Love in the Time of Cholera-- For Those Reading Through

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

Use this thread if you are reading through the book and you want to talk about it. For example, if you are anything like me, if something crazy happens in a book I always want to talk about it right after it happens! It's also nice to discuss with others who are reading through it. Please make sure at the top of every thing you post you have a Spoiler warning and say up to what page you are on.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

Has anybody read anything by Gabriel García Márquez before? Are you excited to read this?


I'm pretty excited to read it. It's been on my TBR shelf for a while and I've heard great things about it. I'm going to be starting it after I finish the book I'm reading now.

[Jessie]

I've read both Love in the Time of Cholera and 100 Years of Solitude. I enjoyed both of them very much, I'd say that they are some of the best books I have ever read. Marquez is unlike any other author, I can't even really think of someone to compare him to. I'm not really even sure how to describe his writing, I guess you just have to read it :)

[Matthew]

I agree entirely with Jessie, but I'll throw the phrase "magical realism" into there.

[Heather]

I think I'm in the minority here, but I've read both 100 Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera and couldn't get into Garcia Marquez's style. I found it hard to stay interested, although I did like Love in the Time of Cholera slightly better. I've got the movie in my Netflix queue. I'm interested to see if that will make me want to go back and read the book again.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

Heather--I've heard people say that they had a hard time staying interested in his books. I can't wait to start reading to see how I feel.

Matthew-- I remember learning in a lit class about magical realism and found it really fascinating when we read excerpts from books or stories. I remember my professor saying that it was mainly Latin American authors in this genre. Anyone care to shed any more light on magical realism to those of us who may have only briefly studied it? I know there are a time of Lit/English majors in this group! :)

[Jessie]

I'm definitely not at Lit major, but my English professor this year enjoys writing on the side, especially magical realism. She said that basically magical realism refers to when an illogical or "magical" thing happens in a story that was otherwise logical or realistic. She has said that Garcia Marquez is her biggest inspiration for this.

I've read Love in the Time of Cholera a little over a year ago, but if I remember correctly there was a lot more magical realism present in One Hundred Years of Soltitude than in Love in the Time of Cholera.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

I'm really enjoying it so far! I like his writing style alot and, damn, he sure can craft beautiful sentences one after the other.

*Possible Spoilers up to page 87*

I'm at the part where Fermina Daza and her dad get to her uncle's home. I'm finding this storyline so much more interesting than the first part with her being older with her husband (Dr. Urbino). I was kind of growing fond of the old man before he died trying to catch the parrot! I'm interested to see where this leads with Fermina and Florentino Ariza..knowing that she doesn't end up with him and is married a long time before she sees him again.

I always think about situations like that. How fortunate that I'm able to choose who I want to be with and that my potential husband isn't somebody that is picked by parents just to further me socially. How heartbreaking to see these two young lovers not able to be with each other all because of social reasons. I understand a father wanting the best for his child but I'd like to choose that for myself. I mean, they are pretty young in the story, but just in general I feel that way.

I really liked the aunt and how she was an accomplice in the love letter ordeal.

I'm excited to keep reading!

Anybody else reading through??

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

Pleaaase someone talk to me about this book! I love it! :)

[Jessika]

I read it over the summer--I loved it too! His language is so beautifully crafted and I thought it was such a beautiful story overall.