_Love In the Time of Cholera_ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This book has been talked about and put on the top of ‘must-read’ lists since it came out. Marquez has been touted as a beautiful and amazing writer. Due to all this fuss, I have generally avoided reading his works. (Yes, I have some issues….)
However, when I was in the library at work, I saw it and thought since it was free I would give it a try.
The story is a very interesting love story that literally lasts the lifetime of the lovers and yet also has that tension of unsatisfied desires. It is indeed beautifully written as Marquez winds the lovers’ lives into an interwoven pattern that occasionally meet and then unravel again.
Yet, there was something missing for me. Perhaps it was the hype that I am generally skeptical and overcritical of, or perhaps it really wasn’t his best work. For some reason I just had a hard time feeling for Florentino despite his devotion to Ferrmina. Although he did live his life, there was something too pathetic for me about his continual pining for Fermina.
It was much easier to identify with Fermina since she was the one who was more realistic in her intellectual over heart choices in life. Perhaps this is a reflection of myself….
I did like the ending though it was cheesy and I generally dislike sappy happy endings. I am a romantic at heart, so I really did identify with how the story unfolded into a knitted work of art.
Thus, my conclusion is that it was a lovely story and Marquez does have a gift with words and storytelling. It is probably quite beautiful in Spanish. However, I did not particularly think the story was fabulous. Still, I might try to find another novel and give it a comparison.
Until next time,
-T
