A Creepy Love Story: Even Death Won’t Do Us Part

I’ve been reading this interesting non-fiction book entitled Around the World in 80 Dates by Jennifer Cox. The premise is about this woman who goes on a quest to find her soulmate by dating 80 men all over the world.

I must say, I’m learning a lot of interesting stuff, like this tidbit:

Verona was the home of Romeo and Juliet, arguably the world’s most famous lovers. Some might argue that a couple whose poor communication skills resulted in joint suicide were perhaps not the best relationship role models. But up to 5,000 people a year saw it differently, writing to Juliet’s house and tomb, asking for ger advice about their own love lives.

Local poets and writers had been responding to the letters since the 1930s, but in 1975 Verona intellectual Giulio Tamassia founded the Juliet Club and arranged for ten unpaid, multilingual ‘secretaries’ to answer the letters. In addition, he established the Dear Juliet award, which is presented to the most romantic letter writer each year.

Wow. I’ve thought of writing letters to nonexistent people and to the universe, but it never really crossed my mind to send some off to fictional characters of literature.

Jennifer manages to set herself up on a date with that year’s Dear Juliet winner, Davide. When he told her his love story that made him win the award, it gave me the chills.

Davide’s story began 11 years prior to meeting Jennifer. He was walking through a cemetery when he noticed a tomb full of dust that no one had taken care of for many years. He started to clean it and uncovered a picture of a young woman on the grave. He had a powerful feeling that he was being called by the dead woman, Elena, to take care of her, so he did. Little by little, in addition to the sense of compassion that compelled him to look after her grave, over the years another feeling for her developed: one of true love.

And so on the 10th year of their “relationship,” he had Elena dug up and reburied. Inside the new casket, alongside her remains, he had placed his wedding ring to her, his name engraved inside. By then he was sure of how he felt and wanted to give her a sign of his love, a symbol. On his own left hand he wears a ring with her name inside.

I have mixed emotions at this point. On one hand I am touched by his devotion but on the other hand, I feel very sad and seriously freaked out for this poor man. This is what I’d categorize as Ripley’s stuff. Or maybe, he’s ranked right up there with Richard, the character from the movie Somewhere in Time. I liked that movie. But then again that was fiction. People tend to frown upon more things in reality that they would not have in fantasy.

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Related Links:
Around the World in 80 Dates
The Juliet Club
Somewhere in Time