There are some books that creates a lasting impression. I have just finished reading one such book.
The story is based on the lives of 3 main characters, Fermina Daza, Florentino Ariza and Juvenal Urbino. It is set on the backdrop of a time when cholera was something close to an endemic at the city where they lived. The best part about the book was how the characters evolved and how the reader can not say that any one person is right or wrong. The author manages to capture the time when love stories were built on scented letters and exchange of flowers. The other characters who were beautifully crafted were Fermina's spinster aunt, her father Lorenzo Daza and her cousin who supports Florentino in his passionate crazy love for Fermina.
Florentino's thoughts and actions sometimes seem so surreal, yet not to the point of ridicule. It seems implausible that Florentino is determined to wait for Fermina till the very end with the hope of marrying her after her husband Urbino dies. However, the part that gives plausibility to the book is the weakness in Florentino's character, as a womaniser. He is not portrayed as a jilted lover or someone who waits selflessly for his love.
His life revolves around Fermina so much that he realises the signs of aging by seeing it in her and when he comes to the sudden realization that Fermina could die before her husband, his grief is contagious. The reader would easily forget that the very desire of Florentino to be wanting someone like Urbino dead, 'can' be wrong in the first place.
The character of Florentino evolves in such a manner that it evokes mixed feelings of sympathy, indignation and sometimes even disgust in the reader. He is associated with someone melancholy and his dark plain clothing which makes him look aged works in his favour when he goes on endless liaisons with women. The author has done a great job in evoking such varied emotions for that single character.
Juvenal Urbino, a renowned surgeon, comes across as a pious man who loves his wife Fermina for her character and their marriage is based on practicality. He accepts her lack of belief in God, they compromise and accept each other and they manage to survive the stormy days of their married life. He is a man who is the opposite of Florentino in so many ways, he's a rational person who wants to live by the rules of society & religion, believes in moral and ethical values.
Fermina Daza, the female character around whom the story revolves, is someone who is strong willed, practical and tries her level best to be a perfect individual. Her moments of fear, guilt and rage at those close to her has been beautifully captured by the author. Her character matures quickly through the tough times in her life and Florentino is left behind as a consequence. The way she sees Florentino, as the shadow of a man she has never known, might seem cruel, but it is not unwarranted.
There are some pretty ingenious parts in the book where they reveal Lorenzo's shady business deals and how he made a fortune by fraudulent means. The idea of getting the left pair of a consignment of shoes at one port, the right pair at another port and selling the pairs together at a 200% profit was one of those means. The hindi movie, Badmaash Company, had in fact been 'inspired' by this book.
The book is an excellent read and it is not one of those reel love stories. Many aspects such as the weakness of human character, our imminent mortality and the selfish nature of love were handled with sensitivity.
