maria Arguedas or Mario Vargas Llosa! (and you can find those in English too for those who are interested…) By the way, who knew that Vargas Llosa, the latest recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature, has a whole series of erotic literature??? Fun stuff.
I’m not a MVL fan! Granted, I’ve only read “La guerra del fin del mundo” but it was enough to make me hate it. However, I might have to look into this erotic literature… I had NO idea!
I couldn’t get through “La guerra del fin del mundo” either. It’s not just you… it’s sooo difficult to get in to. Try “In the Praise of the Stepmother” as a typical twisted up Vargas Llosa style guilty pleasure, or my personal polemic favorite “Death in the Andes”, the book he wrote after he lost the presidency in 1990 to Fujimori.
I hate to even admit this to you–and please do not unfollow me, or unfriend me–but I hated this book when I read it my senior year of high school. I found it confusing and unrelatable. I trudged through it, but I could not for the life of me understand why this book was supposed to be interesting. Maybe it was my (lack of) English teacher? I much preferred the strange and hard-to-comprehend Margaret Atwood poetry and “A Dollhouse” by Henrik Ibsen. Oy. I still love you. And your hot Hispanic literature degree.
I don’t hate you. But I think you should go back and revisit it with fresh eyes and without a teacher staring down your back. A lot of books I hated in high school I love now (Crime & Punishment and Wuthering Heights)! But Ibsen is amazing, I love Dollhouse!!!
Also, thanks for calling my degree “hot”. You just made my day.
I’ve read “Love in the Time of Cholera” and several of his short stories. Have you read “Light is Like Water”? It’s from his short stories collection title ‘Strange Pilgrims’ and is probably one of the most wonderful stories I’ve ever read… “100 Years of Solitude” is on my list to-read…
It is safe to assume that if GGM wrote it, I’ve read it! And I do know that story and it is amazing and wonderful!
When I finished my MA in English lit, I was so burnt out and SO close to have my love for reading obliterated by the program I went to that the only way I could read was in Spanish (no biggie; it’s my first language, but I just didn’t read in Spanish because I never had time to read outside my schoolwork, ugh). Those two books made me want to read again–and if I stay brave, I’ll be naming my first daughter Remedios, never mind that it will be hard to say in English!
The last MVL was really good (if you’re not into his other stuff). My nerdery comes out in full force for Salman Rushdie (though not his later stuff, ew) and Dickens–I’ve read Bleak House more times than is probably healthy.
I need to marry a Spanish speaker so I can name my kids names like Remedios and Úrsula and not get weird looks. But my mom made me promise that I wouldn’t name my kids names she can’t pronounce… Maybe I will give MVL another try. I just hated one of his books so much I’ve never looked into his other stuff!
And I totally know what you mean about being burnt out on reading. I assume you’ve read some Isabel Allende?
Unusual names, I should know, are character builders. I have always loved my name, even when I was in high school and was never tempted to have a nick name that others could pronounce. Even my last name was odd, so I was hit with a double wammy! I think that it really gives you a sense of who you are, unique and individual. You should never be afraid of naming someone a name that you love.
Your Aunt Josette
this book will always be on my top 10 just because I have never found anything else so complicated and beautiful and challenging and rewarding to read– had to tackle this sucker in three classes: english, hispanic studies, and a history class! I learned a ton every time.
but you prompted me to decide to re-read wuthering heights. I haaaaaated it in eighth grade and just now realized there’s no way I can let that opinion stand, so it’s on my to-read list!
My inner (OK, not so inner) nerd comes out with Science Fiction books! Especially “Dune” by Frank Herburt. I can’t believe you can read a whole book in another language! I am in awe…
I will have to look into that. I’m not a huge science fiction fan, it is always hit or miss, but I will always take a recommendation! What is sad is that I’ve read more books in foreign languages over the past few years than in English…. (I also speak Portuguese and French but not well enough to understand a complicated piece of literature, just short stories and plays)
100 years of solitude is hands down my favorite book of all time. Even though it is epically long, I’ve read it multiple times–there’s always something different, something new. I wish I could read it in Spanish. I’m sure the translation is good, but I have to think that it’s missing something. And I’m reading my first Llosa book now, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. I like it so far.
So amazing! And I hated the 1 and only MVL book I’ve ever read, but people are telling me to try some of his other stuff so maybe I’ll take Aunt Julia into consideration
to be frank, i love reading ur blog posts as they r so much like me… u r all about books, relationships, family and foood and dat is wat is ME…
well abt the book that brings the inner nerd in me is anything by jane austen…. wellll i wud certainly read the books mentioned in ur blog….
keep reading…
Love me some Jane Austen!