Fans of literature are celebrating as a beloved novel, first published in 1967, has been adapted into a live-action series on Netflix, over 50 years after its initial release.
The book, which has been translated into 46 languages and sold over 50 million copies worldwide, tells the extraordinary story of a family across multiple generations, starting with the founder of the fictional town of Macondo, Jose Arcadio Buendia (played by Marco González), and his son Aureliano (Claudio Cataño).
This epic tale, penned by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, masterfully blends real-world events with magical realism and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Spanish literature.
The Netflix adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude is now available to stream, at no additional cost to subscribers, as of today (Wednesday, December 11).
The streaming service faced a significant challenge in bringing this iconic novel to life, as it has been consistently ranked among the greatest novels of the 20th century.
It holds the fourth spot on The Greatest Books' list of the best books since 1900, as well as on Goodreads' list of the best novels of the 20th century, and was also voted fourth by readers of The New York Times.
Recently, a reader on Reddit praised the novel as "the best book I've ever read".
"About halfway through Gabriel Garcia Marquez's (or 'Gabo's') seminal work, I realized that this was my favorite book I'd ever read, a ridiculous notion that I couldn't believe myself," they mused.
"I tried to convince myself that I was deluded, that the excitement I felt about the impact this book was having on my life was premature and unearned. But as I turned the penultimate page, that feeling had only grown stronger", reports the Manchester Evening News.
Although TV adaptations often receive mixed reactions, the series based on Marquez's celebrated novel has garnered a number of rave reviews since its release.
The Telegraph awarded the series a glowing five stars, praising it as "a spellbinding adaptation of an 'unfilmable' novel".
Elaborating further, they added: "If there's a parallel, then it's the feeling you get from watching Alfonso Cuaron's Roma or Richard Linklater's Boyhood, works with which this spellbinding adaptation bears comparison."
They impressed upon viewers: "It does demand a considerable commitment: part one has eight episodes, each clocking in at an hour plus, and part two will deliver another eight. But it's a commitment well worth making."
On the other hand, The Guardian acknowledged that the series "struggles" with certain themes and pivotal scenes from the book yet insists it remains "a big, gorgeous adaptation of a big, gorgeous book".
Their review concluded with the admission: "There's enough warped wonder here to make Macondo worth revisiting."
Devoted followers of the book have cause for celebration as the first season only covers the initial half of Marquez's novel, with a forthcoming second season set to animate the remaining chapters.
One Hundred Years of Solitude is available to stream on Netflix.