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A review by motionless7
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
2.0
*I rambled alot but I needed to vent some of it out it was eating me inside.
I enjoyed the themes of the book dealing with unrequited love, gender roles, aging, moving on, and even the history as the story progresses but I couldn't wrap myself to support any of the main characterss in the story. Florentinos character went downhill after Ferminas marriage and while I understand why he went through those stages in his life, I couldn't stay interested enough but that's just me. Fermina spent the majority of her life either content or enraged at the way things turned out with her marriage to Urbino for good/bad reasoning. Fermina never wanted this marriage and although her reasons for marrying where never properly explained, it felt like she did it because of her father admitting he was going broke. Still Fermina was in the same rut of emotions while her husband has two alleged affairs even though he was the one pursuing Fermina and putting her in this state. While I understand times were different, I couldn't stomach reading about Florentinos sexual persuit of a 14 year old under his care and knowing the massive age difference. Then to have her character killed off because of the depression she suffered from Florentino distancing himself from her and doing nothing with that but have Florentino cry about it in a bathroom left a sour taste. The author could've done more with this situation because it feels completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things of the plot. Florentino and Fermina are then on a neverending boat ride where they discover how age has affected their livelihoods and to me it felt like a euphemism of them finally at peace in some paradise living their lives in love with one another. Overall it was the same cycle of love & infidelity for the past 50 years throughout the book and the ending felt like a dud.
I enjoyed the themes of the book dealing with unrequited love, gender roles, aging, moving on, and even the history as the story progresses but I couldn't wrap myself to support any of the main characterss in the story. Florentinos character went downhill after Ferminas marriage and while I understand why he went through those stages in his life, I couldn't stay interested enough but that's just me. Fermina spent the majority of her life either content or enraged at the way things turned out with her marriage to Urbino for good/bad reasoning. Fermina never wanted this marriage and although her reasons for marrying where never properly explained, it felt like she did it because of her father admitting he was going broke. Still Fermina was in the same rut of emotions while her husband has two alleged affairs even though he was the one pursuing Fermina and putting her in this state. While I understand times were different, I couldn't stomach reading about Florentinos sexual persuit of a 14 year old under his care and knowing the massive age difference. Then to have her character killed off because of the depression she suffered from Florentino distancing himself from her and doing nothing with that but have Florentino cry about it in a bathroom left a sour taste. The author could've done more with this situation because it feels completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things of the plot. Florentino and Fermina are then on a neverending boat ride where they discover how age has affected their livelihoods and to me it felt like a euphemism of them finally at peace in some paradise living their lives in love with one another. Overall it was the same cycle of love & infidelity for the past 50 years throughout the book and the ending felt like a dud.