“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice…”
― Gabriel García Márquez
These are the opening words of one of the most celebrated works in contemporary literature. Those 26 words brought me to a new world. And it’s that phrase that will probably open Netflix’s latest show. The streaming service is turning the beloved book “One Hundred Years of Solitude” into a miniseries. That announcement came in March and it’s finally hitting me. Netflix is actually making one of my favorite novels into a series. Normally as a fan of the book, I’d be super excited for it. But I’m apprehensive and concern is my overriding emotion.
The book was published back in 1967 and it has never been brought to life on the screen, big or small. That’s incredible to see as almost all celebrated novels have either been adapted for movies or tv already. “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is Latin America’s version of “The Great Gatsby” or “Great Expectations”. A sprawling novel that encapsulates a time and place. Apparently, there have been several tries but nothing has come to fruition until now. The author Gabriel García Márquez didn’t sell the rights when he was alive. And his family apparently wanted to make sure any version made is up to their standards. Marquez did write “Love in the time of Cholera” which was made into a film back in 2007.
“100 Years of Solitude” is set in the fictional small town of Macondo in Latin-America. It’s through Macondo, Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes a history for Colombia. Using magical realism, Marquez describes a town both rooted in history but also out of this world. It’s as if Hogwarts was set in Latin America and instead of a school with students and professors, it’s a town filled with families, workers, and lovers. Magic bleeds into the town’s history, for months no one sleeps creating an insomniac epidemic making everyone forget everything, a rainstorm lasts 4 years, and later when white people discover the town a corporation takes over turning it into a literal banana republic. Then there’s a violent riot where hundreds are killed and the one survivor who lives through it and tries to tell the story no one believes.
It’s not just the town, the people are extraordinary in the literal sense of the word. There’s a boy whose head is surrounded by butterflies, a priest that levitates after eating chocolate, and a music teacher’s whose unrequited love drives him to madness. I haven’t even gotten to the Buendia Family. Their story is so gripping I don’t want to ruin it for you. The novel spans 6 generations of Buendias, through their triumphs and trials, falls and risings. It’s a deeply touching novel that stays with the reader long after they put it down. I could write pages about its beauty and emotion but that’s another article.
Already this year, another literary favorite “Catch-22” was released on Hulu. NO SPOILERS. Reviews are mixed about the George Clooney production. The 6 episode miniseries tries its best to capture the irony, the ridiculousness, and horror of war that the novel so brilliantly conveys. But it fails. “Catch-22” is great to watch as the show is beautifully shot, the music is spot on, and action of bombers in World War II is very satisfying. But it’s just missing something. The novel takes real work to read, I didn’t finish it until the 4th time I tried and for some reason, it finally clicked. The show misses the mark by simplifying the novel and putting the story in chronological order, which is now easier to understand. But that also steals away the feeling of putting all the pieces together and getting into the mindset of the protagonist Yossarian.
Netflix says “One Hundred Years of Solitude” will be filmed in Spanish and will be filmed in Columbia. There’s no word on when it will be released, cast, or showrunners. And despite all my misgivings, I’ll be watching and so should you. Maybe you should just read the book first though.
Anthony R. Leong 