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Summary: Like water for chocolate...
Review: A very fun and funny read (in a good way). I've enjoyed talking about it with the girls.
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Summary: a feast of the 5 senses, come to life
Review: besides the excellent recipes wholly printed in the book version, here is my review of the movie, which is not as detailed nor able to be prolonged but is true to the book (unlike other movie versions of books in which some stuff is changed):after you watch this movie, you will either want to eat, cook (preferably one of the mentioned recipes), make love or all three! i saw the version dubbed in spanish, and also read 3 selected chapters from the book, for spanish class. it's a work of art and genius, and it must be watched all the way through without stopping. the characters are excellently portrayed, and it combines love, feminism, drama, sensuality, lust, hope, passion, and humour, topped with cultural tradition and folklore. i don't know which one is better, the book or the movie. all of the 5 senses are provoked on a deep and perhaps even primal level, especially taste and smell, feverishly yearning for a sum greater than their overall parts (gestalt) - which brings up the sixth sense, intuition.
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Summary: Innovative and magical novel - a fantastic read!
Review: Few times does an author create something completely unique; Laura Esquivel has accomplished just that. Her themes of passion, familial insubordination, dictatorial governance, and romance are not new to literature. But communicating those themes through family life on the ranch of northern Mexico using magical realism and monthly recipes as metaphors is truly pioneering.
Tita is a suppressed daughter of Mama Elena, head of a Mexican ranch at the time of the Mexican Revolution. Tita was denied the consent of her mother to marry her true love, Pedro, who decided to wed Tita's older sister to be close to Tita. It is a recipe for disaster. What ensues is how Tita progresses and finds happiness under her mother's masterdom.
Food becomes the central metaphor in Like Water for Chocolate, as a life sustainer and a passion stimulant. Tita expresses herself through the food she prepares, obtaining a degree of creativity and professionalism that is obtained only through generations of tradition; she becomes the family nurturer, feeding babies, the sickly and the healthy. Food is the way that this matriarchal Mexican ranch family sustains their culture and tradition.
The political allegory is also significant, mapping what the key personalities are under a stifling dictatorship. Mama Elena maintains her power with the force of her own personality: personalismo. When that doesn't work, she cites tradition and "respectability." The third line of power is fear and castigation. Past political dictators have used all of these leadership tactics to maintain their regency. All of the characters have interesting allegorical places: Rosaura the ideological conformist, is a weak personality who carries on the traditions set by her mother without realizing why she is doing them. Gertrudis plays the rebel and Pedro the selfish conformist. Pedro abides by his mother-in-law's rules but tries to maximize his own happiness without contributing to the happiness of others. Marrying the sister of the woman he loves is a solution of someone who cannot think outside the box. He only marries Rosaura because Mama Elena suggests it-the marriage is within the rules. If he were a true free-thinker, he would run away and liberate Tita at the beginning.
By setting the novel against the Mexican Revolution, Esquivel shows how a family and a country can change its dogmatic and unproductive traditions. Just as the country overthrows its leadership, the De La Garza family overthrows Mama Elena and changes how it functions. The daughters of the De La Garza revolution decide just how they want to live after Mama Elena is gone.
The magical realism in Like Water for Chocolate makes the novel fun to read. From seeing ghosts to Gertrudis bursting the shower into flames, the novel becomes more of a tall-tale than a historical novel. These magical phenomena accentuate the humanity of the characters-using the magical elements to put the characters in positions where their true emotions can be seen. Overall, magical realism is an excellent technique in a well-written book.
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Summary: A classic
Review: LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE by Laura Esquivel (Translated by Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen
February 5, 2005
A book that has become a classic, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE by Laura Esquivel is the star-crossed romance between Tita and Pedro. They are torn apart due to a "tradition" held in Tita's family that the youngest daughter is destined to live out her life taking care of her mother. Tita and Pedro have already declared their love for each other, but Mama Elena has other plans. Instead, Pedro marries an older sister, Rosaura, who he does not love at all, but he feels this is the closest he will ever get to his beloved Tita.
Each chapter begins with a Mexican recipe, and the chapters themselves are written as if for a cookbook, except in-between the instructions on how to make "mole", or how to cook Quail in Rose Petal sauce, Tita's story is told, narrated by an unnamed grandniece. It is the sad, yet sometimes humorous story of Tita's life, and how she is frustrated living as the youngest daughter in the house of De La Garza. Tita's father has been long deceased, and Mama Elena is the head of the household. She rules with a heavy hand and all live in fear of her. Tita, however, is the rebellious child, and is often beaten and punished for the simplest of things. Her biggest punishment is when Mama Elena declares that Tita will not be allowed to marry her love, Pedro, and instead Tita watches her sister take her place.
Her emotions are somehow transmitted to her cooking. By this time of her life, Tita is relegated to head cook, and she is good at it. But the pain and unhappiness she feels is now tasted in her cooking. At her sister's wedding, the guests become sick because of how Tita feels as she cooks the banquet feast. This is but one example where Tita's cooking seems to become more than just a meal, sending her own emotions into the food that she is cooking. I loved this element of magical realism, and I'm finding that the more I read books by Hispanic authors, the more sure I will be that I will encounter it.
As many books written by Latin American authors, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE spans many years, and although it is quite a short book, it does tell the story of two lives that are forever linked through love. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I hear it is just as good as the book. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE is highly recommended by the Ratmammy.
