Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 Rating: 3.5/5

“Love is ridiculous at our age, but at theirs it is revolting.”

The novel- Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is set in 1870s in a city in the Carribean which remains unnamed. 

Florentino Ariza, as a young man falls in love with Fermina Daza who lives in tyranny of her father. However, Fermina is married off to another man- Dr. Juvenal Urbino. Her marriage is not based on love, but on mere stability. But 51 years later, upon the death of her husband, Florentino tries to win her back.

The book deals with a lot of themes like- love, morals, class, societal norms versus personal happiness, and most importantly, for me, the resemblance between cholera and the lovesick protagonist.

Personally, I haven’t been quite a fan of romantic novels, but this love story will always have a place in my heart because, to me, this book deals with the purest form of love. The one that is eternal.

At times, the story proceeds at a very slow pace. And it is a fact that since it was originally written in Spanish, some parts of it is indeed lost in translation. However, the constant love of Florentino Ariza, whether or not requited, will not let you leave the book halfway. I would definitely recommend it.