A review by onceupon_longago
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

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. 
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