El amor en los tiempos del cólera

I tried reading this book several years ago, but didn't get very far at all. The book seems to plod along about as slowly as the years go by in the story.

A man wastes his life, killing time by sleeping with any woman he can get his hands on, while waiting for the husband of the woman he's infatuated with to die. It sounds rather bleak but that's truly what the book is about. What he feels for her is more infatuation than anything else: let alone love. He tells her he's remained a virgin for her, but that couldn't be further from the truth, and she knows it. Maybe it's the characters, specifically Florentino, that I dislike, more than the book. I can't imagine someone wasting 53 years, 7 months, and 11 days obsessed with someone who was able to move on years before.

The other thing that made this book difficult to read was the style of writing. I know it's an old classic, and most old classics tend to be written that way, but it didn't help this book's case any, in my opinion. Someone said you either love this book or you hate it. I'm glad I got through it this time reading it. I did get more out of it this time than my last attempt, but I think I could've lived a happy enough life without it. Maybe I'm missing something?

Whew! I finally finished this book...and I am glad I did. For some reason this book never inspired that "page turner" fever in me. Don't get me wrong, it held my attention and I did love it, but I was never in a race to finish this book. I'm not sure what it was about this story that allowed me to interrupt it with other books, then come back. Maybe I subconsciously wanted to savor the story.

I'll let others decide this books virtues and place in the pantheon of literature. I loved the beautifully drawn characters. I loved the vivid sense of place and period. I loved the dense sentences, each one chewy and sweet. I loved the humanity in this novel.

I didn't love the pacing, yet I doubt I would want it changed - back to that savoring thing, I guess. I should have read this book on a cruise, then I wouldn't be picking nits.

I do think you should read this book. Just don't tempt yourself by putting other books on your nightstand at the same time.