In another, less jaded era . . .

If you had asked me my favorite book ten years ago, I would have told you that it was Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I remember the first time that I read it, I found it so lyrical that I tried to savor every word of it, even though I knew I was reading it in translation. I went so far as to purchase the book in the original Spanish, and read through my favorite passages with a Spanish/English dictionary for reference. I think the opening line to the book is still one of the greatest openers I've come across: "It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love."

Anyway, I haven't read LITTOC in probably five years. Mostly because at its core it's a book about hope, and its musings about love are a bit much to bear when faced with the realities of multiple unrequited loves.

Remember how Bill Clinton gave Monica Lewinski a copy of Leaves of Grass? Word is that he had given Hillary a copy of the same book at some point in their courtship. What can I say? The guy's a man and men are lazy and stick to formulas that work. I seriously doubt giving it to her meant anything to him. Call me a cynic. After I gave my third "love" in succession a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera, I think I dropped the sense of actually believing in them -- the girl, the book, and the concept of love as Marquez would have us buy into.

At any rate, it appears that they've turned the book into a movie. And you know what? I'm actually sort of excited about it. Nevermind the fact that I can't imagine that the movie will do any justice to the book. I saw this movie poster, and some of my old feelings stirred within me. Between this movie and another trailer I saw lately: Manolete, I may have to break out the old Spanish/English dictionary again.