Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - El amor en los tiempos del cólera

Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

El amor en los tiempos del cólera by Gabriel García Márquez

18 reviews

saffytriesherbest's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Look it’s got some really well written sections but holy moly trigger warning for assault- there are too many moments that are romanticised it seemed as if by the end of the novel Florentino could’ve been friends with Humbert Humbert

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liathibault's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

A terribly enthralling book of illicit affairs in the name of love. The themes of life and death, love and hatred, sickness and health perfectly encapsulate the struggles of a life of love. Gorgeous imagery provided a surreal feeling to the text while still remaining firmly planted in reality. A very enjoyable read, but take with a grain of salt. Riddled with machismo, obsession, and lust towards those who do not warden it. TWs for descriptions of r*pe, statutory r*pe, death, and suicide.

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cait's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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lacifaeria's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is a remarkable book about a lifelong epic preoccupation/obsession with some parts that definitely did not age well in the nigh 100 years since it was first published. Still, it was strange reading this now and seeing how many events/attitudes still featured prominently in an era ravaged by a pandemic. The section which preceded how Dr. Juvenal Urbino discovered Fermina Daza was dazzling in how succinct it was at providing a snapshot of pre-20th century medicine and sewage treatment while also feeling painfully familiar when detailing the reluctance he experienced in attempting to drag local medical methods towards the future in a community reliant on superstition and traditional methods of healing (although his being against vaccines was a bit disheartening).

And also love. How love, in all its pervasiveness and obsessiveness, seems to be the same, 100 years ago as it is now. It's beautifully written and some of the phrasing is majestically composed, even the parts that seem understated. If there was a way you could just cut the "America Vicuna" parts at the end (very uncomfortable), I think the rest is an eloquent examination of a lifelong focus, and how different people become in the pursuit of long-term goals.

The evolution of Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza, from the moment we really get to know them as teens experiencing the rush of first love to the end when, after entire lifetimes spent tucked away in their independent lives they reconnect as seasoned elders, was such an incredible journey. Both of theirs, with Fermina being courted by Dr. Juvenal Urbino and settling into a quiet familiar contented married life and with Florentino attempting to sate his desire for companionship in a variety of widows before, once again, returning to worship at the Altar of the Crowned Goddess. I thought it was the kind of perspective you don't usually get to see, with a level of pointed focus that would put an engineer to shame.

Though, at the end of the day, this was still a love story about two people spread out over several decades and the transition of two centuries, encapsulated in poignancy and heartbreak.

And, yeah, at the end, I was still rooting for Florentino, and for finding "Forever" after fifty-three years, seven months, and eleven days and nights.

I'm a softie and a romantic at heart.

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itskayleighlove's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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allimoose37's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book essentially 350 pages of "redemption arc" of a dude who harbors a love for a woman (who marries/is married to someone else) for 50 plus years and chronicles all the sexual escapades (including grooming a minor), so that they can ride off on a riverboat into the sunset together in old age after she's a widow.

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womanvthevoid's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Incredible book! Beautifully written love story in many criss-crossed parts, interwoven with the horrors of living. Very interesting to read it during the pandemic.

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