Yup. The juxtaposition of Orwell’s experiences in the Spanish Civil War (initial idealism and fervent hope for change, followed by disillusion once the reality set in, and ending with a hard pragmatism) mirror that of Buendia: His beginnings, his ascent through the ranks and acquisition of power and his end.
What are your thoughts on Marquez as they relate to his various apologia for Castro? Do you feel that Cuba following the fall of Batista shares much with “100 Years of Solitude” (written in 1967)? Have you read Vargas Llosa at all?
I don’t know if you’ve read Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia”, but it is some of his best writing and it sets him on the path to “Animal Farm” and “1984”.
