Dec 17, 2010 11:49 PM
20052 Views
“The house was under the rule of death.”
“There was enough light for him to recognize at once the authority of death.”
“The scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”
With such poetic language and introspective words starts the journey of a reader in the world of “Love in the Time of Cholera” (LITTOC); and to my astonishment, I must say, it maintains the magic - till the very end - in the same fashion. It starts with a sad tone of death and ends with an everlasting hope that only love can provide.
Of many praises of LITTOC given in the initial pages of the book, one that really intrigued me and lingered in my mind all through its reading was – A love story of astonishing power and delicious comedy. Admirers of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” may find it hard to believe that Garcia Marquez can have written an even better novel. But that’s what he has done.
When I finished reading it, contrary to what I had imagined, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was still the best of GGM for me but I do agree that LITTOC has a charm and genre oif its own, and these two classic tales are beyond comparison.
ABOUT THE STORY: When Fermina Daza (FD) decides to throw Florentino Ariza (FA) out of her life, ending their fervent and romantic love affair of more than 3 years, and agrees to marry Dr Juvenal Urbino (JU); FA - in a state of delusion - didn’t know what to do with the rest of his life and let his mother decide the fate of it, who sends him to another city far away from the world of FD, as is generally done in failed love stories.
But LITTOC is not a failed love story; most of all, a person with the character of FA could never have a failed love story. When he comes back to his senses; he resolves to wait for time (not to heal him of his pains but to fulfill his desires); wait for FD to understand and wait for the death of JU, and he do waits for 51 years, 9 months and 4 days for his wish to come true and during all that waiting never did a single thought crosses his mind that he could die before JU, that she may not accept him even if JU dies before him. FA also resolves to earn lots of money and make himself a respectable person in the society, as somewhere at the back of his mind he had the notion that she had left him for money and status of JU. During the time he waits - which constitute major part of the book – he forms relationships with many a women, of different ages, but he never let his love for FD die and keeps on living for the day when he could court her again.
So when JU dies 50 years later, FA without prolonging his wait any further, proposes FD to accept his vow of eternal love and give him another chance on the very day of her husband’s death. Will FD acknowledge this enduring love of FA at the twilight of their age? Will she go against the society of which she has become such an integral part? Does FA at last acquire some love for all the love he had reciprocated in the world around him? Read LITTOC to know.
There is a saying that when one really want something with persistence and accepts nothing else in its place, he often gets it. The persistence and tenacity with which Florentina Ariza waits for the love of Fermina Daza and death of Juvenal Urbino in “Love in the time of Cholera” (LITTOC) reminded me of this great sayings and re-enforced my belief in it.
ABOUT THE CHARACTERS: It may seem from the story above that LITTOC is all about FA, but no, it is equally the story of FD and JU. It runs in multiple frames of time, as I have usually found with the books of GGM. Every big incident to follow is first given a brief introduction in the current event and everything is written from the point of view of all 3 major characters.
Florentino Ariza: A character so full of love that when he writes business letters they turn out to be more of love letters. I can see glimpses of myself in the character of FA, but I guess I have left that romanticism(poetries, love songs, musical instruments, nights of endless dreams) a long time back, but kudos to GGM for creating FA for inspiring us that we can be passionate and loving towards the ones we love and towards the world in general, till the very end of our life; age is no bar.
Fermina Daza: Well, she is a mystery, a strong woman; perfect woman that can make a man crazy of love. It’s not only about the physical beauty that she posses but it’s more of her nature and the way she carry herself and deals with people around. Though it is shown at last that she has have her fears about life in general, but still she remains adorable till very last.
“Her clear almond eyes and her inborn haughtiness were all that were left to her from her wedding portrait, but what she had been deprived of by age she more than made up for in character and diligence.”
Dr Juvenal Urbino: It’s good that story begins with the death of JU and then goes back into their earlier years; otherwise it’d have made me sad that such a perfect gentleman doctor has to die for the FA to accomplish his love. JU is character that illustrates respect, the one whom everyone respects and most loves. But deep inside –as is mostly the case –he has his own fears of life, so much dignity to keep. But the love between JU and FD, is a love of understanding and compromises, the one that grows and grows as the years pass you by.
“He was a perfect husband: he never picked up anything from the floor, or turned out a light or closed a door. And when he found a button missing from his clothes, she would hear him say ‘A man should have two wives: one to love and one to sew on his buttons.’”
A man should have a little bit of both FA and JU, if he really wants to bring a woman like FD in his life and to make sure that she’ll never leave.
Other than these 3 protogonist, there are various other interesting and well sketched characters like ‘Transito Ariza’ mother of FA, ‘Lorenzo Daza’ FD’s father, Escolastica Daza’ FD’s Aunt, Uncle Leo, Leona Cassini etc. and many women characters that helps FA and brings out best in him and in way help him to wait for his ultimate destiny.
ABOUT THE BOOK : With more than 300 pages, and covering an era of almost hundred years sharing 19th and 20th century LITTOC couldn’t have been written better from the pen of any other writer but GGM. He is simply a genius, now that I have already read 3 of his major works; I can confidently pick any of his book and rest assured that it won’t disappoint me.
LITTOC is about Love. It’s about different kinds of love that exist or can exist between a man and a woman. A love of compromise, of friendship, of wisdom, of pity, of understanding, of jealousy, of physical hunger, of lust, of respect, of emotions, of music and above all the love of passion and innocence . All kinds of love are there to be explored in this short journey of 350 pages.
Continued in Comment Section .......
