Memories of My Melancholy Whores - [ Book Review ]

Shattered by the idea of dying alone, a man, in the eve of his ninetieth birthday decided to treat himself a wild night of love with a virgin. Declaring a new life at an age where most mortals have already died, he keenly says, “Today’s the day!”


Most people would rather raise their eyebrows than give Gabriel Garcia Marquez cheers and praises for a work that is so mesmerizing yet so disturbing.


“Memories of my melancholy whores” is a novel written by Marquez. He has masterfully played with words he could utter to give life to an old man who hungers for true love.


The story goes telling of how an old bachelor feels depressed after realizing he had wasted nine decades of his life. His delusions of what his life could have been if only love found its way to him. But then the novel also presents a spark of hope that with old age, love can still take its toll on him and make his life more meaningful and happier even in the simplest way.


The story is mesmerizing with the way the character recalls how he had spent his life in the past, how he lost his virginity to a woman older than he was before. And how he fell in love with a woman that once wished to be married to him, but then left without a word.


He was the perfect lover. He had laid almost 500 prostitutes and still counting. But all they did was to get him through the night, none really showed him the love he needed.


Then it becomes suddenly disturbing when he finally found himself deeply in love with a 14-year old girl that was so frail and so young. But the love he found was so different from the ones he had before.


He had asked for a virgin to spend the night with, but then as he first laid his eyes on the little girl, love and pity suddenly struck him. And finally, he learned to love without lust. Their connection was strengthened as he simply stares at the angelic face of the girl who had always slept soundly beside him.


Marquez’s work is erotic but unexpectedly funny. A page turner, that serves justice to how the author artistically presented an unusual love between an old man and a teenage girl who has yet to experience life.


The ending was surprising yet compelling. The bachelor had proved that it’s never too late to love again and with his friend revealing a truth that was kept for quite a while, “...the poor creature’s head over heels in love with you,” is the perfect way to close the curtains.


Wisdom comes with old age, and who could have thought that true love may also comes with it.
And so I say, No one will ever be too old to fall in love.