Memories of My Melancholy Whores

Erotically Shocking

My intension to use this headline is not to mislead readers. Off course this book is erotic like some other Garcia classics, but it's shocking too, at least to me. It's shocking because I couldn't imagine such a new, brilliant concept. That's why the author is Garcia and it's me, writing this review.
I am not going to tell the story line here, because it's a definite surprise. But, I will suggest to all the Garcia-lovers and other readers, that this is a must read, because this is a short novel filled with emotion, drama and it's erotic.
To me it's a 4 star, because, I got little confused at the climax, may be I was expecting a different ending.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Agreed

I enjoyed this book- a short read though.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Disturbing Subject

A 90 year-old man decides to celebrate his old age by treating himself to a night with a 14 year-old virgin. I have to admit that it's not the kind of subject I wanted to read about, especially since I am the father of a little girl. However, Marquez has written a (very short) character-based story about an old man who has never been in love, who finds something meaningful with a young girl (with whom he never even speaks). The fact that the relationship is apparently never consummated did little to ease my concerns, but the story is really more about the reaction of the old man, in the twilight of his life, learning to love for the first time. I recommend this based mostly on the author's obvious talent for writing and characters.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Strange yet sexy, and sad

I'm a big fan of Marquez and I have to say I was taken back by the idea that this 90 year old man wants to sleep with a 14 year old. You must dig deeper than the literal text when reading this novel. This man has never fallen in love and now at the age of 90 he realizes his life is worthless because he never loved. His love for this youth is disturbing, but his whole mission is to regain youth by being with a youth. In real life I would call this man a pervert, but I began to feel pity for this character. You have to remember that this is a book and everything to Marquez is symbolic, nothing is literal. You have to look at the bigger picture.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A book that will truly engage you...

Even though I am not a savvy book critic, or even much of a reader most of the time, I would like to say that I really enjoyed this book. I was in the library when I caught a glance at the title, and was then forced to pick it up and read at least the first few pages. It was the first book in a long time that really engaged me right from the start...What attracted me to Garcia Marquez's book so much was his style of writing. His understatement, subtlety, and highly descriptive writing draw me right into the setting, and right into the mindset of his protagonist. I'm also attracted to the extremely peculiar plot of the story. A ninety-year-old man asks for an adolescent virgin to be his birthday present. A year follows and he has yet to do anything but kiss her. Even though some doubt the protagonist's optimism at finding true love for the first time by the end of the book, I was totally hooked. It's beautiful to me to think that a life of casual sex can be redeemed before passing, even if it's at the age of ninety. Great book, I'm recommending it to my friends (bonus: it's also short!).

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Prose like honey!

Prose like honey that just drip off the page and into the mind stirring thoughts of love, obsession and a renewing. Truely a great book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A good story about finding a purpose in life.

It's a strange topic but it's not an erotic, perverse story. Instead, it's about a man who has lived 90 years existing, but not living. He finds salvation in love. Look past the uneasiness of the plot and you'll find a great story about finding the passion in loving someone other than yourself.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Fragrance of García Márquez's Language is Intoxicating!

The old master still writes with all of the power of his magical realism in MEMORIES OF MY MELANCHOLY WHORES, a brief but exceptionally well-composed elegy on aging. Few writers other than Gabriel García Márquez would dare to reflect on life at the age of ninety the way his gentle narrator does, finding himself on his ninetieth birthday alone in his departed parents' home, longing for a celebration of one last night with a woman. He contacts his old friend Rosa Cabarcas who, though advanced in years herself, still is the most successful Madame in the finest brothel in the city. The old man has spent his life as a journalist and writer depending on the prostitutes to satisfy his physical needs, have forsworn love and accepting 'love for sale' as his lifestyle. But now on his ninetieth birthday he asks Rosa for a young virgin and Rosa complies with a fourteen year old nubile lass he names Delgadina. But for his night of bliss Rosa has given Delgadina a potion of valerian and when our narrator goes to her bed she is asleep. Still, he is satisfied to just gaze at her and touch her lightly then sleep at her beautiful side. This experience opens a door that has never been unlocked and the old man slowly falls in love with the still chaste virgin. He repeatedly sleeps at her side while she sleeps, gifts her, enjoys the awakening of love. When an incident in the brothel results in its closing, Delgadina flees and the old man is forced to come to grips with his changed life and spends his year searching and finding Delgadina with Rosa's help, otherwise lost in the agony of love.It isn't a complex story, but in García Márquez's hands it is intoxicating. His words swirl around the bedroom of his passion like exotic flowers and his extended soliloquies about aging and death are the poetry of informed illumination. At age 78 García Márquez proves he still weaves magic and as always he manages to touch the heart. The translation from the Spanish by Edith Grossman is superb. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful.

Wonderful.

I can't understand how people enjoy this book

I have read many of García Marquez's books and because I enjoyed them I wanted to read this one. However, very few times have I been so dissapointed and disgusted by a book in my life. I don't understand how other people find this as a literary piece to enjoy and recommend to others. Anyone wanting to have sex with a 14 year old should be going to therapy or worse.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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