Love in the Time of Cholera
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Love in the time of Who cares?
message 51:
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Bennard
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Feb 17, 2012 11:07AM
Gabriel Garcia Marquez is my favorite author and I think most of the judgment on him here is unfair. Magical realism is not your run-of-the-mill genre when it comes to fiction. The beauty is supposed to be in the long descriptions that others find boring. All of Gabo's work are not supposed to be easy reads and anyone expecting his works to be page-turners are in for a nasty surprise.
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Love/Cholera is not for everyone. Personally, I think it's a gorgeous piece of writing; it's one of my favorites, even though I had a few false starts when trying to read it at a younger age. I also think Oprah did a lot of people a grave disservice by adding it to her book club, as it's not for the casual reader, even the casual reader of classics.
It is gorgeous in its prose. I got swept in all the inner dealings of the family, and I liked the way that names got passed down much like we have in Hawaii to keep the family connection intact.
The prose is amazing and the story, though others may find the plot so simple and the love story so sick, an interesting read. It may not be that so superb as the storytelling in one hundred years of solitude where magical realism was pioneered. Reading books should not be look at its entertaining part only but rather on its contribution to the rich literature of the world. And I find those against in this novel swept by the new generation writers where science fiction is prevalent and classic novels find themselves stuck in stockroom.
I was about 3/4th the way through it and was making myself finish it. My mom had read it and I heard her tell someone the ending so I stopped reading. It was awful. I am weary about his other books. Anyone have experience with them?
Count me in as one who hated this book!
I loved this book, as well as Hundred Years of Solitude, but I did read both of them in Spanish. Maybe that makes a difference.
Megan wrote: "Of the two, I enjoyed 100 Years of Solitude a lot more than Love in the Time of Cholera, although I liked both, and neither entirely blew me away. I think the magical realism is more developed in..."
well I agree completely... 100 years of solitude was as flamboyant and picturesque compared to the latter. It's progression is slower...But one can't altogether deny that it's a let down book...
Wow, I haven't read all the comments in this thread, but maybe there is something wrong with me. I have loved everything that Marquez has written. I was so entranced while reading 100 Years of Solitude and Chronicle of a Death Foretold that my partner couldn't get a word out of me until I had finished reading. Then, after 100 Years especially, I spent the next 4 days completely pumped from the read. Granted, love in the time of cholera, my third Marquez read, didn't have the same effect on me, but I still really really enjoyed it. That said, some of my other favourite reads have covered similar spans, encompassing massive family trees and similar topics. I was completely taken aback when my partner, who is almost as avid a devourer of well-written fiction as I am, couldn't make it more than a quarter of the way into 100 years, despite my doing him up a family tree so he could keep track of the brothers :P I suppose he is the normal one after all based on what I am reading here. Haha. Oh, and yes, the movie was AWFUL! I was so sad, because I had been so excited after seeing Javier Bardam in No Country for Old Men :(
Oh my god, Moby Dick is so boring. Perhaps if I could find an abridged version without all the descriptions of whale biology and behaviour... But then, there wouldn't be much left over I suppose. I also skipped all the chapters about the Napoleonic Wars in War and Peace, so for me, the book was pretty much just Peace :)
Will wrote: "Love in the Time of Cholera is potatoes. Plenty good for you.One Hundred Years of Solitude is meat, potatoes, vegetables, sauces and spices, dessert, an open bar, and six hits of acid.
Guess whi..."
You said it so well. I loved One Hundred Years, hated the other.
I love this book. GGM proves the very hispanic saying: "There is no impossible woman only an impatient man". It took him 53 years but he got his woman.
Sorry for getting here late. I'm finding my way around. Love in the Time of Cholera is one of my all time favourite books. Yes, it takes a wee bit of getting into, but the reward is wonderful. This book has one of the most beautiful endings I have ever read ... Solitude: I just couldn't get into that one despite two tries.
I had a friend who was reading it and said it got better as you went along. It didn't.
I really battled to get through this book... I found it a very difficult read - it didn't flow at all? I was disappointing that it has got such good reviews...
got to the bit where the elderly man was having sex with the fourteen year old girl and thought, why the hell am I reading this book?!
I was doing a 12 day hike in Nepal when I was reading this book. I'd hike uphill all day, crawl into bed with Love in the Time of Cholera, and then do some more goddamn uphill hiking.
I hated it and was THE only one in my book group to even finish it.
This is a great book to enjoy it its native language, as all of his books. This is about lost chances, and how a couple can find another even after a life long quest to repair a mistake. Not many people, in fact, very few, can actually relive their earlier loves. I have yet to read one of Marques books I did not loved. A word of advice, If you want to really understand his books, start by reading his autobiography " Living to tell the tell" or in Spanish, Vivir para contarlo.
I hardly made it till 40 pages...''Love in the time of who cares'' totally!
Olivia wrote: "got to the bit where the elderly man was having sex with the fourteen year old girl and thought, why the hell am I reading this book?!" Ditto! By this point I thought he was such a pervert, that I just could not force myself to like him in the least.
