Love in the Time of Cholera
question
Message of the book??
What I got out of it is reinforcement of many things in which I already believe. Such as: not giving up, not following any rules made up by others, ignore conventions, trust your own destiny...don't put the advice of others over your own instincts.
'Superficial appearances' don't matter...the most important things are what you feel, not what you think. Nothing is final, no door is shut permanently. The fundamental things in life can be discovered (or re-discovered) at any time and in any place.
'Superficial appearances' don't matter...the most important things are what you feel, not what you think. Nothing is final, no door is shut permanently. The fundamental things in life can be discovered (or re-discovered) at any time and in any place.
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I read this book in Spanish, my native language, and the message for me has been (besides love)the transience of time in human life. The book got me thinking intensely and densely in SENILITY. Our time is more fragile than our feeling of love.
Contrary to many here, it seems to me that Love in the Time of Cholera is not what it appears. The plotline about Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza is not about love, but rather madness. After the first letter, there was a bird that shit on their letter. After seeing his madness, a doctor confuses the symptoms of cholera for that of love. His madness seems to be a disease. Daza and Arizo are like teenagers texting each other before college, promising each other that they'll date, only to find out that, after the first word, their relationship is almost irreparably shattered. When Arizo tries to find her on the dock, she passes him BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW HIM. They're essentially pen palls--one of whom simply seems to regurgitate the lines he read in his books, not knowing the good from the bad. He literally stocks her everywhere she goes for years before he gets a response. Even if it works in the end, it's still creepy. It's like stocking your Instagram crush for years and finally getting with them. Further, just because they write letters doesn't make them refined persons. I don't see any difference between a modern stalker and Florentino Ariza.
I didn't really get a message from it. For me, this book was about every aspect of life and love and realism and magic. Quite frankly, the writing and the words were the stars here. The language and sentences were transportive. I've heard that it's even more beautiful in Spanish. I can't imagine any improvement, but wish I knew Spanish so that I could experience it.
This is a book written in a flowery style with poetic descriptions and almost no dialogue. In my opinion the POV is from a despicably disturbed individual Florentino Ariza. While the prose describing the main protagonist comes off as romantic and self servingly pathetic, in reality he is a basically a sociopathic stalker. If you think about his overall character (aside from the fact that this was in a different era), he caused a great deal of pain to many women (and even was the catalyst for the deaths of more than one of them). He also was a self described "dirty old man" pedo playing with a baby in diapers. So please, don't sugarcoat this character as a dignified "lover". If you do, you've fallen for a great facade, which even the author has alluded to in interviews, of his books having hidden traps and/or double entendre's.
This protagonist was a letter writer of persuasive prose (glib seduction/grooming) for not only himself, but for others. I equate the title to being the description of his love NOT being love, but a sickness that equates to the then deadly disease of cholera. Even Ariza's mother describes her son as only having suffered only one sickness in his life, cholera (which he never actually did, it was his supposed symptoms of "love" being mistaken for cholera).
Back in that era of arranged marriages and long drawn out courtship's based on societal status, romanticism was at a different level and pace - but don't be fooled by the main character and feel the pity being woven around him. That is the trick of this book is understanding that we are hearing the story from the POV of a very sick, obsessed and persuasive narcissist. And Fermina Daza is captured by him in the end.
Very poignant the foreshadowing of Dr. Urbino's dying words, "Only God knows how much I've loved you." to Fermina. Because she never will - throughout the story she is caught up in the sickness of our main protagonist's "cholera", and in the end being a lonely old widow.
Dr. Urbino, being the champion of curing other's of the deadly disease of the time is destined to die never being able to cure the cholera that exists in his own marriage. Ariza does not "love" Fermina. He doesn't even know her. He only lusts her and it is because he can't have her. Many readers believe it is truly a book about "love" but it isn't and that is what could be dangerous. This book treads a fine line and a level of sophistication that may bypass many. A story of sickness woven with golden thread.
This protagonist was a letter writer of persuasive prose (glib seduction/grooming) for not only himself, but for others. I equate the title to being the description of his love NOT being love, but a sickness that equates to the then deadly disease of cholera. Even Ariza's mother describes her son as only having suffered only one sickness in his life, cholera (which he never actually did, it was his supposed symptoms of "love" being mistaken for cholera).
