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A review by ohlhauc
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I'm a sucker for Marquez's writing. As always, it's gorgeous, poetic, and makes you sink into his world effortlessly.
His writing is so enchanting that it can overshadow the plot, which it did in this book. I re-read this immediately after the first time because I felt that I hadn't fully grasped what had happened because of an infatuation with the prose. Upon re-reading and focusing on the story, it was just okay.
The scenes of the main female protagonist and her husband were most interesting, and there were a few times where the female characters were portrayed with spunk, strength, and owning their sexuality although there were some scenes that showed the ugly side of the characters living in a strong patriarchy.
While it's touted as a story of unrequited love, it's more the story of a man obsessed with his first love, in a way that would be creepy and disturbing if left in the hands of a less talented writer. The story also seemed to romanticize sexual assault and the grooming/assault of an underage girl by an elderly man. It was these things that left the most pressing memory and I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading this novel unless you really want to.
His writing is so enchanting that it can overshadow the plot, which it did in this book. I re-read this immediately after the first time because I felt that I hadn't fully grasped what had happened because of an infatuation with the prose. Upon re-reading and focusing on the story, it was just okay.
The scenes of the main female protagonist and her husband were most interesting, and there were a few times where the female characters were portrayed with spunk, strength, and owning their sexuality although there were some scenes that showed the ugly side of the characters living in a strong patriarchy.
While it's touted as a story of unrequited love, it's more the story of a man obsessed with his first love, in a way that would be creepy and disturbing if left in the hands of a less talented writer. The story also seemed to romanticize sexual assault and the grooming/assault of an underage girl by an elderly man. It was these things that left the most pressing memory and I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading this novel unless you really want to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Stalking
Minor: Racism