Love in the Time of Cholera

I have a co-worker for whom this is the best Garcia Marquez - though as much as I enjoyed this book, 100 Years of Solitude still tops my list. Both epics in different senses - Love in the time of Cholera is really a narrative about love - unending and enveloping more than just the book's central characters. Set in turn-of-the-century Colombia, the plot follows the winding loves...more

I have a co-worker for whom this is the best Garcia Marquez - though as much as I enjoyed this book, 100 Years of Solitude still tops my list. Both epics in different senses - Love in the time of Cholera is really a narrative about love - unending and enveloping more than just the book's central characters. Set in turn-of-the-century Colombia, the plot follows the winding loves of Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza as it explores the many circumstances in which love finds itself in beautiful prose. While reading I copied a number of passages into my notebook because they were so striking - my favourite being "Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them.... life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves."   hide

I am starting to realize that 'reviews' on social networks such as this have to have some sort of FILTERS to make them meaningful. For example, how does one give a RATING to a novel compared to a how-do-it book, or text book, or manual? How to make comparisons with a romance novel and an historical one, a classic versus contemporary best seller (C/CBS))? I think that...more

I am starting to realize that 'reviews' on social networks such as this have to have some sort of FILTERS to make them meaningful. For example, how does one give a RATING to a novel compared to a how-do-it book, or text book, or manual? How to make comparisons with a romance novel and an historical one, a classic versus contemporary best seller (C/CBS))? I think that Living Social should divide their books into genre allowing each to have its own rating system. For the C/CBS a ten point scale at least is required to justify the quality of the novel and its author. A Manual or a throw-a-way beach novel/thriller can have a scale either of 3 points of five or both. "Love in the Time of the Cholera" by Marquez points out this dilemma more than most BOOKS I have read. It now stands as the benchmark for which I can judge whether a classic or contemporary best-seller (or should be) novel deserves a TEN (or in this case on LIVING SOCIAL, a five). I have read some excellent novels over the last twelve months, some of which I thought were remarkable; however, this novel (the second time I have read it/first in 1990's) now is THE BENCHMARK. I have also changed my opinion of this novel which is the reader's prerogative at all times, of a rating. I was NOT ready for either the novel or Marquez in the 90's. I wanted quick reads, I didn't retain the details as much as I do now. Most importantly I didn't have the patience to absorb the beauty, skill, and immense way with words, thoughts, descriptors and the intense knowledge of individual uniqueness but many of their passages one goes through in life, how one reacts and how one responds emotionally and in this author's case - figuratively. I can understand why some reviewers have had difficulty with the novel or have even disliked it due to a dislike of whom they believe is the protagonist. I ask myself and them, in a book club sort of way, is it reasonable or correct to assume that that Florentino is the one and only? Throughout the passages of time and pages turned I often found my focus on Fermina as the central character. In the end, I realized that Marquez had built such a strong supporting cast that it became difficult to not identify with each one of them with intensity. This is an art. I have not seen this strength in many contemporary novels. I thought it was a thing of the Classics. I was intrigued by critics who lamented the weakness of the protagonist and didn't point out the so-common use of tragedy as a literary tool to help us all prepare for the other side of human nature, where no matter how talented, how determined, or how successful - a price is paid. On one hand, not only Florentino but most of the characters rivalled anything that could be slotted under the rubric of 'Kafkaesque'. If one thinks of that as characterized by a portrayal of an enigmatic and nightmarish reality where the individual is perceived as lonely, perplexed, and threatened, then we see Florentino, Fermina, their fathers, the many women of Florentino and the cousins of Fermina. By the time we get to the conclusion, we realize that even the Captain of the river boat is under the same melancholic trap in life, perhaps so pronounced in that part of the world, in that period of time and in particular in a society fettered not only by historical social custom, habits, superstitions and culture but also by war and pestilence defying faith in any religion to understand and rendering useless any medical knowledge in the treatment of Cholera. Remarkable....   hide