Back in that era of arranged marriages and long drawn out courtship's based on societal status, romanticism was at a different level and pace - but don't be fooled by the main character and feel the pity being woven around him. That is the trick of this book is understanding that we are hearing the story from the POV of a very sick, obsessed and persuasive narcissist. And Fermina Daza is captured by him in the end.
Very poignant the foreshadowing of Dr. Urbino's dying words, "Only God knows how much I've loved you." to Fermina. Because she never will - throughout the story she is caught up in the sickness of our main protagonist's "cholera", and in the end being a lonely old widow.
Dr. Urbino, being the champion of curing other's of the deadly disease of the time is destined to die never being able to cure the cholera that exists in his own marriage. Ariza does not "love" Fermina. He doesn't even know her. He only lusts her and it is because he can't have her. Many readers believe it is truly a book about "love" but it isn't and that is what could be dangerous. This book treads a fine line and a level of sophistication that may bypass many. A story of sickness woven with golden thread.
The message is not about love at all... are people here daft?
Florentino follows his passion which leads him to becoming a hugely contemptible character blind to the harm he does himself and those around him.
Fermina chooses reason which quite slowly degrades her spirit and turns her from subject to object.
The author does not do a good job of balancing these two motifs in a way that leads to synergy, but rather allows Florentino’s psychosis to warp the narrative in the manner that takes the reader into dark depths of his sociopathy. The reader unfortunately emerges from those dark depths near the end of the book without anything to show for it.
A pyrrhic victory is attained where no victory at all would have helped complete the depth of the characters.
The book seems to have been the authors attempt to exercise his writing prowess for nothing more than that in itself.
Florentino follows his passion which leads him to becoming a hugely contemptible character blind to the harm he does himself and those around him.
Fermina chooses reason which quite slowly degrades her spirit and turns her from subject to object.
The author does not do a good job of balancing these two motifs in a way that leads to synergy, but rather allows Florentino’s psychosis to warp the narrative in the manner that takes the reader into dark depths of his sociopathy. The reader unfortunately emerges from those dark depths near the end of the book without anything to show for it.
A pyrrhic victory is attained where no victory at all would have helped complete the depth of the characters.
The book seems to have been the authors attempt to exercise his writing prowess for nothing more than that in itself.
For me the message of the book is to never give up and follow your heart. From the beginning the main character followed his heart and at the end he accomplished what he wanted. The books has a lot of subjects and different events, but they all centered around the main character and everything he went through until he got Fermina!
It´s Marquez´s homage to persistent and undiminished love, resilience in the face of distraction, goal setting undeterred, and the seemingly impossible dream that is realized through an unerring adherence to one´s feelings.
There's something to do with Flaubert's parrot at work here (subjectivism etc.)but I haven't quite put my finger on it yet. I'm got The Fragrance of Guava on my reading list so maybe something Marquez says there will clarify things.
It's been a while since I read this but what stays with me is that true love transcends time.
I think it's a pretty simple message, mind you I haven't read it in some time. But, what I got from it was, never give up. It's never too late to live the life that you want.
The message is this - the first fall ushers in old age and the second fall ushers it out!!
A beautiful book in many ways.
A beautiful book in many ways.
Jani, I have the same opinion you do that the book Love in the Time of Cholera seems more like a description of reality, for whatever that's worth, as opposed to a message book.
I don't think the author really approves of Florentino Ariza. He just describes him.
There is a lot of insight into married love in the book as well.
I found this in another thread and I think it makes a lot of sense: "It's about old age. Jeremiah Saint-Amour decides to kill himself at age 60 because he doesn't want to grow old. When Dr. Juvenal Urbino inspects the scene, he is already 20 years older than 60. Following this is a detailed description of his old-age related afflictions, as well as a description of the aging Fermina Daza. Throughout the book, there are references to age, aging, and decay - not only in body and mind, but also in the physical surroundings, the buildings, the town, the dock, the boat, etc. This is all connected to the end, where the elderly Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza find love - well past the "deadline" of age 60... So the question that is asked and explored is: What is the value of old age? Is there anything to look forward to? Can something new grow and develop out of something old? Is old age something to be feared or dismissed or avoided?"
