This Wednesday, December 11, Netflix put part 1 of the series online A hundred years of solitudewhich brings Gabriel García Márquez's novel to life. What is this adaptation of one of the monuments of literature worth?
In this month of December 2024, Netflix still offers many new features to satisfy all its subscribers. If some are already waiting for Christmas, not only for the presents, but to discover season 2 of Squid Game which will be released on December 26, others were excited about the spy series Black Doves with Keira Knightley. It’s a series of a completely different genre that arrived this Wednesday, December 11 on the platform. Announced for several years, the adaptation of the literary masterpiece A hundred years of solitude is now available on the platform with its part 1, composed of 8 episodes. Published in 1967, the novel by Colombian Gabriel García Márquez, Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1982, has long been considered unadaptable. However, Netflix rises to the challenge of offering fiction that is both fascinating and faithful to the book.
A hundred years of solitude : what is the series adapted from the novel by Gabriel García Márquez about?
A hundred years of solitudeis the story of the Buendía family, which begins with the fate of José Arcadio and his wife Úrsula, two cousins who married against the wishes of their parents. Haunted by the ghost of Prudencio Aguilar, killed by José Arcadio in a fight for honor, they decide to leave their hometown to found the village Macondo. It is there that the history of their lineage and descendants will be written, including that of their children José Arcadio, Aureliano and Amaranta.
A hundred years of solitude : after the cult novel, a fascinating series
The novel A hundred years of solitude stood out for its history that spans several generations of the Buendía family. Against a backdrop of magical realism (this literary movement which mixes supernatural elements with a plot anchored in reality), it is considered a true masterpiece of South American literature. The task was therefore difficult for the directors and screenwriters: how to succeed in bringing to life this universe that is so complex and so appreciated? A bet succeeds successfully since the Netflix series manages to transcribe the atmosphere of the book and bring it to life in a convincing way, without straying from the original story. A hundred years of solitude also regularly borrows from the novel, using some of the most emblematic quotes from the book – including the incipit (the first sentence) – in the form of a voice-over. Imbued with mysticism, particularly with its instrumental soundtrack which adds an intriguing effect, the series conveys an air of fantasy, while remaining realistic. The production is particularly successful with images that take us directly into the world of Macondo. Without forgetting the casting which stands out for its authenticity, and which is also largely composed of beginners in the world of comedy. With this adaptation of A hundred years of solitudeNetflix offers us a fascinating series that is both beautiful to watch and deeply moving.
