霍乱时期的爱情 – Love in the Time of Cholera

I read this book after I finished my trip to South America. I was curious about South American writers so I found this Nobel Prize winning masterpiece. It’s about two love stories. The plot is hard to describe and you can find it online, but the main theme in my opinion is that people can change. Fermina was the one that frequently changes her mind. At one point she will feel like she will die from not getting her love, and the next day she will feel that the love she felt was nothing. She will be surprised by her past self and move on to the current one.

Florentino was a different character. He was persistent – to the point that looked annoying to me. Yet after 50 years, he finally got what he want and lived a completely different life after the death of the husband of Fermina. He was also a weird character, the direct opposite of Fermina. He lived his life for Fermina and that is his only goal. The final scene is like the summary of his life story. Florentino asked the ship to raise a flag signalling that it has Cholera patients on board so that his trip with Fermina can be longer. He will do whatever it takes to pursue Fermina.