I don't think the author really approves of Florentino Ariza. He just describes him.
There is a lot of insight into married love in the book as well.
I found this in another thread and I think it makes a lot of sense: "It's about old age. Jeremiah Saint-Amour decides to kill himself at age 60 because he doesn't want to grow old. When Dr. Juvenal Urbino inspects the scene, he is already 20 years older than 60. Following this is a detailed description of his old-age related afflictions, as well as a description of the aging Fermina Daza. Throughout the book, there are references to age, aging, and decay - not only in body and mind, but also in the physical surroundings, the buildings, the town, the dock, the boat, etc. This is all connected to the end, where the elderly Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza find love - well past the "deadline" of age 60... So the question that is asked and explored is: What is the value of old age? Is there anything to look forward to? Can something new grow and develop out of something old? Is old age something to be feared or dismissed or avoided?"
This is not a love story and the message is not about true love never dying or never giving up on love. Florentino believes that his is a love story, but he clearly lives in a fantasy world where he chases the ghost of an idolized woman who doesn't really exist. In the process, he uses, hurts and even causes the death of other women, for whom he cares nothing.
Any book is much more than the sum of its characters, plot and setting.
With the combination of nonsense, humiliation, longing, love, lust, appearances, expectations, weather, innocence, naivety, compromise, hope, promise, surrogacy, enemas and colonialism (to mention but a few of the magnificent ingredients in this pot), GGM weaves a tale that is carried along upon some of the most sublime and vivid sentences ever penned. This alone would make it outstanding literature.
What elevates it even further is the impact it can have on the reader. To put the reader right there with characters and setting so vividly that you can really taste the place is completely artful. Then to engage you in a story that spans a lifetime is extraordinary.
Just the thought of the profound joy at reading the last page of this masterpiece over ten years ago moves me still.
Stupendous writing. GGM you will be sorely missed.
RH
With the combination of nonsense, humiliation, longing, love, lust, appearances, expectations, weather, innocence, naivety, compromise, hope, promise, surrogacy, enemas and colonialism (to mention but a few of the magnificent ingredients in this pot), GGM weaves a tale that is carried along upon some of the most sublime and vivid sentences ever penned. This alone would make it outstanding literature.
What elevates it even further is the impact it can have on the reader. To put the reader right there with characters and setting so vividly that you can really taste the place is completely artful. Then to engage you in a story that spans a lifetime is extraordinary.
Just the thought of the profound joy at reading the last page of this masterpiece over ten years ago moves me still.
Stupendous writing. GGM you will be sorely missed.
RH
I think the book has many messages but whenever I think of Love in the Time of Cholera I think of lifetime love. But I think the message is that no matter where we go, what we do, and who we become...we will always have a connection to those we've loved.
Love is complex. This book teaches a lot on this fact. Initially I found it hard to accept Florentino's love for so many other women as the consequence of being rejected by Fermina Daza and promising to love her all his life. But as I read more I realized that love has many shades.
The book gives a very strong message that its possible to love more than one person just as he realizes his love for America, even though he is reunited with his unrequited love. Every affair he has , was a different experience for him but his affair with Fermina Daza stands greatest among them all. Its the most special as it portrays love even at old age which is considered impossible.
The book also brings out the plight of widows and how the death of their husbands is not the end of their lives.
The domestic love between Fermina Daza and Juvenal Urbino is a stark contrast to the culmination of the affair at old age between Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza. Fermina herself gets confused which is love, the one with her husband or the one with her childhood illusory lover.
Florentino's character understands women like no other man would. He teaches us that love can conquer all and it is worth waiting for true love.
The book gives a very strong message that its possible to love more than one person just as he realizes his love for America, even though he is reunited with his unrequited love. Every affair he has , was a different experience for him but his affair with Fermina Daza stands greatest among them all. Its the most special as it portrays love even at old age which is considered impossible.
The book also brings out the plight of widows and how the death of their husbands is not the end of their lives.
The domestic love between Fermina Daza and Juvenal Urbino is a stark contrast to the culmination of the affair at old age between Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza. Fermina herself gets confused which is love, the one with her husband or the one with her childhood illusory lover.
Florentino's character understands women like no other man would. He teaches us that love can conquer all and it is worth waiting for true love.
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