To enjoy this book you have to enter the mind and world of this old, old man, living the last years of his life in poverty in the once-grand, decaying house of his youth. His career never rose above second-rate reporter, he never married and never even fell in love. His personal relationships with women were limited to the whores he paid for. A most unfulfilled life.

But then, for a present for his 90th birthday, he gives himself a 14 year-old virgin, a would-be whore. Exhausted from menial labour and drugged-up with valerian by the brothel madame, she sleeps every night they spend together, her sleeping and he sitting on a chair next to her bed. and for the first time in his life he falls in love. In love with the idea of his sleeping beauty.

This is a poetic, sensual book that many reviewers, unable to see beyond their own ideas of fitness, have condemned as tawdry, a paean to pedophilia and just plain sick. But it isn't. It's the last flowering of a rose; touched by frost it should have died but instead is more glorious, more beautiful because it is so unseasonal, a real surprise. What it says about the nature of men's love for young beauty is age-old: look good, be quiet and demure, and let him be the dominant one, is taken to an extreme here. It worked for Snow White, it worked for the Sleeping Beauty and it works for Delgadina too.

Love changes everything. Despite his 90 years, the old, old man walks with a spring in his step, his head held high and smiling to the world. He has an epiphany, 'sex is the consolation one has for not finding enough love' and writes about love in his weekly columns in the local newspaper. This brings him the fame, respect and friendship he had craved all his life. In his 91st year, at last, he has found fulfillment.

Ultimately, Gabriel Garcia Marquez says through this book: Never Give Up.

Read May 1, 2009

Update I've been reading other and it seems that people think this book is about paedophilia, some Lolita book. Nothing could be further from the truth. The whores and loveless sex without dreams or commitment didn't bring the old man happiness. Now, not having sex but just sitting beside a sleeping girl and dreaming and falling in love with the dream, has brought about a sea change. Pure love and romantic daydreams have made him happy and this happiness has seeped into every aspect of his lire, until, despite his years he walks with a spring in his step and a smile on his face and this happiness makes him a hero to all who see him.

This is a brilliant book. It is the last book, the final jewel inset into the crown that is the literature of GGM. Do not hold back because of what you've heard. Do not misinterpret and see what isn't there. This book is the musings of a life without much happiness, not sex, and the girl is no more molested than was Snow White resting in her glass case with only her beauty on show.

I wrote this update purely because both on GR and in my shop people "have heard" about this book and so don't think they want to read it. December 4th, 201610-star-books 2015- 2016-150- ...more771 s Jayson2,162 3,576

(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: The premise is interesting and the text is beautifully written, but the story's thin and the ending's a bit disappointing.100-199-pp author-latin-american format-translated ...more507 s Ahmad Sharabiani9,564 7,526

Memoria de Mis Putas Tristes = Memories of My Melancholy Whores, Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

Memories of My Melancholy Whores, is a novella by Gabriel García Márquez. The book was originally published in Spanish in 2004, with an English translation by Edith Grossman published in October 2005.

An old journalist, who has just celebrated his 90th birthday, seeks sex with a young prostitute, who is selling her virginity to help her family. Instead of sex, he discovers love for the first time in his life.

???????? ??? ??? ?? ?????: «????? ??????? ????? ??»? «?????? ??????? ???????? ??»? ???????: ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ? ??????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? 2007??????

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????? ?????? ????? 16/07/1399???? ???????? 02/07/1400???? ???????? ?. ??????? Ahmad Sharabiani9,564 7,526

Memoria de Mis Putas Tristes = Memories of My Melancholy Whores, Gabriel García Márquez

Memories of My Melancholy Whores is a novella by Gabriel García Márquez. The book was originally published in Spanish in 2004.

An old journalist, who has just celebrated his 90th birthday, seeks sex with a young prostitute, who is selling her virginity to help her family. Instead of sex, he discovers love for the first time in his life.

???????? ??? ??? ?? ?????: «????? ??????? ????? ??»? «?????? ??????? ???????? ??»? ???????: ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ? ??????? ????? ?? ?????? ???2007??????

