I had heard so much of this book that I went in with high expectations and was initially disappointed by the "nadsat" language which was nearly incomprehensible to me.

After about part 1 chapter 3 I was beginning to love the lingo and what it did for the reader to understand the character more thoroughly. The novel challenges our thoughts of "Is it better to be bad than have good imposed upon us?" After finishing the book it's hard to answer the question because I feel the last chapter (not included in original American versions) was influenced by Alex's experience. Not convinced that he would have reached same decision had he not gone through what he did.

Before beginning the book I read reviews on if and expected to hate it. Within 10 pages I was fully absorbed in the book and couldn't imagine how someone could not continue reading this.

Half way through the book I wanted to throw it and just pretend like it had ended where I was happy. I kept going though and the book is revived slowly just like reality. There are ups and downs, times of happiness and those of total depression, Márquez takes us through the journey beautifully, as a reader you go from feeling of glee to anger, from amazement to negative disbelief. It's just an incredible book.

P.S. I see lots of complains about the genealogy. This wasn't a problem for me, I used the chart at the beginning of the book and simply used common sense to keep up with deaths and births of all the Aureliano's and other repetitions as time progressed.

Ten Days in a Mad-House came about when Nellie Bly, working for the New York World newspaper, decides to feign insanity to have herself involuntarily admitted into the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, now Roosevelt Island.

She exposed terrible living conditions for the patients as well as cruelty towards them. She had a deal with the newspaper that they’d get her out of there after a week, however there were issues and it took an additional 3 days to get her out.

This occurred in the late 1880s, women could be admitted to an insane asylum by their husband/brother/father for pretty much any issue they made up and only a male family member could get them out, which is why a week turned into 10 days.

Bly not only exposed the poor conditions and treatment of patients but also that many women there were not even insane but had simply been discarded by male members of their family.

When Bly’s reports were published they caused an uproar and eventually led to complete replacement of all the staff and an increase in finances for the facility so conditions improved.

I’ve also included a photo of her biography by Brooke Kroeger from 1994 which was voted Best Book of the Year by @npr Fresh Air that year.

Nellie Bly was an icon of her time, a feminist ahead of her time, and the most accomplished female reporter ever. It’s a surprise she is not more widely recognized for her contributions.

I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion but I did not enjoy this book at all. We have 5 sisters whom all end up committing suicide, not a spoiler…it’s in the title. No real reason either besides them being sheltered from a normal life by their parents. The book is told from the perspective of the neighborhood boys recalling the events of all the girls suicides’ at the end they said their act was selfish because they couldn’t get over it. Maybe I missed something but did they really make an tribe of sisters committing suicide about themselves?

I just wish each sisters mental health had been more thoroughly explored so the reader could make conclusions as to the why. Available in @amazonkindle Kindle Unlimited.