BellyBelly BookClub Book Discussion thread *possible spoilers*

[LisaB]

Same here Peach....very anti climatic!

I didnt enjoy it at all. Maybe something was lost in the translation of the book.

[prama]

hi.. when is the discussion starting..
all i can say is, the book took forever and then it fell flat!

[Mak]

Seems to be a similiar theme! I thought it was improving but then it went wandering off.... I did wonder if I was after a bit more action, blockbuster type book as that is what I usually read. Glad to hear it was not just me!

[~Kaz~]

Ok - I finished reading this book back in early to mid Feb so I'm going off notes and memory (which is impaired by lack of sleep atm so bear with me!).

* It was difficult to get into. This was more than just the style of writing which was old fashioned, stuffy sort of writing. It was very formal and there were lots of archaic words and words I've never seen before, even though I'm a big reader. (This is not a bad thing but contributed to my early struggles with the book).
* I had trouble placing the story in terms of both era and geography initially but this might say more about my lack of geographical knowledge of the Carribean, than it does about the writing. This is actually partly what kept me reading because I was curious about where and when it was set.
* I found it odd/interesting/different that the author chose to 'set the scene' by going into great detail about two characters, and really developing them (or starting to develop them) and then they died very early in the story. I realise that one of them, Dr. Urbino does play an indirect role in the rest of the story as we follow Fermina Daza through her life. The letter to the woman in the poor part of town that Dr. Urbino visits was a total mystery that is never explained. It is just left hanging for all kinds of assumptions to be made.
* Even though the story picked up pace or readability after the first part, (actually it got more interesting to me when Florentino Ariza entered the story), it still seemed to be a story that went on and on and on and on. I didn't even realise there were chapters until I'd nearly finished the book!! The sentences were extremely long and it felt like the book was kind of droning - this might have been as an attempt to mirror the endless/eternal love that Florentino Ariza feels for Fermina Daza.
* It seemed a very dramatic and romantic version of love that was being depicted by Florentino - this was contasted against the more pragmatic love that Fermina had for Dr. Urbino - at least in the beginning. Her acceptance of his proposal was more about the situation of women in those days than of any affection on her part (understandable). I think that was more realistic of what love and/or marriages would have been like.
* The protrayal of love (Florentino Ariza's) was not one I could readily identify with. It seemed too dramatic, too bound up with the process of suffering and just too much. I am a fairly pragmatic person and perhaps not as prone to being carried away with my emotions but his love was not plausible to me. I found it really difficult to believe that a man could love a woman that strongly, for that long with so little return. It would have been more plausible if they had at least been friends or had more social contact than they did over the 50 years the book covered.
* The ending for me was so unrealistic and seemed to reflect the whole premise of the story really - the total fantasty of Florentino's love for Fermina. Her change in attitude seemed too fast, too convenient for me. I would have needed to read Florentino's letters to her on the meaning of life, love the universe etc that he wrote to her when she became a widow. To me, that might have been the most interesting part of the whole book but we don't get to read them.
* Finally, I did not find the characters particularly likeable. This is not a problem in and of itself I guess. I can enjoy books where I don't like the characters. But Florentino Ariza really annoyed me. lol! I found myself feeling angry regularly throughout the book and wanted to tell him to suck it up and just get on with his life - forget Fermina etc. I can't decide whether it was a strength of his or a weakness that he could not get past her.

Anyway - they're my thoughts. I am glad I've read it. It might be one I come back to in a year or two to see if it improves on acquaintence. Perhaps, when I know the storyline and outcome, I will be able to focus more on the actual messages about love and relationships.

ETA - Would love to know what someone like Oprah thought and the reasons it made it into her bookclub. Does anyone know how her bookclub works? Is it her own recommendations or can authors pay money to have their books endorsed by her?

[~Kaz~]

Doesn't anyone else want to discuss this book?

[Mak]

Hi Kaz!

Hmm I guess not really You have made great notes tho!
I also felt like I didn't particularly relate to or like any of the characters, but definitely I found Florentino to be a bit irritating in his total submersion in his suffering.
Fermina's sudden change of heart was a bit difficult to deal with too. I did wonder if I missed alot of the messages as I seemed to have to concentrate hard rather than just skimming.

[LisaB]

I third that Florentino was just soo irritating. Also how was all the women that loved him...! Maybe it would've been better if he remained celibate.

I really did struggle with style of writing, just didnt resonate with me at all.

[~Kaz~]

I did wonder if I missed alot of the messages as I seemed to have to concentrate hard rather than just skimming.

Oh me too!! DS was waking 2hourly every night for weeks as I read this book so I partly thought it was sleep deprivation that meant I wasn't able to think coherently about the statements being made about relationships, love, men, women etc etc. It's good to hear that most other people found it the same way.

No idea what that first part of the story was about. I am really curious about that artist character and it's quite annoying that it his secrets were never explained.

I think we need someone (or a few someones) who liked the book to come in here and tell us why and put the story into a different light.

You guys keep mentioning that things got lost in translation. Having another dumb moment but was this book originally written in another language?