Aug 15, 2004 02:29 PM
4591 Views
(Updated Aug 17, 2004 02:09 AM)
Title: Love In The Time Of Cholera
~O My Review O~
It takes place between the end of the 19th Century and ends in the beginning of the 20th Century. Many of the Countries in the Caribbean had a lot of cholera.
This is the love story of Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza.
The novel begins in the middle of the story, and then flashes back, to give you the history of the characters. Then it takes you back where it left off. It was quite interesting to see the novel written this way.
The city where the novel begins is a small town. It is on the edge of a swamp. Very soon it becomes an important port. Some of the people live in huts, while others live in mansions.
The story begins whey Dr. Juvenal Urbino, answers the phone, and he learns that someone has committed suicide by taking cyanide. The smell of almonds were the clue to what killed the person.
Sadly the dead man was his friend and chess partner. There is a mystery about his death. At first I felt very sorry for the doctor. but my feelings changed when he sprayed his urine, all over the seat to impress Florento's lovers.
Flashback
Florentino was delivering a message to Senor Daza, when he sees Femina. She is only 14 years old, he falls in love with her. He begins to send her love letters, for 50 years!
She doesn't want to marry him, and decides to marry another man, Dr. Juvenal Urbino. He is not in love with her, but wants a beautiful wife.
Back To The Present Time
The doctor has sex with a lot of women, while his poor wife sits at home.
One day, Dr. Juvenal Urbino, climbs a tree, to get his wife's pet parrot. He falls and dies.
That is when Florentino comes to her and says, ''Fermina, I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love.''
What happens next? You'll have to read the book to find out!
~OWhat I thought O~
It was interesting to read about the impact that the people had on the Rainforests, and see how it was destroyed, (this is something we all should be aware of, today).
At first I thought this was a strange way of courting, but later found out that, it was quite usual, in those days.
At this time the postal service begins. Both the telephone and typewriter are invented. These are things we take for granted.
You will learn a lot about the civil wars, between the Conservatives and Liberals, that help change the history of this part of America.
I thought that there could have been more dialogue used, rather than the long drawn out descriptions of the surroundings.
The book is filled with prose, that are overly dramatic and yet funny.
There are so many types of love in this book that sometimes you have to stop a while and ask yourself: Is it love? Is love hate? Is love anger? Is love passion?
You don’t get a hint of what the ending will be, and it held my attention to the last word.
If you haven’t read this book yet I hope you will consider reading it.
~O The Author O~
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born in Columbia. He was originally a journalist. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature, for his book One Hundred Years Of Solitude.
Gabriel Marquez develops the characters by observing the relationships of older men falling in love with younger women.
He also plays with words. For example: I learned that the Spanish word el colera, (cholera), is close to a word la colera, which means anger.
~O Other Information O~
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Publisher: Penguin Books
Available in English and Spanish. This book was translated from the original Spanish one.
Number of Pages: 350.
Available in Hardcover and paperback, (I bought the paper back copy)
ISBN # 0140119906
Thanks you for reading my review
©LL2004