A horrendous disappointment, though it may be my own fault for having higher expectations. It sounds like it's going to be a story about true love torn apart and then reunited many years later after waiting breathlessly for it. But the truth is, Florentino and Fermina never actually truly fall in love - they're smitten with each other. But Florentino turns that crush into a lifelong obsession,...more

A horrendous disappointment, though it may be my own fault for having higher expectations. It sounds like it's going to be a story about true love torn apart and then reunited many years later after waiting breathlessly for it. But the truth is, Florentino and Fermina never actually truly fall in love - they're smitten with each other. But Florentino turns that crush into a lifelong obsession, which makes him in my eyes not a strong character but rather very weak and pathetic. You will never cheer for Florentino to "get the girl." I may have been able to tolerate the book a little more had it not been so much about sex in the time of cholera. Marquez obsesses over the graphic details of sex, so the book is more or less literary porn - I just didn't expect it. The only true love in this story was at the very end, and that love wasn't satisfying. There are thoughtful themes in this story, and you can read other reviews to understand them - but overall, having come to this book looking for a love story, I am leaving it highly disappointed.   hide

I was left awed, shocked, disgusted, amused, inspired and mostly bewildered by this amazing tale. Florentino is a hopeless romantic who waits almost half a century for his true love. This story also chronicles the married life of his love- Fermina with Dr Urbino, in addition to Florentino's numerous love affairs. The prose is so engrossing and rich that at times it captivates the readers, but it...more

I was left awed, shocked, disgusted, amused, inspired and mostly bewildered by this amazing tale. Florentino is a hopeless romantic who waits almost half a century for his true love. This story also chronicles the married life of his love- Fermina with Dr Urbino, in addition to Florentino's numerous love affairs. The prose is so engrossing and rich that at times it captivates the readers, but it also requires a slow down at times ,in order to grasp the essence. This novel is a translation from Spanish and still retains its flavor, thereby making it even more remarkable. This book cannot just be taken in a literal sense, there is more to it than what appears on the surface. Garcia's ability to use magical realism (by treating love as a disease) with immense effect definitely makes him one of the best writers of this era.   hide

compared to one hundred years of solitude it was more bitter than bittersweet, which made it hard to read. i was also deeply not okay with how florentino shrugs off america's suicide in a couple of half-hearted throw-away guilty paragraphs and no real lasting damage it seems. i guess the point was that he knew he should feel guilty but with his lifelong ambition finally about to be realised he...more

compared to one hundred years of solitude it was more bitter than bittersweet, which made it hard to read. i was also deeply not okay with how florentino shrugs off america's suicide in a couple of half-hearted throw-away guilty paragraphs and no real lasting damage it seems. i guess the point was that he knew he should feel guilty but with his lifelong ambition finally about to be realised he just couldn't be bothered with her as she was only ever a distraction anyway; and the fact that he can shrug off the awfulness of what he had done even in the face of the consequences is supposed to highlight just how important fermina has always been. but it just made him seem evil to me. i found both characters very cold and in this instance, chilling. i did like the very end though.   hide

Maybe there was just too much hype over this book after is was selected for Oprah's book club, but I found myself very disappointed with the "love story" central to the plot. Reading the English translation, I enjoyed immensely the vivid descriptions of locations and people, truly becoming immersed in the world and culture of Colombia at the time. Weaving between the past and the...more

Maybe there was just too much hype over this book after is was selected for Oprah's book club, but I found myself very disappointed with the "love story" central to the plot. Reading the English translation, I enjoyed immensely the vivid descriptions of locations and people, truly becoming immersed in the world and culture of Colombia at the time. Weaving between the past and the present, I enjoyed the social and political environment setting the backdrop of the story. But, I never quite developed pity or hope for Florentino, who I found to be a pathetic stalker instead of the tragic romantic as which he is intended. I reached the end hoping the "star-crossed lovers" would not finally be together in the end, more like Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara, than two elderly people coming together in their final years before death.   hide

