Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Love in the Time of Cholera

I do not think I’ve rated a thing so low and I’m probably being harsh. But the only thing I can give this book is the writing and whatever meaning I try to read into it giving benefit of the doubt. I saw a take that Florentino is cholera and you know that is the only take I will accept because fuck that guy.

Does a protagonist need to be likeable? No. If something is in a book is it condoning? No.

I can acknowledge these truths and that Marquez is an extremely talented writer with a solid grasp on craft while also greatly disliking my experience in reading this book.

It’s the casual racism, the kind of dangerous portrayal on rape and how there are at least 3 victims who yearn for their perpetrator and “actually enjoyed it”

This book absolutely lost me though at the final “relationship” I hate to even call it that. Im not going to rant about how that situation was disgusting.

Maybe I’ll try another of his works but it probably won’t be for a long while.

Content Warnings

withloveandlights's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad 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

1.0

Content Warnings

j_rose18's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

onceupon_longago's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

2.0

I had to spend some time with my thoughts after reading this, because I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I am typically a fan of both historical fiction and love stories, so I had high hopes (especially due to the many accolades this book has received), but ended up disappointed.

It was not a love story at all in a romantic sense. Florentino was too obsessed, and Fermina too indifferent, for me to ever get behind their “love”. I can’t fully decide if this was supposed to be an actual love story, or a commentary on the confusion people make between love and passion. Perhaps both.

There were sections of the book I definitely enjoyed and that flowed really well, but other parts meandered a little too much for my taste, or got stuck on some sidebar for far too long. I did not find the characters particularly likeable, and never found Florentino sympathetic. It is hard to enjoy a book when you cannot root for the main characters.

Lastly, there were several problematic scenarios (see content warnings) that made me frustrated and disgusted, so I can’t make myself give this book a higher rating.

Content Warnings

csifbi23's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.75

Content Warnings

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