one hundred years of solitude is far and away the greatest book of fiction i’ve ever read. i was first introduced to nobel prize winner gabriel garcia marquez’s masterpiece 4 years ago when President Bill Clinton deemed it the greatest novel ever written in his 2004 My Life memoir. i immediately obtained a copy and for the next week, became entranced by the author’s amazing ability to create characters so full of humor and tragedy. i am reading it now for the second time and falling in love all over again with the buendia family as depicted in marquez’s stunning, magical prose.

oprah chose one hundred years of solitude as a book club selection also back in 2004, sending the 40 year old novel back to the top of the bestseller list. if you haven’t read or heard of this magnificent tale of a fictional latin american village’s history, do yourself a favor and run to your local library or better yet, order it through amazon.com or something. as you devour the story of macondo you will wonder how in the world you’d never been treated to gabriel garcia marquez’s magical realism before.