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booksandabackpack's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Suicide
eleniphant's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
1.0
I do not think I’ve rated a thing so low and I’m probably being harsh. But the only thing I can give this book is the writing and whatever meaning I try to read into it giving benefit of the doubt. I saw a take that Florentino is cholera and you know that is the only take I will accept because fuck that guy.
Does a protagonist need to be likeable? No. If something is in a book is it condoning? No.
I can acknowledge these truths and that Marquez is an extremely talented writer with a solid grasp on craft while also greatly disliking my experience in reading this book.
It’s the casual racism, the kind of dangerous portrayal on rape and how there are at least 3 victims who yearn for their perpetrator and “actually enjoyed it”
This book absolutely lost me though at the final “relationship” I hate to even call it that. Im not going to rant about how that situation was disgusting.
Maybe I’ll try another of his works but it probably won’t be for a long while.
Does a protagonist need to be likeable? No. If something is in a book is it condoning? No.
I can acknowledge these truths and that Marquez is an extremely talented writer with a solid grasp on craft while also greatly disliking my experience in reading this book.
It’s the casual racism, the kind of dangerous portrayal on rape and how there are at least 3 victims who yearn for their perpetrator and “actually enjoyed it”
This book absolutely lost me though at the final “relationship” I hate to even call it that. Im not going to rant about how that situation was disgusting.
Maybe I’ll try another of his works but it probably won’t be for a long while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, and Rape
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
2.25
I'm somewhat surprised that I've gone as long as I have knowing very little about this classic, but it happens. To start, the prose is absolutely beautiful, and I imagine it's even more so in Spanish. Unfortunately, I had a hard time focusing. This is more of a problem related to my reading habits, but the chapters were much longer than I anticipated. I found that I frequently lost track of what was happening because I'd have to stop at random moments to do something else.
However, I just couldn't care very much about the characters, who are supposed to be the driving forces of the novel. I didn't find Fermina to be a compelling character. Florentino had more depth, but wow, is he massively problematic. It was incredibly difficult to look past the fact that an elderly man had sexual relations with a fourteen-year-old girl, for one. There's also the obsessive love for Fermina that didn't strike me as romantic at all, and I found the ending rather lackluster and frustrating, for the most part.
I'm not upset that I read this novel, but I certainly am disappointed that it didn't end up being as gripping and beautiful as I thought it'd be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Racism, Suicide, and Rape
onceupon_longago's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
2.0
I had to spend some time with my thoughts after reading this, because I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I am typically a fan of both historical fiction and love stories, so I had high hopes (especially due to the many accolades this book has received), but ended up disappointed.
It was not a love story at all in a romantic sense. Florentino was too obsessed, and Fermina too indifferent, for me to ever get behind their “love”. I can’t fully decide if this was supposed to be an actual love story, or a commentary on the confusion people make between love and passion. Perhaps both.
There were sections of the book I definitely enjoyed and that flowed really well, but other parts meandered a little too much for my taste, or got stuck on some sidebar for far too long. I did not find the characters particularly likeable, and never found Florentino sympathetic. It is hard to enjoy a book when you cannot root for the main characters.
Lastly, there were several problematic scenarios (see content warnings) that made me frustrated and disgusted, so I can’t make myself give this book a higher rating.
There were sections of the book I definitely enjoyed and that flowed really well, but other parts meandered a little too much for my taste, or got stuck on some sidebar for far too long. I did not find the characters particularly likeable, and never found Florentino sympathetic. It is hard to enjoy a book when you cannot root for the main characters.
Lastly, there were several problematic scenarios (see content warnings) that made me frustrated and disgusted, so I can’t make myself give this book a higher rating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
becksus's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.75
This was tough. I like the way it was written and the world with it's various characters, as it reminded me of One Hundred Years of Solitude (which I enjoyed). I even liked Fermina Daza to an extent. But God, I hate Florentino Ariza. What a creepy sad man (and a pedophile too!). I was not rooting for him to get "the girl", so it was a weird experience to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: War
Minor: Death and Grief
tarajoy90's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, and Pedophilia
hunkydory's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Racism, and Rape
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, and War
saffytriesherbest's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Look it’s got some really well written sections but holy moly trigger warning for assault- there are too many moments that are romanticised it seemed as if by the end of the novel Florentino could’ve been friends with Humbert Humbert
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Racial slurs
Minor: Gore, War, and Child abuse
mayareads's review against another edition
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
2.0
The further I got through this book the less I liked it. The last 20% of the book made me sick to my stomach.
Overall I found this to be a deeply misogynistic book. I'm glad it's over. Would not recommend. Read House of the Spirits instead.
Overall I found this to be a deeply misogynistic book. I'm glad it's over. Would not recommend. Read House of the Spirits instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Pedophilia
Moderate: Death
professionalhater's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Stalking, and Infidelity