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The philandering, flamboyant and womanizing character of the protagonist in the story is similar to the real life character of the writer. The fustian language used in the book is reminiscent and typical of Marquez's other works like `One hundred years of solitude' and `Autumn of the patriarch.' This novel is verbose at times. The enduring love affair is based on a fate similar to that which afflicted the author's parents. The novel's Panglossian ending is beyond the pale of reason. After almost nearly half a century of waiting the opportunity arises when Fermina Daza's husband dies after falling off from a tree. Like Marquez's other novels this one too is full of acts of consummation of love. He sings ballads, plays waltzes on the accordion and writes a flurry of love letters to the woman he loves and wants to marry. However, like all of Marquez's novels this one too is a little bit unrealistic.
The story is written in elegant prose. The book `Love in the time of cholera' has been written by the Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He waits patiently for his time to come. However, there is a twist in the story. The girl's father is a pugnacious, unscrupulous and domineering man who marries off his daughter to a wealthy doctor named Juvenal Urbino much to the dismay of Florentino Ariza who is shell shocked and broken and is driven to engage in a promiscuous lifestyle but who still hopes that her husband passes away or divorces her and wistfully yearns to marry his beloved someday.
The protagonist in the story displays relentless determination to win over the woman he loves in spite of odds that would seem insurmountable. He grabs the chance with both hands and proposes to Fermina Daza when he attends her late husband's funeral. Florentino Ariza is a forlorn lover in his youth who tries to woo the girl he has fallen head over heels in love with namely Fermina Daza. The story is a tale of an unalloyed, undiminished and unyielding love that transcends time, age, life, birth, disease and ultimately death. The style of writing is exquisitely flowery.
They help her to overcome her bereavement and she decides to renew her friendship with her childhood sweetheart. Notwithstanding her refusal he does not lose heart and tries to win her over by writing a torrent of letters to her. She is outraged at his audacity and impertinence and spurns him away. This piece of literature has much less surrealism than his most famous novel that has become synonymous with him namely `One hundred years of solitude.' The story is set deep in the heart of an imaginary Latin American country.The entire story is set against the backdrop of a cholera epidemic that was the scourge of the hapless victims in the late 19th century and early decades of the 20th century in Latin America. The girl's father is vehemently opposed to their marriage and will stoop down to any base level to block their path to marital bliss. Ultimately Florentino Ariza's patience pays off and Fermina Daza agrees to go on a honeymoon with him in his ship.
The story has been translated from Spanish by Edith Grossman. Contrary to what she thinks the content of the letters have a calming effect on her. At first she is livid at his indecency and thinks of consigning the letters to the dustbin but eventually her fury subsides and she reads his letters. There is a happy and to some extent even a funny ending that finally they both find solace in coital love at a time when they are very old, withered and in a decrepit state in the twilight of their lives.
It shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel when in reality there should have been none. But the boy won't budge an inch. The theme of the story is love. The language as mentioned earlier is highly ornate.
The girl has also fallen for Florentino Ariza. He threatens to use physical force on the boy and tries to intimidate him. Marquez has written a masterpiece.
His exploration of the depths and shallows of this emotion run the scope of experience from passion to platonic. Gabriel Garcia Marquez crafts a brilliant novel that dissects human emotions using people from a variety of walks of life as his canvas. He paints the pages with each aspect of love, each hue a bit different and yet in a manner connected. His novel weaves itself a scientist, a poet and everyone in between. Marquez has the gifted ability to reveal life ,layer by layer, against a lush backdrop fully engaging his audience into a thoughfulness that is earned.
I tried to read this book and just got stuck.is it just me, or is thisbook just too slow to get started. Anyhow, I tried several times and finally sent it off to my local Public library for a book drive that generates money for their general upkeep. Maybe some other poor soul will find this book interesting.
Also, Florentino's obsession with Fermina begins to come across as stalkeresque at times, but the ending of the book changed my mind about that. Decades later, when Juvenal Urbino dies, Florentino appears at his funeral and once again professes his love for Fermina.Gabriel Garcia Márquez is an excellent writer, and this book is filled with beautiful prose.
In this story, young Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall in love, but communicate primarily through letters. Fermina ultimately ends up rejecting Florentino and marrying Dr.
"Love in the Time of Cholera" is a beautifully written novel that depicts how unrequited love has the power to consume humanity, almost like a plague. Meanwhile, Florentino engages in numerous affairs in his attempt to forget about Fermina, but the intoxicating love he feels for her never dies.
Juvenal Urbino, who she thinks will bring wealth and security to her life. However, their marriage isn't as ideal as it appears to be on the surface.
The story is riveting, even though the pacing of the book tends to drag in places. Ultimately, this is a fantastic book about the many different types of love that exist in this world, and I highly recommend it.
This book was well-written, vivid and disturbing. He is the epitome of selfish love, always taking and needing and requiring from others while sacrificing nothing in return. I loved "The House of Spirits" and "Like Water for Chocolate", so I figured I would enjoy another Latin-influenced novel. I am an avid reader with a wide range of interests, from classics to essays to short stories to bestsellers. By having tawdry content it stoops to the gimmicks of trashy novels to shock and sell. Florentino has been the most unappealing hero I have ever met, and his actions do not elicit sympathy or even understanding.
However, as everyone is entitled to their own opinion, i thought this was a bunch of BS.
Nothing different from the norm right.
I know this was set in a different day and age, but for people to be promoting this type of book was particularly revolting.
I was looking forward to this book for a long time, so when I had a break (i am in grad school) I purchased this novel, eager for a good read.
What really offended me was how he claimed to be a virgin at the end, and I guess the author meant that "spiritually or soulfully" he remained pure for her, but how could any person with a conscience say that when he molested his ward and caused her suicide.
However, this was the first time in my life where I was so appalled by the content that it overshadowed his writing and I could not wait to return it.
I understand that this novel was about all the different forms of love, from the "pure" puppy love to the sadistic self-serving type of love.
Well-written stories can be found elsewhere.
Good literature pulls us out of our comfort zone and causes us to think and dream, but after this book all I wanted to do was erase the memories of the last few hours I spent reading this book.
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