This is a long book for a Penguin, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. I only got it as a bit of a punt as it was on special, but I'm glad I did. The plot and story is pretty basic, possibly even repetitive in parts, but it's a nice easy read, with some unusual characters and the time frame does indeed span 100 years. It is translated extremely well from the original Spanish, and it was quite interesting to read a story from a different cultural point of view.