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A review by sommer22
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
reflective
medium-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? Yes
2.5
CW: p*dophilia
The writing in this book is beautiful, although at some points the narrative felt like it was dragging and others I couldn't put it down. The biggest problem I have with this book is its main character. Florentino Ariza is so consumed by his love for Fermina Daza that he ignores the potential consequences of his actions and does not hold himself accountable for them once they come to fruition. In his bid to rise to the top of the Riverboat Company as a way to gain enough status as Fermina, he causes deforestation along the Magdalena River, destroying the ecosystems and livelihoods of the people within and surrounding it. He also grooms and takes advantage of a FOURTEEN YEAR OLD CHILD, and barely bats an eye when she commits suicide in the aftermath of their relationship. He takes advantage of so many people and things and thinks of women, including Fermina, in such a misogynistic, flippant, and exploitative way that was really frustrating to read. I was not rooting for him by the end, and as Fermina was my favorite character, I hate how they ended up together after he essentially stalked her for his entire life.
This book is very heavy-handed with symbolism (cholera, the river, taking journeys) and has an interesting narrative structure. It's portioned into larger sections, rather than individual chapters, which in my opinion was very immersive, and it made me feel the time passing as each character went through their lives. The majority of this story is also told in a flashback with past-within-the-past references, which adds to its narrative uniqueness. As I said, Márquez uses very beautiful, immersive imagery that makes each setting distinctive, but my dislike of the main character is my biggest reason for the low rating.
This book aims to represent love in many different forms, but the incarnation that is meant to be its centerpiece is instead very toxic, unsettling, and hard to ignore.
The writing in this book is beautiful, although at some points the narrative felt like it was dragging and others I couldn't put it down. The biggest problem I have with this book is its main character. Florentino Ariza is so consumed by his love for Fermina Daza that he ignores the potential consequences of his actions and does not hold himself accountable for them once they come to fruition.
This book is very heavy-handed with symbolism (cholera, the river, taking journeys) and has an interesting narrative structure. It's portioned into larger sections, rather than individual chapters, which in my opinion was very immersive, and it made me feel the time passing as each character went through their lives. The majority of this story is also told in a flashback with past-within-the-past references, which adds to its narrative uniqueness. As I said, Márquez uses very beautiful, immersive imagery that makes each setting distinctive, but my dislike of the main character is my biggest reason for the low rating.
This book aims to represent love in many different forms, but the incarnation that is meant to be its centerpiece is instead very toxic, unsettling, and hard to ignore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape and Suicide