?????: ????? ??????? ????? ??? ???????: ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????: ???? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???1386? ??124?? ????9644482522? ?????: ????????? ????????? ?????? - ??? 20?

?????: ?????? ??????? ???????? ??? ???????: ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????: ???????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ???1383? ??128?? ????9648433127?

??????? ????? (????? ?? ??????? ????? ? ?????????? ?? ?? ??? ??????? ? ??????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ???1958??????? ?? ???? «????? ?????» ?????? ???? ?????? ? ?? ????? ?? ?????? «???????» ? «???????» ?????? «?????? ?????? ?????» ?? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???1927??????? ?? «?????????? ??????» ?? ???? ?????? ? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???2014?????? ?? ?? ????? ? ??? ????? ?? «?????? ????» ????????) ?? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ? ?????? ? ?? ?????? ????????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ? ??? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ????

????? ?????? ????? 04/10/1399???? ???????? 27/08/1400???? ???????? ?. ??????? Kelly889 4,494 Read

This is it everyone- The most depressing book I have read. Ever. Yes. This book. Not the ones about the holocaust, brutal wars, awful diseases... this book. About an old man who has only ever slept with whores. I don't know why it got to me it did, but I would read a few pages and feel physically sick to my stomach. It's not the subject matter (it's interesting), it's not the writing (he's Marquez)... it's just this sense of awfulness. This awful awful life he's lead, and what he has never known. What his little, vulgar life consists of.

Maybe Marquez is just too on his game here. He's just too good at creating this sense of emptiness, and this wasteland of a life. That isn't really all /that/ tragic. It's just so unutterably sad, I can't describe it.

I don't know what to rate it. I never finished it. And I haven't been brave enough to pick it up again since.

20th-century-postwar-to-late fiction partialprejudicedandignorantopinion166 s Steven Godin2,550 2,675

2.5/5
After getting the cringing fingernails down a chalkboard type feeling of a ninety-year-old man with a boner eradicated from my mind, I thought to myself "right, now that's out the way, this IS García Márquez we are talking about here, I am in safe hands, don't worry, this will turn out to be a decent read". Or at least that's what I'd hoped.

This novella is narrated by an aging connoisseur of girls for hire. After spending a lifetime getting it on with prostitutes (514 of them to be precise, before losing count) the unnamed journalist fancies a nice young virgin for his 90th birthday. On the first of many occasions, he enters a room to discover the chosen girl of 14, naked and asleep. Over time he obsesses about her; writes columns that drive his readers into a frenzy; kisses her everywhere and reads to her as she sleeps. But never consummates the relationship sexually or sees her awake. The whole scenario of such an elderly man wanted to bed someone so young just put me off, but this wasn't the biggest of it's problems. Simply put, I found it dull and lazy. The narrator's wit and charm were not enough to counterbalance the monotony of his aimlessness, and sadly as a result, I never at any moment felt anything for anyone involved. It could have worked out better if I tried to look at things from the perspective of the protagonist, but I chose not to. I didn't want to be in his mind, his pants, or in his bed.

Frustratingly though, there were flashes of Márquez's brilliance, but this was reduced to the occasional passage of writing here and there, even the striking insights into the euphoria that is the flip side to the fear of death, couldn't save it from the grave. No wonder the whores were melancholic, they were probably also fed up, I don't blame them. Was expecting so much more, this felt Gabriel's bad day at the office, but I guess we do all have them.fiction latin-america magical-realism148 s BookHunter M ?H ?M ?D1,508 3,744


????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ? ?? ????? ???? ? ?? ????? ?? ???????. ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???. ??? ???: ???? ???? ???? ????. ????? ??: ??? ???? ??????. ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ????????? ?? ?????? ? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????. ? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ? ????? ? ?? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ? ?? ????? ???? ? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ???????? ? ??? ???????. ??? ????????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ???. ? ????????? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????. ? ?????????? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ????. ? ??????? ????? ??????? ??? ? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ????. literature120 s ???? ???? Fayez Ghazi Author 2 books4,284

- ?? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? "???????? ????????" ???? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ????? (?? ???? ????) ?????? ???? ???? ??????!!.. ?? ????..

- ?????? ?? ????? ?? "???????? ????????"? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???... ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ????????? ?????? ???????? ????? ??? ????? ?????!!

- ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ??????! ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ???! ?? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ???????! ?? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ????????!!

- ???? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???????: ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ????.. ??? ??????? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ?????!!... ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??.

- ???????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???????!106 s Amanda54 13

On a certain level, I truly enjoyed "Memories of My Melancholy Whores". I am always ready to be swept up in the simple whimsy of G.G.M's language, and the sweeping romance and dramatic emotion of his work always appeals to me. But on another very real level I found this book disturbing and sexist.
The book's theme is strikingly reminiscent of "Talk to Her", a recent Almodovar film. Both deal with men who build flowery romantic/erotic relationships in their minds with a completely passive sleeping woman. In the film, the man in question is a nurse in a hospital caring for an accomplished ballerina who is in a coma. In "Melancholy Whores", the "lover" is a man who has just turned ninety and falls in love with a 14 year old prostitute who he visits every night while she sleeps deeply (possibly drugged).
If you choose to put aside the creepy elements and focus on the romantic sentiment and poetic pedestal that Delgadina (the name the old man invents for his nameless "whore") is placed atop, the book is a very beautiful reflection on the need for love and the degradations of aging. If you can't put is aside, this is a story of a strange pedophilic attachment that certainly should not be romanticized.
Both the Almodovar film and this book romanticize and rhapsodize about the perfectly passive woman-- a woman as little more than an object-- and construct fantasy relationships with someone who never speaks, or even opens her eyes. I once saw an issue of Hustler that had this photo of "The Ideal Woman". She had Jack Daniels coming out of one nipple, and milk out of the other. Guacamole issued from her nether regions and stuffed in her mouth was a tampon. The caption explained that since this woman menstruated from her mouth she was completely silent for about a week every month. This is, of course, disgustingly crude, but take away the frills of magical realism and I feel "Memories of My Melancholy Whores" is not that different.
There are definite high points. The protagonist's reflections on aging were sharp and funny. The epic nature of the love described in the text whips you away on a Sleeping Beauty/Beauty and the Beast fairy-tale romance that evokes true punch-in-the-stomach emotion.
But in the end, this "princess" is a pre-pubescent prostitute who slaves away sewing on buttons all day to take care of her family and spends her nights fondled and admired by an aged delusional "beast", who will never take her away from reality in princely fashion. In the end, for me anyway, the ick factor breaks the spell.96 s Hilda154 6

I really didn't this story. The writing as always was wonderful - the descriptions, the language, the character development - all excellent. The story however was extremely disturbing and sad.

Chapter 1 in particular, when the narrator describes how upon turning 90 he decided he wanted to have sex with a young virgin was appalling. Then the local madam finds a 14 year old, poor, illiterate girl for him. He goes to see her and finds her asleep because she had been so afraid she had to be sedated. Although he doesn't have sex with her because she's asleep, he describes her naked body in detail - describing her pre-pubescent breasts, etc. It was disgusting and disturbing.

This book wasn't written in a time when this was even discreetly acceptable, it was written in 2004 when it is considered by most societies, certainly Garcia-Marquez's society as taboo. He did it to shock and titillate - well all it did was disgust me. He's a brilliant writer, he doesn't need these gimmicks.86 s Glenn Sumi404 1,678

A Latin-American "Lolita" Lite or: Don't Let The Title Scare You (This Isn't A Dirty Old Man Book)

It’s been years since I've read anything by Gabriel García Márquez, and so this little book, while not as grand, sweeping or substantial as the works that earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, came as a lovely, gentle surprise.

Reading it felt catching up with a grizzled old friend who can tell a mean story. García Márquez’s seductive writing has a perfumed air of nostalgia and romance about it. Once sniffed, it's impossible to tear yourself away.

Take the bookÂ’s remarkable opening line:

“The year I turned ninety, I wanted to give myself the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin.”

The unnamed narrator isn’t as lecherous as he sounds. He’s “ugly, shy, and anachronistic,” a journalist who used to rewrite wire copy and now supplements his income by teaching Spanish lessons and penning a newspaper column. He never married (although he was once engaged), and doesn’t have any children. And, until now, he’s never been in love.

