Reviews with content warning for Racism - Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez 2014) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (6-Mar-2014) Paperback

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez 2014) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (6-Mar-2014) Paperback by Gabriel García Márquez

103 reviews

bianpach's review against another edition

0.5

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Gabriel Garcia Marquez manages to immerse the reader in the story, but it is not a good story. It does have a few funny moments but it reeks of misogyny overall.

We are supposed to root for Florentino Ariza, but he is a rapist and a pedophile.

Florentino is tutoring a 14 y/o and ends up making her his lover. Mind you, he's seventy-something when this happens. There’s one part where he even explains how, at the beginning of their relationship, he pretty much used baby talk to undress her. Gross. He eventually breaks up with her in order to pursue Fermina Daza. The girl is heartbroken and ends up committing suicide. When Florentino finds out, he feels guilty but instantly moves on with his life. He randomly remembers later on and cries because “he realized how much he used to love her”. Ugh. 🙄

Rape is portrayed as something normal. There are three instances where sexual assault is mentioned. In the first two, the victim ends up being obsessed with their assaulter, thinking about them and even yearning for them years later. The third assault is given as an example to show how “virile” the rapist was.

Also, most –if not all–of the characters are racist.

Content Warnings

sssnowjanus's review against another edition

3.5

challenging reflective relaxing slow-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: Complicated

Content Warnings

jessthebookdragon's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It is an interesting book to study writing style and symbolism, but I could not enjoy the plot or characters when there are so many misrepresentations of love. If you’re looking for romance, I wouldn’t recommend this. If you want to study Garcia Marquez’s writing style, then sure, pick it up.

***Spoiler below***

I could not root for a relationship when the man raped one of his servants and groomed his teenage charge.

Content Warnings

whoisrois's review against another edition

3.25

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

there was a lot to like but there was even more that was boring as helllllll. good ending tho

Content Warnings

erikaraz's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Mostly enjoyed this read. The overarching story of love that never dies and the character who embodies longing were very sweet. There are a few words & ideas in it that are racist, pedophilic, or otherwise offensive/uncomfortable.

Content Warnings

lillydarlingg's review against another edition

4.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

operanerd's review against another edition

2.25

challenging dark sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

kathryn4's review against another edition

2.5

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Content Warnings

accain33's review against another edition

1.0

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: Complicated

Content Warnings

allensmithee's review against another edition

0.5

dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Horror dressed in pretty prose. What starts off as an annoying depiction of limerence escalates into a grotesque portrayal of entitlement, manipulation, and predation, all thinly veiled as romantic devotion. There is no genuine love here—only obsession that demands reward, no matter the cost to others. The writing was beautiful, which somehow makes the content even more disturbing. It seduces you into witnessing abject horror as though it's something tender. I can acknowledge the skill in the writing, but I currently feel so tainted by the story that I can’t even bring myself to give it a single star.

Content Warnings

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