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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disturbing
slow-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gorgeously written with a clever title that encompasses major themes of the novel. Not usually a romance fan, so my rating might be a bit lower as I needed a bit more in the plot, however, I appreciated how this novel explores the diversity in what love means or mistakenly is thought to mean (with the main ‘love’ story being obsessive), what love might look like in a variety of contexts and ages, and ultimately what love or the idea of love can drive someone to do. Very slow at times, especially the chapter when Fermina and Florentino are living their own lives (although i recognize that this might be the point - still had to juggle all these other characters and story lines). Parts were rather funny in a bit of a messed up way (e.g., Dr. Juvenal Urbino’s love for Fermina being described as a ‘clinical error’, the story where Florentino almost invites a deadly Asylum escapee to the lighthouse). The flow in narration was also very well done, going from character to character without feeling like the story was jumping all over the place.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
it was alright but so racist 😭
This had been recommended to me by more than one friend as their favourite book of all time. I was expecting a beautiful love story but was frankly horrified but many aspects of the story. The writing is stunning without a doubt ... but the relationship is not love in my view but rather an extremely disturbed and unhealthy obsession. It made me wonder whether in my more romantic youth I'd have also considered this a love story. I found much of it disturbing, particularly the description of Florentino's grooming and seduction of a little girl when he was an old man. Absolutely nauseating.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide
emotional
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:
N/A
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
SIGH where to start with this one. I’ve never read writing like this. There are so many original, beautiful aphorisms in this book, it’s like hit after hit on a number 1 album that you can’t quite believe has so many.
That said, this is a book that “challenges” you. Parts of the plot are morally gross. But I still rate it 5* because it is a masterfully told story with incredible spirit. The kind where you want to know what happens to every character. Although spoiler: there is not one likeable man in this book, putting it mildly.
That said, this is a book that “challenges” you. Parts of the plot are morally gross. But I still rate it 5* because it is a masterfully told story with incredible spirit. The kind where you want to know what happens to every character. Although spoiler: there is not one likeable man in this book, putting it mildly.