Yakapin

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Gabriel Garcia Marquez blends magical realism with profound human emotions. His distinctive works captivated readers across the globe, including me. However, I was not officially introduced to his writings until I entered university. I think I only knew the writer’s name from the rom-com movie, Serendipity, where the characters used Marquez’s book, Love in the Time of Cholera, to test how fate can bring people together. But I never got to reading more of his books until I got into my late teens. So, for now, I would like to share the three books that attracted me to learning more about Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his literary works.

First Impressions

In my first Humanities class in university, one of our required readings was One Hundred Years of Solitude. Being a young 16-year-old at that time, I had never heard of this book and had to inquire at the nearest bookstore back home. Library access to fictional books wasn’t easy during that time and extremely limited, if there was even any. Searching for a copy of the book itself was a memorable experience.

Once I started reading the book, there was a sense of familiarity with the scenes and even the people in the story. The names, the places, and the surprisingly long family tree at the start of the book. But the most distinct impression I first had was that it was such a long read! I guess I wasn’t fully adjusted yet to university life, so having multiple readings for my courses felt tedious. I was used to doing science-based research and report writing in high school, so it took a bit for me to switch my reading lens to more literary pieces.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

My first book, and maybe one of the most well-known works of Marquez. One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the multi-generational story of the Buendia family in the fictional town of Macondo.

Being a Filipino, I felt comfortable in the way Marquez described the towns and the characters. The names brought images of people I may have grown up with in my hometown back in the Philippines. For those who don’t know, the Philippines has a long history of being under Spanish influence, so there are a lot of similarities in Hispanic culture. In spite of having all those familiar elements, once Marquez brought in the magic, I was left surprised and a little bit confused about how to read the events unfolding in the story. Yet, each line just flowed so smoothly that each scene was believable but still brought a bit of curiosity. The reading experience was both engaging and challenging. From being just a required reading for my class, it became a starting ground for further literary appreciation.

Collected Stories

Even with a set expectation in my mind already, the first few lines from the first short story still shocked and amazed me. Can you imagine what it is like being in your rotting body way after your death? The lines from that young character in the first story, The Third Resignation, left me wanting to write as well as my favorite writers. I wished to share that sense of magic as well as touch my readers in an unexpected yet still relatable way. After all, that was how most of Marquez’s works affected me. However, I understand that strong writing skills develop through long hours of practice, writing, rewriting, and writing once more, along with extensive reading. Yes, reading! To read and be inspired, to read and be better, to read and further the span of worlds in your heart and mind.

Of Love and Other Demons

Maybe one of the easier novels of Marquez to read, in terms of length. When I got a copy of this, I felt delighted that I didn’t need to take long to finish the book (compared to One Hundred Years of Solitude). But once I started reading, it didn’t seem as easy as I thought it would be. Not because of the length of the story, but because of the topic and the descriptions.

The novel surely captured my interest as it navigates through the different connections between religious faith, superstition, love, and cultural conflicts. The character, Sierva Maria, so young yet so full of life, is believed to be possessed just because of how different she behaves and how she can survive a bite from a rabid dog.  

However, the story did not simply deal with Sierva Maria’s condition, but also with the innocent attraction she and Father Delaura had. Honestly, considering today’s standards, the novel made me feel uncomfortable with the massive age gap, the status of the characters, the environment they were in, and a lot more. The details, the storytelling, and the overall delivery of the novel made me uncomfortable in a good way. I think it is necessary to feel unease to understand the message being delivered throughout the novel. It made me feel more connected to the reality of the events, but still grounded by the magical aspects of the texts.