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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
A captivating novella full of that Marquez magic. Don't let the premise of the book (a 90 year old man wanting to experience an adolescent virgin on his birthday) turn you off, it is a lovely little book about age and love.
8797999's review against another edition
4.0
My first re-read of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and my first book of his for a few years and within the first paragraphs I realise why I love his books so much.
He has wonderful poetic prose that I find I cannot consume quickly enough, I just have to gorge myself on more, more more words and paragraphs.
A recent reading of Yasunari Kawabata’s The House of Sleeping Beauties inspired me to read this again because I am led to believe it to be the inspiration for this book, and a passage is mentioned before the title page. Having recently read it I didn’t enjoy it so I wanted to give this another read to refresh my thoughts and feelings having remembered that I enjoyed it very much.
My feelings for both books is night and day, I found this captured the beauty of love at its purest form, although the subject matter can be looked on as a bit creepy or not very normal it was presented in the most sincere and sweet way. To know love and keep it pure, the book to me is love in its purest form and the way the prose is put down is a beauty to read and take in.
I am glad that I decided to read this now and rekindle in myself my affection for the writing of one of the Worlds greatest writers Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
I would rate it 4.5/5 but with the Goodreads rating you can't do half star. So rounded down as opposed to up.
He has wonderful poetic prose that I find I cannot consume quickly enough, I just have to gorge myself on more, more more words and paragraphs.
A recent reading of Yasunari Kawabata’s The House of Sleeping Beauties inspired me to read this again because I am led to believe it to be the inspiration for this book, and a passage is mentioned before the title page. Having recently read it I didn’t enjoy it so I wanted to give this another read to refresh my thoughts and feelings having remembered that I enjoyed it very much.
My feelings for both books is night and day, I found this captured the beauty of love at its purest form, although the subject matter can be looked on as a bit creepy or not very normal it was presented in the most sincere and sweet way. To know love and keep it pure, the book to me is love in its purest form and the way the prose is put down is a beauty to read and take in.
I am glad that I decided to read this now and rekindle in myself my affection for the writing of one of the Worlds greatest writers Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
I would rate it 4.5/5 but with the Goodreads rating you can't do half star. So rounded down as opposed to up.
lorenzo_taiarol's review against another edition
3.0
Videorecensione qui: https://youtu.be/p0oH271qZOg
aaacalli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.5
“I kept interrupting whatever I was doing to call her, and I repeated this for days on end until I realized it was a phone without a heart.”
Quite self-indulgent/up-its-own-ass and with a questionable moral conclusion, but definitely the correct length and does not overstay its welcome. I do think “How could he love this girl if he only likes her as a sleeping virgin, and not a complex being?” This is not love, this is an artist’s musing and projection, as all we artists tend to struggle with. But the author tends to evade that conversation. So I have a problem with how not self-aware this book is. That being said, the prose is beautiful and the commentary on aging and death is much more nuanced than what I’m used to.
Quite self-indulgent/up-its-own-ass and with a questionable moral conclusion, but definitely the correct length and does not overstay its welcome. I do think “How could he love this girl if he only likes her as a sleeping virgin, and not a complex being?” This is not love, this is an artist’s musing and projection, as all we artists tend to struggle with. But the author tends to evade that conversation. So I have a problem with how not self-aware this book is. That being said, the prose is beautiful and the commentary on aging and death is much more nuanced than what I’m used to.
m_sotos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
Love Gabriel Garcia Marquez! His writing is so captivating/transporting and cannot really be likened to anyone else’s (at least that I’ve read).
akelli47's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
jahoo's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.5
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Short, surprisingly funny and astute observation on a long life and loves.
I picked this up in a library I think, many months ago, as a previous reader of Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude. And the title did, of course, intrigue.
Starting this I was worried I was getting another Lolita - a man reaching his 90th birthday pays his local brothel to find him a young virgin to spend the night with.
What follows though is neither teeth-clenching graphic sexual scenes nor unlikeable unequal relationship story. It's more a reminiscence of man who has paid for women but never experienced love. And in the chaste nights with a 14-year-old button factory worker, this newspaper columnist looks back on his life with more scrutiny and even sees more a future for himself in his last years.
There were a few moments where I chortled a bit, and others where I saw truth in the wisdom of age. I still feel a bit 'icky' with the concept of such a young girl with such a young man, whatever the relationship ends up being.
But it was sweet and almost romantic at moments too, and now what I had anticipated.
I picked this up in a library I think, many months ago, as a previous reader of Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude. And the title did, of course, intrigue.
Starting this I was worried I was getting another Lolita - a man reaching his 90th birthday pays his local brothel to find him a young virgin to spend the night with.
What follows though is neither teeth-clenching graphic sexual scenes nor unlikeable unequal relationship story. It's more a reminiscence of man who has paid for women but never experienced love. And in the chaste nights with a 14-year-old button factory worker, this newspaper columnist looks back on his life with more scrutiny and even sees more a future for himself in his last years.
There were a few moments where I chortled a bit, and others where I saw truth in the wisdom of age. I still feel a bit 'icky' with the concept of such a young girl with such a young man, whatever the relationship ends up being.
But it was sweet and almost romantic at moments too, and now what I had anticipated.
seloesch's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Pedophilia
ihyuca's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0