After finishing up this book, I’m not quite sure what impression is left on me as to what particular message I want to take away from reading it. Overall the book was written very well, however I did feel there were too many unnecessary details. Florentino Ariza’s love for Fermina Daza is sustained throughout the book, but at times it is hard to believe that his love is as pure as...more

After finishing up this book, I’m not quite sure what impression is left on me as to what particular message I want to take away from reading it. Overall the book was written very well, however I did feel there were too many unnecessary details. Florentino Ariza’s love for Fermina Daza is sustained throughout the book, but at times it is hard to believe that his love is as pure as he himself would like to believe. Fermina Daza was his first love, but many other filled the void of where she had once personified his soul. Florentino insisted on never letting another woman live up to the mythical proportions of his beloved Fermina Daza. This book provoked me to think about the magic of everyone’s first love and how throughout our entire lives we continue to compare our relationships to the illusionary flawlessness of are first heartbreak. Do we ever really get over that first love? Or does everyone try to replace that butterfly feeling of youthful love with future relationships that can’t possibly feel the same as falling in love for the first time. This fact perpetuates further analysis of youthful love in general. Love in our youth is so incredibly different than it is as we grow older that it proves to be unfair to compare it to any future loves. However, this book proves in its conclusion that perhaps there are special connections that really are different despite the time that they enter our lives. I suppose it is all a matter of individual interpretation like anything else it can’t be classified as a universal experience. The book also raises another question that I believe terrifies a lot of lovers, the question of, is this real love or is this just a matter of habitual convenience born out of a need to conform with society and raise children? A scary item to think about; human nature results in the characters rationalizing these thoughts with shared extraordinary life experiences and family bonds that can not be destroyed by true feelings. Overall this was a good thought provoking read that left me thinking about what love really is and what it means to have a life worth living.   hide

Love, like cholera, can make us feel ill. Kill us, even. It can be a life-long obsession or an afterthought. It comes in many shapes, shades and forms. Garcia Marquez explores the many incarnations of love, and the many ages at which it can strike. Love between men and women, between friends and within a family. Marquez has an amazing talent for creating characters; even the ones that are only...more

Love, like cholera, can make us feel ill. Kill us, even. It can be a life-long obsession or an afterthought. It comes in many shapes, shades and forms. Garcia Marquez explores the many incarnations of love, and the many ages at which it can strike. Love between men and women, between friends and within a family. Marquez has an amazing talent for creating characters; even the ones that are only with us for a short while, a page or two, carry enough personality to be remembered for much longer. The novel is a celebration of love, and of people, but also of all aspects of human physicality. As far as such a thing is possible, this is a physical book, and Marquez skilfully evokes sensations of sun-kissed skin, stomach ache and tender touches. I came to this book expecting the magical realism of One Hundred Years of Solitude, and found instead a book which suggests that love itself is the most magic part of reality.   hide

With 100 Years of Solitude resonating in the back of my mind, I approached this book expecting much more of the same, not that it would be a bad thing. But I was wrong, Love in the Time of Cholera is a markedly different kind of novel from Senor Marquez. Gone are the commonplace exclamations and situations of extraordinary proportions that made his previous works so powerful. LITTOC has more of a...more

With 100 Years of Solitude resonating in the back of my mind, I approached this book expecting much more of the same, not that it would be a bad thing. But I was wrong, Love in the Time of Cholera is a markedly different kind of novel from Senor Marquez. Gone are the commonplace exclamations and situations of extraordinary proportions that made his previous works so powerful. LITTOC has more of a feel of a cheesy romance novel, only this is one that doesn't suck. Even though it mainly deals with relationships, Garcia's novel attempts to shed some light on love and the backbreaking control it can have over some people. A powerful work and a fitting addition to the Gabriel Garcia Marquez library, but if you came looking for more of the same story that you once read in 100 YOS, you will find something much different that may even be just a little bit better.   hide