Monday, September 6, 2010

Week 9: Love in the Time of Cholera (1985 / 1988) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This novel begins on the day that Juvernal Urbino dies. His death is unlike any other death I’ve ever read about in literature:


The novel follows Dr. Urbino on his rounds one day. That morning, his close friend had decided to kill himself on his 60th birthday to avoid getting old. At the end of the day, and just as the reader becomes attached to Urbino, the text sees him climbing a tree to capture an escaped parrot. The moment he reaches out to capture the parrot, Urbino falls to his death.


It’s an amazing way to begin a novel – to establish what the reader would presume to be the central character, only to kill him off, and in such a spectacular fashion.


The story is not about Urbino at all, but about his wife Fermina Daza.


In her youth, Fermina was perused by Florentino Ariza. Ariza continuously declared his love through secret love notes. It appeared as if Fermina responded in kind. But, when she turns eighteen, she decides to marry the more stable and respectable Urbino.


Like many of Marquez’ books, this novel takes place over several decades, chronicling the fallout of Fermina’s choice.


On the surface, it seems like a love story. Two lovers, torn apart by circumstance and chance, are eventually reunited as they reach their twilight years. But to fall for the surface plot is to fall for Marquez’ cleverly orchestrated “trick”.


The central trope in this novel is cholera. Its presence haunts the text, culminating in the final scenes where Ariza’s long awaited boat trip with Fermina is impacted physically, spiritually, and emotionally by this ever-present spectre.


My words can’t do Marquez’ beautiful prose justice, so i'll leave this review short but sweet:


This is a book that I’d encourage anyone to read – just don’t be fooled by the romance. For Marquez, love, like cholera, is a deadly illness.


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