Yes, this is a story about a man whoÂ’s gone nearly a century without finding love. And now, old, wrinkled, his joints (and other things) creaky, he falls. With passion. And frustration. And jealousy. But absolutely no regrets.

The object of his love isn’t all that important in the book. She’s kept intentionally vague, often seen sleeping (she works at a factory sewing on buttons), her tired back usually turned to the narrator. We're not even told her real name, although the narrator calls her “Delgadina,” after the lyrics of a favourite song.

The fact is, the burst of energy the man gets from his (rather chaste) relationship with Delgadina suddenly gives his life meaning and purpose. His columns, many of them now about love, become famous in town; radio hosts read them to thousands of listeners. He gets the nickname “the maestro of love.” People recognize him on the streets.

García Márquez's powers of description are as strong as ever. The pacing is impeccable. Several characters – from the brothel madame, Rosa Cabarcas, to the narrator's hard-working, tireless maid – snap to life in a few sharp sentences and lines of dialogue. As a 90th birthday present, the old man is given an old cat, who pads his way through a few scenes without becoming too obvious a symbol. In one heartbreaking episode the narrator hooks up with an old sexual partner and instead of getting physical, they talk honestly about their lives and their age, which feels even more intimate than sex.

There's not one wasted word. García Márquez has distilled his art to its very essence. One caveat: If you're too young, you may not get as much out of this. You need to have chalked up some regrets. It's one of those "the unexamined life is not worth living" books.

Prepare to think about your own history of love. To be nostalgic for a time and place you never even knew. To laugh and weep over the surprises, joys and melancholic moments of a long, fully inhabited life.
nobel-winners not-usa-can-uk84 s Agir(????)437 545

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73 s Mutasim Billah 112 206

"The year I turned ninety, I wanted to give myself the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin."

Love him, hate him. You got to give García Márquez some credit: The man can write an opening line. And so begins an intriguing story of a man who finally falls in love at the ripe age of 90 with a 14-year-old prostitute. If you're familiar with García Márquez's oeuvre of work, prostitution and underage sex would be just a walk in the park for most. However, I must warn you of these themes if you cannot stomach it.

I'd call this "Sleeping Beauty with a Márquez twist". The subject matter may be difficult to discuss considering that we, as a society, have constantly frowned at sex and its association with the elderly. No, it isn't the erotic fantasy of a dirty old man. The narrative has its sensuality, and a tragic sense of heart-rendering passion that is always unfulfilled, yet it is still wholesome at the core. I'd definitely recommend this for an evening read as it is a relatively short story.colombia70 s Gabriel526 910

Uf, lo siento pero es un NO rotundo.

Me ha sabido a poco, me ha parecido que solo fue publicada por el simple renombre de García Márquez y ya está. Es más, no me ha sabido a nada. Para eso mejor leerse Lolita o La carne, que son dos novelas que exploran los temas que aquí se han tratado de forma superficial. La primera trata sobre estar en la mente de un pedófilo/pederasta y la segunda sobre la vejez y como la protagonista se toma esa situación que se torna complicada en todo sentido para ella. Mucho mejor contadas y narradas, a mí parecer, con todo el respeto y sin desmeritar que este relato se lee rápido y la pluma de Gabo no se hace pesada.literatura-latinoamericana realismo-realismomágico-surrealismo65 s Luís2,045 804

For his 90th birthday, a man wants to sleep with a young virgin. But, unfortunately, the brothel he has already frequented offers him a 14-year-old girl.
The plot is cash; I would even say trash. But, on the other hand, it is a concise book and reads very quickly - nothing to be ecstatic about in front of this book.e-3 magical-realism spanish-literature64 s Rosa 70 37

?? ?? ??? ?????? " ????? ? ??????? ????? ??" ?? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ? ????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ? ???? ? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ???????? ???? ????? ? ???? ???? ??????...
?? ????? ?? ? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????:
" ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????.?? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????? ??? ? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ????... "
? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??????? ??????..??. ? ??? ? ??? ?? ? ?????? ??? ????? ? ???? ???? ????? ???.

??? ?? ?????? ??? ???????? ??? ?????? ? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????
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