Sue wrote: "Are you nuts? This book was amazing! That being said, l totally understand where you're coming from. Just because something is deemed a classic, doesn't actually make it good. Ever tried to sit dow..."Well, I have Love in the Time of Cholera up there as one of the most beautiful and haunting books on the theme of destructively obsessive love I've ever read. An amazing book.
I also happened to think Moby Dick was a tremendous novel too. On the Whiteness of the Whale is one of those chapters of prose that left me practically gasping in awe at the quality of the writing.
Each to their own, I suppose, but I'm a bit shocked frankly at all the people who found no redeeming features in Love in the Time of Cholera. It has a totally deserved reputation, imho.
Alyssa wrote: "I also did not really enjoy reading this book. I wrestled my way through it because I hate quitting a book, but there was hardly any plot reward for making it to the end. I also thought the movie..."And I'm similarly shocked that alot of people seem to think Love in the Time of Cholera is an awful book !
Ben wrote: "American Philistinism at its finest."Haha. Gotta agree with you there.
Marcelo wrote: "OK, I am going to have to disagree here with the simplification in many comments on these forums dealing with GGM that chalk up certain traits of his writing up to "Latin culture" or "Latin America..."Marcelo wrote: "OK, I am going to have to disagree here with the simplification in many comments on these forums dealing with GGM that chalk up certain traits of his writing up to "Latin culture" or "Latin America..."
Social wrote: "I think you missed the point of the book. You have to read it considering the context in which it develops and the impossibility of a love that could have been. It is not so different to many other..."
So glad to find out I'm not the only person out there who hated this book. I read it because it was a book that I was told I should read by a teacher when I read it I asked the teacher if they had ever read it...I told them not to bother. It took me almost a year and reading other books in-between in order to finish it.
Wow, this thread is a goldmine, and it's really making me want to read this book again. It was a long time ago that I read it, and I don't remember it well, though I did quite like it. The negative blasts don't deter me, and the well thought critical defenses and descriptions of the book remind we a little of the reasons why I read it in the first place.I'm sorry to see people trashing Moby Dick here, though. I never really expected most people would like Moby Dick, and of course it wasn't a success in its own day either, but for those of us who love Melville it is sad to imagine readers forcing themselves to read the book, yet never finding its enchantment. After reading Moby Dick, I later read a collection of Melville short stories, and came to really appreciate his power, his intensity, and the depth of his thought regarding the human mind and human passions.
I hated this book. I went into it not having heard about it at all - I know what you're thinking, I must be kidding, right? But I honestly had never heard of it so had no idea it was deemed such a literary classic. I couldn't get beyond the first 50 pages, so I shelved it and decided to come back to it later.Fast forward some years later - now having heard so much about this book and how great it was, by some sickening twist of fate, I ended up going to watch the movie of this in the cinema with my mother. Mistake. Both of us were shocked at first, not having expected it to be so explicit, but later when the shock wore off, we were just bored. The movie was so terrible that I couldn't believe it could have been adapted from the same book.
This time I read the book. I've never been more disappointed or more surprised that some people would call this a classic. I think the world has seen so much happen that society has become exceptionally cynical. A lot of people seem to think that for something to be artistic, it needs to be ugly and cynical and repulsive and sickening...because only that can be "real". I disagree - art can be beautiful too, and a lot of the "real world" is beautiful and nice and endearing.
The beginning and middle of this book along with the protagonists just repulsed me so much that I couldn't enjoy the ending. I just disagree with it. I guess to each their own. I just think reading should be an enjoyable experience...no amount of well-written prose or beautiful imagery can compensate for a book you just can't enjoy.
Zadignose wrote: "Wow, this thread is a goldmine, and it's really making me want to read this book again. It was a long time ago that I read it, and I don't remember it well, though I did quite like it. The negative..."I love Moby Dick it's by far one of my favorite books of all time. I think the best part of Love in the time of Cholera for me was this passage “Olimpia Zuleta had the joyous love of a startled pigeon fancier, and she preferred to remain naked for several hours in a slow-moving response that was for her, as loving a love itself. The cabin was dismantled, half painted, and they would take the odor of turpentine away with them in the memory of a happy afternoon. In a sudden inspiration, Florentino Ariza opened a can of red paint that was within reach of the bunk, wet his index finger, and painted the pubis of the pigeon fancier with an arrow of blood pointing south, and on her belly the words: This pussy is mine. That night, Olimpia Zuleta undressed in front of her husband, having forgotten what was scrawled there, and he did not say a word, his breathing did not even change, nothing, but he went into the bathroom for his razor while she was putting on her nightgown, and in a single slash cut her throat.”
My book club read this book several years ago and it almost brought an end to our group. I have a reputation for always finishing the book, but on the night of our meeting one woman asked me if I'd finished it, and I had to say no. She said, "Oh! You're human!" I finished this book out of a sense of duty and hope that the author would get better by the end. I was very glad to hear a few interpretations by others that make sense, but overall I didn't like this book for one simple reason--behind every word I sensed a coldness and cruelty I just couldn't accept. The author may be a great writer, but he's missing some DNA. I won't read anymore of his work. It's not worth the effort.
