In Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez takes on some heavy topics, including obsessive, unrequited love; marital love and fidelity; and aging and death.

I read Love in the Time of Cholera as part of the 2022 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. September’s challenge was to read a book written by a Central or South American author in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

A quick summary: The novel takes place somewhere in the Caribbean (the author doesn’t name the city or country) in the late 19th century / early 20th century. The book opens with the death of the elderly and well-respected Dr. Juvenal Urbino, who leaves behind his grieving widow, Fermina Daza. Fermina is approached by Florentino Ariza at her husband’s funeral, who inappropriately expresses his undying love for her. Turns out he’s been pining away for her for over fifty years.

Fermina and Florentino had been involved when they were very young. In fact, Florentino started stalking her (sorry, there’s no other way to put it) when Fermina was a 13-year-old schoolgirl. They corresponded for several years through torrid telegrams and letters, and the one time they actually came face-to-face, Fermina rejected him because she realized their relationship was just an illusion (and that Florentino was rather pitiful).

The book then describes, in great detail, fifty years of the three main characters’ lives. Florentino never gets over Fermina, instead trying to find solace in 622 affairs and one-night stands (he journaled about all of them so he was able to keep count – ew!). Meanwhile, Fermina marries young and struggles with what it means to be a good wife and mother. And her husband, Dr. Urbino, becomes a powerful civic figure and succumbs to infidelity.

I’ll be up front with my opinion – this highly acclaimed book was not for me, and I’ll explain why. But first, let’s discuss the strengths.

Gabriel García Márquez’s prose is beautiful. He was a talented writer whose descriptions of this turn of the century Caribbean city were stunning. I really enjoyed the history and the imagery of Caribbean life he evoked. I can only imagine his writing was even better in his native Spanish. I also liked how he wrote about marital love. Fermina and the doctor’s union had many ups and downs, but in the end, they deeply loved each other and were together over fifty years.

Here’s the part I didn’t like. Florentino was a stalker and a sexual predator who was positioned as some kind of romantic martyr. He would watch Fermina’s house for days on end and go to places where she might be just to get a glimpse of her. This happened across the span of fifty years. To me, the fact that he couldn’t move on when Fermina rejected him isn’t a sign of “great love,” it’s just creepy. Add the fact that he “hunted” for women to sleep with, whom the author once labeled as his “victims,” and you have a major sex offender on your hands. Oh, and as a 70/80 year-old man, he had an affair with a 14 year-old relative. Gross.

At one point, I thought maybe the author was using Florentino as a satirical character, but I don’t think that’s the case. I just didn’t buy him as a sympathetic, romantic character, and that’s the main reason I didn’t care for this book.

If you’ve read Love in the Time of Cholera, I’d love to hear your opinion. Maybe you can change my mind (but probably not :)).

If you read a book by a Central or South American author this month, please tell us all about it!

**Reminder – October’s challenge is to read a book set in Germany. Check out 15 Interesting Books Set in Germany for some ideas.