Welcome to Litsy!

I cannot wait for this! ❤️❤️

https://youtu.be/vG45GfgD2JU?si=ZH-wt93bL73eUynq

10-3 April 24 (audiobook)
I read this years ago and enjoyed it, although I do recall being confused by the repetitive names. When it was in an audible sale, I thought it would be good to revisit but this really didn‘t work for me as an audiobook. It is too difficult to follow and the beauty of the prose is somewhat lost. Instead I was focused on the many incestuous relationships, some with characters who seemed far too young. Not a fair review.

*trigger warning* There is no doubt that Márquez is a gifted wordsmith, penning an eloquent, albeit dense & tedious prose, but my troubles with this novel are the deplorable themes of romantized sexual assault, statutory rape & the contemptible message that unwilling women "just need a bit of convincing." Florentino made my skin crawl throughout, perpetuating toxicity that was apparently in the name of unrequited love; stalking Fermina (1/?)

A husband decides to buy a boat and sail around the world with his wife and two small children. He‘s a bit of a jerk, and she‘s a hot mess. Throw in some storms, trouble with the boat, and a mysterious bad thing that‘s referenced in the current timeline…and you get a long winded ride to nowhere. Sometimes a dual timeline is fine, and sometimes you just want someone to get to the point. Also the last chapter is a total needle scratch.

This one has been on my shelf for a very long time. It‘s a beautiful edition. I read a bit slower in Spanish, but I‘m trying to read more in my mother tongue so I‘m learning to be patient with myself. I grew up bilingual, but after years living in cities where no one spoke Spanish, I‘m very rusty. I‘ve been getting better since my mother moved in with us and we have more Spanish speaking friends/neighbors where we live now. Excited for this one!

Marriages have failure points, just like boats. . . . If you would rather not know the failure points, do not go sailing.

This was a thoughtful and thought-provoking novel. It was definitely a pick, but there were some things about it I'd have changed. The whole last section seemed disjointed and unnecessary. It was a small section, in a book that was good overall, but it left a bad taste since it came last.

Near the beginning of this book I discovered that the author also wrote The Man Who Can Move Clouds (a great read) and I was delighted to know I was in good hands. This author is a “must read” for me. This book is a novelized rendering of life as she knew it while living and eventually fleeing Colombia. It is the time of Pablo Escobar and kidnappings and fear. Chula, a 7 year old, tells us the stories from that time. It‘s very moving.