Love In The Time Of Cholera ~ A Review

Love In The Time Of Cholera is a book that I would not have normally gone for. Although I read Pride and Prejudice, I didn’t see this one as one that would interest me, but the person who suggested it knew I would like it, and like it I did. I think love it is a more optimum choice of words.

I was just over half way through the book when I realised that there was only a little speech in the book, but it is told in such a way that you do not notice. You are watching the lives of several people pan out in front of you. It is a story of unrequited love in the extreme, and Márquez knows how to shock. At several times during the book I was stunned and sitting there open-mouthed. At other times I was laughing so hard tears were running down my cheeks. He manages to use a word so many times in a paragraph and it works, even using it side by side.

The love that one of the characters holds for another and is willing to wait for all of his life if necessary for the love of another. The book is about love, loss, depression, envy, and once again – love. Fermina Daza, Dr Juvenal Urbino and Florentino Ariza make for three very good characters, very well created and believable.

I found it interesting that Márquez uses some people, places and encounters that actually happened in history. I looked up some of them and they were described as the author also created them in the books.

I didn’t want the book to end as I felt the characters had become friends, living through more than fifty years with them, through their ups, their downs, their tears and their joys.

It will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I would recommend you try it. You never know, you may like it as I did.

Don’t Quit

I posted this twice in 2012, and today, Michelle Marie commented on my post that sometimes it seems all uphill and it reminded me of this, so I had to repost this again.

……………………

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Author Unknown

Image from Internet

What Would You Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?

If you have been really wanting to do something, but are afraid of failure, how would you react if you knew you wouldn’t fail? If you knew that taking that step would be the best thing you ever did? Would you ask that person to dinner if you knew they would say yes? Would you go parachuting if you knew for certain you would survive? Would you tell someone you loved them if you knew it was reciprocated?

How do you know it won’t? Don’t be afraid of failure, look for the success. Don’t hide behind the “what if …” look at the “it will …“

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
What would you do if you knew you may not fail?

Thanks today to:

Inspiring And Positive Quotes

Inspiring Quotes

The Other Side of Ugly

Sunday Photo Fiction: Teeny Tot’s Torturous Terror

Every week a photo is used as a prompt for photo fiction. I thought I would get this done now as I won’t have time any other point in the week. If you want to take part in the 200 word challenge, head over to:

Sunday Photo Fiction

If you want to see what other stories are available, click on the froggy.

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Six-year-old Kasey looked from the post box, to the letter in her hand, to the post box again. She knew she had to post the letter, but the thought of actually having her hand near the big red thing scared her. What if there was a monster in there waiting to gobble her up?

Kasey took a deep breath and stepped towards the monolithic construction. She stopped when she thought she heard a sound from it. She looked behind her and her mum waved her on, smiling. Kasey figured there was no monster there if her mum was sending her further.

She took another step forward and it looked like the opening changed to teeth. She involuntarily stepped back and turned, terrified, to look at her mum again. She still smiled, but this time, it seemed a black cloud surrounded her, and her eyes were red. Tears were now falling down her cheeks as the terror overwhelmed her. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, to see everything normal.

Isak, her ten-year-old brother, took the letter and posted it. “See,” he said in triumph, “It’s just a post box”.

Then it turned into a monster and ate him.