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ALthough it had been done before, Marquez made 'Magic Realism' famous. This is the idea that magical events, shifts in time, fantastic characters are treated as everyday events. It can also be a style where metaphors have a realistic presence in the text. But Magic realism aside many people view 100 years of solitude as allegory for the history of the Latin American people. Many of the poeple I've talked to see something of their own family in the Buendias and something of their own history in the story of Macondo.

Also he played around with time in the narrative too. It's most definitely not a constant. But if you're looking for a straightforward story, where the narrator is reliable, time is constant, and everything happens clearly and for a reason, then you might want to stay away from modernist/postmodernist Lit.

100 Years of Solitude is not a book. You don't pick it up, read it, finish it, and say, "Hey, that was a good story with a beginning, middle, and end". 100 Years of Solitude is a statement on the condition of South America vs. the world over the past two hundred years.

And yes, you've noticed it's cyclic. Yes, you've noticed that the firing squad is repeated. Have you ever thought that these things are symbolic?

If you're assigned Marquez and you don't like your current title, you might want to switch to "Love in the time of Cholera." Might be a bit easier reading for you. The point, as you put it, might come sooner.

Focus less on plot, and more on description and character. His novelature is remarkable, but you have to live in his world, not look for a facile cliff-notes solution.