"IT WAS INEVITABLE: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love..."
And thus begins Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez's masterpiece of unrequited love (and young love, and old love, and eros, and platonic love, and . . . well, you get the picture). One of my imaginary friends recommended it to me after I mentioned reading One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Reading it, naturally, reminded me of my own unrequited love for The Inappropriate Crush Girl. An unrequited love that still bubbles along after a decade or so. Oh, sure, it's usually at a low and manageable level, but the point is that she is still present in Jackson's mind.
So, do I read the story of Florentino's certainty and patience and faith that his love will eventually win out as a tale of hope or a tale of caution? Do I bide my time until the moment that I show up at the funeral of the ICG's husband in 40 years to state my case?
I keed, I keed, as Triumph the Comic Insult Dog likes to say. No, Dear Reader, that will not happen. I made my intentions known to her once, and, frankly, that was one time too many as far as I am concerned. So, unlike Florentino, I will hum along with life as it comes, knowing that she is Not Mine. And if this love ever does decide to become unrequited, I know that it will happen at the most inconvenient of times. Because the Universe, after all, has a somewhat cruel sense of humor.
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2 comments:
Nice post..U have gotta give the universe a helping hand sometimes ;)
The plot of the book though is really slow..
The language and the story structure is a bit tough to follow. I had heard a lot about the book but after reading it, I
would say its just about ok.
Why, thanks. And thanks for visiting all the way from Mumbai. I can only imagine what you and your neighbors are going through. Please know that people worldwide are thinking of you.
As for your comment about giving The Universe a helping hand, no thank you. As I said, I took my shot once, and don't need to be rejected again. I have learned from that mistake.
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