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tallulahlex's review against another edition
4.0
whilst i enjoyed this novel, and marquez’s writing, i do feel that what ever 100 years of solitude had, this novel lacked.
i think maybe it’s because i enjoy family dynamics over romance, but the main driving force of this was for fermina and florentino to finally be together and when they finally was i kind of didn’t care.
i will forever enjoy the intense depictions of love and the ferocity in which florentino dedicated his life to fermina, and my favourite parts of the novels being the shocking consequences of him loving her over the other women he shared his life with. the best part about marquez’s writing is the random small stories that occur every so often which are so interesting but are shown casually and never really addressed again, which i rather like, such as olimpia zuleta’s death.
what i didn’t appreciate in the novel is florentines perverted relationship with america vicuna, it was disgusting and horrifying to read and was not depicted as wrongful as it should have been.
i think maybe it’s because i enjoy family dynamics over romance, but the main driving force of this was for fermina and florentino to finally be together and when they finally was i kind of didn’t care.
i will forever enjoy the intense depictions of love and the ferocity in which florentino dedicated his life to fermina, and my favourite parts of the novels being the shocking consequences of him loving her over the other women he shared his life with. the best part about marquez’s writing is the random small stories that occur every so often which are so interesting but are shown casually and never really addressed again, which i rather like, such as olimpia zuleta’s death.
what i didn’t appreciate in the novel is florentines perverted relationship with america vicuna, it was disgusting and horrifying to read and was not depicted as wrongful as it should have been.
krideout's review against another edition
3.0
Ugh. The writing is very good, but the story lost me about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through. I was so sick of the story. Way too much "extra", and I didn't find it romantic but quite pathetic actually. Florentino just made me angry.
which's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not sure what others found appealing but the story of a stalker and pedophile...really wasn't very interesting for me.
afroemling's review against another edition
3.0
So slow, but interesting to read. I can't tell if I love or hate Florentino Ariza...
lindseygl's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
snadel's review against another edition
1.0
What misogynistic drivel. I kept slogging through objectifying language about women, borderline stalking, and the way the book overlooks and even romanticizes rape. To make things even worse, the main character turns out to groom a CHILD into a sexual relationship- IE., pedophilia/rape- when she is a teenager and he is in his 70s. I felt sick reading those parts especially, but also in general thinking of how people could possibly see this story as romantic.
kamdoitattitude's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written.
But ...
In the immortal words of an oh so talented, charmingly bohemian, tragically impoverished writer, "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." (Jk, I'm not obsessed with love but I kept thinking that line as I read this book.)
Ugh. I get it. You loved her. And then you slept with a bunch of women to prove that you loved her? Right. Ok. And she had a just fine life without, fyi.
So, I'm team Dr. Urbino.
But ...
In the immortal words of an oh so talented, charmingly bohemian, tragically impoverished writer, "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." (Jk, I'm not obsessed with love but I kept thinking that line as I read this book.)
Ugh. I get it. You loved her. And then you slept with a bunch of women to prove that you loved her? Right. Ok. And she had a just fine life without, fyi.
So, I'm team Dr. Urbino.
abbyg24's review against another edition
3.0
It's sad that while some of this book was beautifully written and moving, other parts (had to be) were included that were super problematic and gross.
jimflows's review against another edition
2.0
I am still reeling and confused since I finished this book yesterday. I had never read anything by Marquez, and in spite of the two-star review I look forward to reading "1,000 Years of Solitude" in the not-too-distant future. He writes beautifully and I found myself immersed in the scenery and mood of the book. If I could rate the book simple based on how well it was written, in terms of writing style at least, it would be five stars. All that to say...
I hated almost every character. None of the main characters had any sort of appeal to me. The secondary characters that I enjoyed did not appear with much frequency. I found the plot, particularly the last third of the book or so (but really, the whole book) insufferably boring and largely unbelievable. "Love" in the time of cholera felt more like stalking as a result of some serious mental illness in the time of cholera. I am curious as to why this won the Nobel Prize, aside from the beautiful prose.
I don't regret reading this book, though, but I am feeling baffled by it.
Oh, yeah, and spoiler alert (I just read someone else's view and was reminded of this):
#feminism. The portrayal of women in this book, though probably historically accurate, was off-putting. The relationship between one of the main characters, the one in "love," and his fourteen-year-old schoolgirl relative, when he is in his seventies, was downright disgusting and perverse. It seemed like a way-too-forced means of showing the pervy anti-hero trying to recapture his youth/the youth of his love.
I hated almost every character. None of the main characters had any sort of appeal to me. The secondary characters that I enjoyed did not appear with much frequency. I found the plot, particularly the last third of the book or so (but really, the whole book) insufferably boring and largely unbelievable. "Love" in the time of cholera felt more like stalking as a result of some serious mental illness in the time of cholera. I am curious as to why this won the Nobel Prize, aside from the beautiful prose.
I don't regret reading this book, though, but I am feeling baffled by it.
Oh, yeah, and spoiler alert (I just read someone else's view and was reminded of this):
#feminism. The portrayal of women in this book, though probably historically accurate, was off-putting. The relationship between one of the main characters, the one in "love," and his fourteen-year-old schoolgirl relative, when he is in his seventies, was downright disgusting and perverse. It seemed like a way-too-forced means of showing the pervy anti-hero trying to recapture his youth/the youth of his love.