Why this book:Selected by my literature reading group. One of our members had been advocating for a Gabriel Garcia Marquez book for some time and we finally (thankfully) agreed to read this book.

Summary in 3 Sentences: A young teen aged girl and boy develop an infatuation in pre turn-of-the-century Cartagena Colombia and then their lives go in different directions over the next 70 years, but they continue to be aware of each other. The boy remains in love with her, as he pursues his own career and numerous different love interests, while the girl follows a more traditional path of marrying well, children and becoming an icon in society. In the end and through a rather tortuous process they find each other again, much older, more experienced, having suffered much, but in different ways. . The novel follows their lives their growth, trials tribulations, and increasing wisdom, as well as likewise exploring the lives of the many sub characters in the story.

My impressions:  I loved this book.  I got  so much more out of reading it this time than I did when I first read it about 15 years ago. While anyone will enjoy and learn from this book, I’d argue that people in middle age and beyond  might get more out of it, since so much of it is a perspective on life, love, and the process of maturing and gaining wisdom, as one passes from youth to maturity, and on into middle and finally older age, and finally preparing for death.  I’ll add that I both listened to and read the book. The audible version is very well done, and I listened to more of it than I read.  But I actually enjoyed reading the text more – it slowed me down and I savored the writing more.  

The character’s were competing and interesting – and there were many. The two primary characters were Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza, who we follow and get to know throughout the book.  These two had a brief infatuated love affair at a distance as teenagers, and then their paths diverged and we follow their lives over the next fifty plus years, while they have little or only intermittent contact with each other.  But apart from these two, there are many, many fascinating supporting characters, some of whom are major players in the story – Fermina Daza’s husband Dr Juvenal Urbino and family, as well as several of Florentino Ariza’s most important connections – his mother, mentors and other connections, and his many lovers.  

This book is a love story, but not in the style of Nicholas Sparks or other modern romantic writers.  The love story is the context for Marquez to share his insights about love, sensuality, life, youth and young love, mature and middle aged sensuality and love,  marriage, and the declining energies, but increased wisdom of old age.  And death is always present. It is a novel about life in a classic Latin American city through the eyes of many interesting characters.  

We are taken back to Cartagena and Colombia a century and more ago, and we experience through the eyes of our protagonists the changes wrought by the introduction of western world medicine, and technology – airplanes, radios, telephone, automobiles, increasing contact with European and American visitors and more.  The book is also a description of a very traditional, stratified class structure, slowly transitioning into the twentieth century.

I found particularly interesting the ambivalence of Fermina Daza toward her marriage.  It wasn’t clear whether she truly loved Juvenal Urbino,  her husband and clearly a good man, or indeed was somewhat addicted to the privileges she had as his wife.  She wrestles with this, and Marquez expects us, his readers, to wrestle with this as well, as he explores the many variations on, and versions of “love” in this book.  As a relatively independent and stubborn woman, Fermina Daza chafed at being expected to live and comply with the rather strict social norms of upper class Cartagena society of which she was a key figure.  She realized and sometimes resented that in society’s eyes, she was largely an appendage of her well-respected and much admired husband. She was often unhappy, but went along with the flow – got along to get along – she didn’t know what else to do – while indeed she enjoyed the privileged life style her marriage gave her.  In some ways, she reminded me of my mother who as the wife of a very gregarious and successful man, her identity was so much tied to my father – and she quietly resented it. 

Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza are believable, and flawed characters – and there was much to admire, and much to criticize in their decisions and lives.  But they came to life for me in the book, as they matured, grew older and aged.  Florentino Ariza’s character was always understated – he was not someone who attracted attention or stood out in a crowd, but his discipline, intelligence and sensibilities were often astonishing. Fermina Daza on the other hand was a classic upper class beauty and wherever she went, people noticed and admired her. A very incongruous pair of protagonists – which is why their paths diverged for most of the book.

I know in our reading group, there will be some who are uncomfortable with the explicit sensuality that Marquez brings to his characters.  He does not do it in a salacious or erotic way, but to make clear that these aspects of his characters were key to who they were.  In the case of Florentino Ariza’s many affairs, sometimes it isn’t clear who is exploiting whom, or whether both partners are using the other for their own means. Yes and Yes.  And sometimes he is clearly the manipulator/exploiter.  And Florentino Ariza’s life-long infatuation with Fermina Daza, based on a brief but intense infatuation as a young man, will be hard for some to understand.  But perhaps not for those who’ve suffered the pains of an unrequited total infatuation – or love.

I really, really liked this book and look forward to discussing with my reading group.  One of my favorites of the books I’ve recently read.