Review: Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

“I’ll have plenty of time to rest when I die, but this eventuality is not yet part of my plans.”

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 348

Rate: 4????

Published: 1985

Goodreads Synopsis

In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is heartbroken, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs—yet he reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina, he will do so again.

My Take

Can we first acknowledge how beautiful that cover is, my goodness! I am in love!! Gabriel Márquez is one author I want to explore more of his works and I decided to start with Love In The Time Of Cholera. I went in blind, wanting to avoid any reviews and/or opinions, you know, to get that first time experience. I absolutely loved this book!

Love In The Time Of Cholera is a book that follows three characters whose lives intertwine together, yet in different ways. It brings about issues on class and love, both platonic and romantic and Gabriel brings this out so beautifully. I was in awe. Florentino and Fermina have different perspectives and ideas and it is fascinating reading through them, trying to understand their choices and decisions. It is truly a spectacle.

I found Márquez’s writing sharp and straightforward which I really liked as the story is set in fluid time going back and forth between what is, what was, and what could be.

I loved the attention to details in the book. Gabriel Márquez has such vivid descriptions that drew me in and I felt like I was right there with the characters. One thing to note though is that the book is majorly plot driven, and the story takes time to develop, but the writing is so good I ended up being sucked in the story and went with it. It is well worth it.

The only problem I had with the book is the lack of character development which I feel could have been better. There was no level of growth at all and it frustrated me a bit.

“Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry all the rest of your life if you say no.”

Love In The Time Of Cholera is a slow burn book that requires patience. You will either love it or hate it. There is no in between. I fortunately love it and I do recommend it.

Have you read the book? What did you think about it?