The protagonist of this book mentions a Latin quote: "No old man forgets where he has hidden his treasure" Well....in this case it seems that Marquez has forgotten exactly that: the place where he has hidden his superb skills as a narrator of fascinating, magic realistic stories.The novel is a shallow, disappointing story about a 90 years old bachelor and his love for a teenage virgin he likes to watch while she sleeps. The magic atmosphere of the small South American city which is Marquez forte in other novels feels like a strained recycled background to an unsatisfying story.Is it possible that like Salvador Dali at old age allowing young painters to imitate his style, this book was written by a ghost writer while the old master nods his head slowly in the heat of an afternoon siesta in Macombo ?