I agree that's he's not worth the effort it took me so long to read the book that at one point or another I was just shocked that this book is so popular as it is. I do have to disagree however that the coldness isn't what turned me off it kept me interested enough to keep reading it.
I have put this book in that category of books that are promoted by the publisher so everyone rushed out to buy it but few people read it all the way through. It's not a real best-seller, but rather a best-promoted book. Some of the others in this category are The Name of the Rose by Umberto Ecco and Eat, Pray, Love.
I never finished this book. I read "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and like it, but this one could not hold my interest.
I loved this book, but I had already read 100 Years of Solitude, so I had a sense of what to expect. Like many Latin American and Spanish writers, Garcia Marquez requires a greater commitment on the part of the reader than most of us are prepared to offer: the book is slow going, because the story is one that spans an entire lifetime, and the author makes few concessions to our short attention spans...
Hi Dave. Very well put. I absolutely agree.Dave wrote: "I loved this book, but I had already read 100 Years of Solitude, so I had a sense of what to expect. Like many Latin American and Spanish writers, Garcia Marquez requires a greater commitment on th..."
Dave wrote: "I loved this book, but I had already read 100 Years of Solitude, so I had a sense of what to expect. Like many Latin American and Spanish writers, Garcia Marquez requires a greater commitment on th..."It's not just a question of commitment. I have a lot of patience for a slow pace when I feel the book is worth it.
But for me the commitment I put into finishing this book was wasted. I'm only glad it was a library book and I hadn't wasted my money as well.
Different readers require different things from their reading.
I need an emotional connection and to find something admirable even in the most flawed main protagonist. For me all the main characters in the novel were unrelentingly vile or weak and petty.
The elegant writing was not enough of a compensation.
For another reader whose main requirement is beautiful prose I can see that this book would satisfy even enchant.
It's not a matter of commitment but of personal preference.
I think why it was so popular was because it was on Opra's book club list. In a way it reminded me of Don Quixote just slow paced and spanning everything.
It certainly moves slower than some more modern books, but that's just the style of the times. I hated the movie but the book was okay. I probably won't read it again, but I certainly didn't hate it. I liked the idea of love conquering all, even after all those years.
Anna for me it wasn't a question of the time period in which it was written but more of what the subject was. Most of the books I read have been out of print so long that finding them is best in used bookstores.
Sandyboy wrote: "i made it exactly half way and was attacked by the "really who gives a shit" bug and threw it away"That same bug got me!
Its one of the best books I have read! Loved it! Even 100 years.
I love the diversity on this site.
Marcelo wrote: "OK, I am going to have to disagree here with the simplification in many comments on these forums dealing with GGM that chalk up certain traits of his writing up to "Latin culture" or "Latin America..."Thanks for this thoughtful analysis.
It's not an easy book to be sure. It kind meanders through the life of the protagonist with little or no dramatic imperative. But what sustains the story and the readers interest is the never wavering love this man has for this woman. On may levels he is pathetic: literally so (his stature, his pride); but also metaphorically: his refusal to give up his love for the woman, no matter the humiliation. It is really that juxtaposition between his pathetic position and the nobility of his strength of feeling for her that makes the novel so compelling. He never stops loving her. My favourite bit (it has been sometime since I read it last) was when he buys the mirror that, for one evening in a restaurant, had held her reflection and he bought it out of jealousy or envy or possessiveness or some such silly notion. An odd, slightly sentimental conceit I'm sure but still very affecting. Don't we all dream that we will find that one true person? Now this story is a tad contrived but then again it is literature of the highest order, it is not merely a romantic story but rather explores deeply the impact love can have on our souls, on our character and on our lives.
This book affected me in a way I still have no words for. I could not stop thinking about Florentino long after I finished the book. What a story! I was also struck by Marquez's writing - so descriptive and transporting. I'm sorry so many did not "get it". And truly - it's not so much about "Latino culture" as it is about telling a story. It's about mistakes, obsession, love, sex, and growing old. This is one of my favorite books of all time.
Jess wrote: "we just read this at book club and I have never seen so many people hate one book so much. I was told it was a must read and a literary classic but i too have never hated a book so much! Anyone e..."
I did finish this book but I did not see what all the fuss was about. I am the type to finish any book I read but this one was hard to finish. Could not finish 100 Years of Solitude though.
LOL the title of the thread is hilarious. I admit that I was not as amazed with the book as I thought I would be, also likely due to the hype around it... However I'm sure I'll enjoy the movie with Benjamin Bratt a whole lot!! (maybe even more than the book?! lol)
I think this is a dazzling book - beautifully written with complex characters - real people who are neither good nor bad but just themselves. If you're looking for magic realism 100 Years of Solitude is more typical - if I can use a word like that of such a unique book. But Love in the Time of Cholera is a wonderful read I'd say - a grown up love story which repays every moment you spend with it and lives long in the memory.
*lives long in the memory*Especially the wonderful conclusion.
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