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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault
Not sure how to rate this one. The writing is beautiful and I think he does a good job of capturing the atmosphere of South America in the late 19th and early 20th Century. However, that creates a problem as the (particularly) male attitudes of that time feel awkward to modern day readers
I suppose it is a love story but the main male character comes across as more obsessed than pining for the main female character. He embarks on a flurry of affairs over the 53 years he waits for his first love to be free of her husband mostly with unobtainable women (married) and behaves atrociously at times. His last affair with his ward who is 14 or 15 when it starts feels particularly odd to a modern day reader - it doesn't end well. He only seems to have one female acquaintance that he doesn't bed.
I liked the way he dealt with the characters aging and doesn't shy away from them being old at the end of the book when they finally reconnected. He also deals with the reality of a long marriage as well acknowledging that there are periods of good as well as bad and that things ebb and flow but time is a great healer. I've seen other reviews that describe her marriage as unhappy - I don't think it was just a normal long marriage which isn't always sunshine and roses.
Overall a slightly disturbing book but very well written (I also liked the fact they communicate by letter and that the male character was a bit of a poet). Just deals with historical truths that are hard to accept with modern eyes
I suppose it is a love story but the main male character comes across as more obsessed than pining for the main female character. He embarks on a flurry of affairs over the 53 years he waits for his first love to be free of her husband mostly with unobtainable women (married) and behaves atrociously at times. His last affair with his ward who is 14 or 15 when it starts feels particularly odd to a modern day reader - it doesn't end well. He only seems to have one female acquaintance that he doesn't bed.
I liked the way he dealt with the characters aging and doesn't shy away from them being old at the end of the book when they finally reconnected. He also deals with the reality of a long marriage as well acknowledging that there are periods of good as well as bad and that things ebb and flow but time is a great healer. I've seen other reviews that describe her marriage as unhappy - I don't think it was just a normal long marriage which isn't always sunshine and roses.
Overall a slightly disturbing book but very well written (I also liked the fact they communicate by letter and that the male character was a bit of a poet). Just deals with historical truths that are hard to accept with modern eyes
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Olipahan kirjan. Mietin pariin kertaan, että jätän tämän kesken. Halusin kuitenkin lukea loppuun saakka, jotta voin vihata kunnolla. 😆 Oli kirjassa kuintenkin hyviäkin osia!
➕Tykkään kirjoista, joissa seurataan päähenkilöitä läpi elämän. Se oli tässäkin teoksessa todella kauniisti tehty. Hahmot kasvavat ja elävät epätäydellisiä elämiä.
➖Rasismia, pedofiliaa, seksismiä, raiskauksia, insestiä. Aina kun ajatteli että ei pahemmaksi voi mennä, hups keikkaa sieltä päähenkilö Florentino Ariza aloittaa suhteen 14 vuotiaan sukulaisen kanssa. 🫠🙃
➖Aikanaan tää kirja on voinut olla ihana rakkaustarina, mutta nyt Florentino Ariza vaikutti lähinnä vaan stalkkerilta. Ja ei sillee kivalla tavalla. 🫠
➖Poukkoileva kerronta hämmensi välillä aika paljonkin, kun en ihan muistanut kenestä puhutaan.
Nojoo, en siis erityisesti suosittele. Ei nyt huonoin kirja, mutta paaaljon parempia löytyy helposti. Onneks tämäkin oli alunperin joltain naapurilta. 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Death of parent, Murder
"... they had seen each other for what they were: two old people, ambushed by death, who had nothing in common except the memory of an ephemeral past that was no longer theirs but belonged to two young people who had vanished".
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a slow paced slice of life kind of story, where you're basically just wacthing them live their lives. The people feel very real in the sense that they have real flaws. It has very long chapters which plays with the pacing well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Pregnancy
Minor: Slavery, War
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Love transcending time and somewhat also space. It... Sometimes it gave me an ick, but I understand the phenomenon. Was it utterly romantic? No. Was it a bit obnoxious and intrusive? Yes. Is this book a classic? Absolutely. But I don't know what to think.