Book 72: Love in the Time of Cholera

In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s delayed-gratification love story, Florentino Ariza waits over 50 years for his dream woman’s husband to die so he can try to court her again. Is that extremely romantic or sort of pathetic?

I really enjoyed the writing, which is perfect, and the historical nature of the story (the Caribbean circa 1880 – 1930). I never knew that Colombia is considered part of the Caribbean, so I got to learn a new geography fact. :)

One line I loved, and that I will envision forever, is about some passengers on a riverboat: “… and Florentino Ariza had noticed them only because they carried the sleeping child in a large birdcage.”

I got a little tired of the characters by the end. Florentino Ariza, having sometimes-unusal sex all over town, with hundreds of women (including his 14-year old niece – when he’s old) while keeping up the appearance of being a respectable man (though widely suspected of being gay) became less and less appealing to me. That he passed up his chance at actual love with his co-worker to wait forever for Fermina Daza’s hypothetical love was exasperating.

Fermina Daza, so haughty, so stubborn, so prideful. I sometimes really enjoyed her and her confidence and strength. Eventually I just thought that she deserved Florentino (kind of as a punishment for her snootiness).

Marquez has said that this is not just a simple love story. You can see it as a metaphor for all the different kinds of love. You can see love as a disease, like cholera (Duh).

BUT, I think maybe you can see it also as an unromantic view of romance. Love isn't convenient or easy. Sometimes you do have to wait and then settle for the person after they've wasted time and grown jaded and wrinkled and they smell old and need help up the stairs. Love is imperfect, like life and like people. It's work and sacrifice and disappointment -- not just attraction.




Whether you see it as the ultimate romance or not, this is a perfectly written book. My edition was translated by Edith Grossman, and I highly recommend it.