Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Themes: Love, Destiny, Relationships
I had a lot of hesitation going in to this book because I previously read 100 Years of Solitude and found it to be very dense and difficult. I am glad that I gave Love in the Time of Cholera a chance because I really enjoyed it, for the most part. Interestingly enough, they were similar in that 100 Years follows a town from start to finish and Love follows a relationship from start to finish.
Marquez is a gifted storyteller and it is easy to get lost in the vivid world that he creates. Even so, I found it difficult at parts to just focus on the flow and depth of the story because I was distracted by the Lolita subplot: I couldn't root for him to win his love after he ruined a young girl's life. I get it, love and relationships are complicated, but there are some things that are just unforgivable.
In addition, I'm not sure if I liked the ending. I need to think about it more: I like that the author didn't wrap everything up too neatly but it was a bit abrupt.
Overall, an interesting and complex tale of the complexity of love, destiny, and relationships.
