Since school started, my travels have been restricted. I finished “Love in the Time of Cholera,”
by Gabriel García Márquez, after forcing myself to read such an un-appealing title. The setting is somewhere in the Caribbean, and the main characters are Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza. The meet when they are very young and love each other from a distance, until the time that Fermina marries someone else. She goes on to have a successful life, although her happiness is arguable. Florentino, on the other hand, pines for her for the rest of his life, although he, too, manages to find success.
The title comes from Florentino’s love for Fermina. It is so strong and so powerful that he causes him physical symptoms similar to cholera. Oh, that all men were so devoted to the women they love!!
Unfortunately, I learned little about the society and culture of the Caribbean.
Now I am off to Russia. “Russka: The Novel of Russia,” by Edward Rutherfurd, is not on the Novel Destination reading list, but it caught my eye at the library for two reasons. One, I have adopted children from Russia. Two, it is a HUGE, red book, making it very eye-catching. Russka is over 700 pages long, so don’t expect me to check in any time soon! Do svidaniya! (That’s Russian for “good bye!”)