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Summary: Like Water for Chocolate
Review: Like Water for Chocolate is a wonderfully delectable book, full of romance and corresponding recipies. This is the story of Tita De La Garza, a young woman who is destined to a life of household duties, but finds forbidden love. Through monthly installments, we learn of the trials and tribulations within the De La Garza ranch, and how the family is torn apart by secret loves and heated passions. Readers see Tita grow from a weak girl controlled by family traditions to a strong woman full of love, desire, and might. The recipies tie all the chapters together well, and add a unique dimension to the book. If you enjoy light romantic novels, then I highly recommend Like Water for Chocolate. It tells a great story full of wit, mysticism, passion, and humor. The characters are well developed and delightful, and the descriptive writing style gives the reader vivid images of each scene. The recipes will make any reader hungry for a home cooked meal. An easy read, Like Water for Chocolate is well worth checking out. Enjoy!
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Summary: Like water for Chocolate-Book Review
Review: Like Water for Chocolate written by Laura Esquivel is a novel about a girl named Tita whose fate as the youngest of three sisters, dictated by family tradition, is to remain single so that she could take care of her mother (Mama Elena) during her old age until she passes. Tita is the cook at the ranch in Mexico along with the head cook, Nacha. In the beginning of this novel, Tita admires a man of the name of Pedro. Pedro asks Tita's hand in marriage, however Mama Elena forbids Tita to marry her true love because of the tradition. Mama Elena suggests Pedro to marry her eldest daughter Rosaura. Pedro accepts thinking that would be a way for him to be close with his true love, Tita. This novel has conflicts filled with passion, deception, anger, as well as pure love. This novel shows us how one girl struggles to change her fate or the fate of her future generations.
One of the reasons why I would recommend this book to is because there is a lot of food recipes that are at the beginning of each chapter (or month) and within the novel. It gives the readers something to value, besides the joy of this book. The recipes also give metaphors (examples of Tita's emotions) of what Tita is feeling during this novel. Sometimes it doesn't show what Tita is feeling directly, but if you read where food is present, it provides Tita's emotions metaphorically. Some examples of food she prepares are: turkey mole with almonds, quail with rose pedals, etc., and she also gives some house hold remedies also. This novel deals with Tita having to deal with seeing her sister and the one she loves along with an offspring that Pedro and Rosaura cherish. This has probably happened in real life, probably in a different country. An example of a metaphor would be when Tita was going to cook a quail; she first had to catch it and then kill it. "She realized that you cant be weak when it comes to killing or it causes more sorrow." This is a metaphor because it relates to how she feels and how she should deal with it. This quote is saying if she doesn't become strong she would be moping around in sorrow. It also shows that if she doesn't try harder "killing the quail", she would be in a lot of sorrow. Another Reason why I would recommend this novel is because of the conflicts of the love triangle between Tita, Pedro, and John, whom is later introduced in the book. Eventually, Tita has to choose between marrying a doctor (John), or marrying her first true love Pedro. I like this particular part of this novel because it gives us a feeling that you just want to know, and you end up just reading and reading until you find out what happens.
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Summary: " A UNIQUE AND MAGICAL NOVEL"
Review: Like water for hot chocolate is a clever and compelling novel, which is enticing and hard to put down. Laura Esquivel has struck success with her first novel as it involves a diversity of emotions. Forbidden love, mystical food and family traditions are all mixed together with a hint of magical realism and a dash of descriptive metaphors which creates a classic tale of romance ensuring a best seller. In a small town in Mexico near the Rio Grande lives the De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest daughter of the family if forbidden to marry her one true love. All due to a Mexican family tradition which condomnes Tita to taking care of the spiteful Mama Elena until the day she dies. Instead of Pedro marrying Tita, Mama Elena offers him one of her other daughters called Rosaura. Pedro painfully accepts the offer in the hope that he can become closer to Tita. This starts many bizzare and wonderful events which occur throughout the book, alluring you to read ahead. Each character has their own complex and diverse personality. Mama Elena repulsed me with her selfish way of thinking while I admired Tita for being strong. The storyline is easy to follow and has a delightful hint of comedy attached to it. The language is very descriptive enabling you to visualise the story, setting and feelings. Definitely worth reading, good for a laugh and a cry while having a pull on your heart strings. A perfect recipe for true romantics.
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Summary: Got it for my mom
Review: My mother loves this book. It tells the story of a family and their recipes. A good love story and a lot of drama.
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Summary: a magical twist of fate.
Review: Recently we were assigned the book Like Water for Chocolate, which I would say is an excellent read. Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate tells the story of Tita De La Garza, the youngest daughter in a family living in Mexico. Through the twelve chapters, each is marked with monthly installments, and features different recipes each month. In each chapter we learn of Tita's struggle to pursue true love and claim her independence. The main episodes of each chapter generally involves the preparation or consumption of the dishes that these recipes yield. In the book, Tita's heart is broken by Pedro, the man she loves, when he is forbidden to marry Tita because she is destined to take care of her mother, but instead Pedro takes her sister's, Rosaura, hand in marriage. He later claims he does it to be close to Tita. They express their love and affection towards each other in secret. Meanwhile, Rosaura and Pedro give birth to two children, one in which dies when they are forced to move away after Mama Elena senses something between Tita and Pedro. After the return of Rosaura and Pedro to the family ranch to mourn Mama Elena's death, Tita's love for Pedro only grows. Though out the book, Tita struggles for independence from her mother's tight grasp on her. She wants to marry and be free, and it is only when a Dr. Brown rescues her does she experience the fire everyone has deep inside. Dr. Brown sets Tita's mind straight and makes her want to love and be loved. The ending to the book takes a wild turn, unexpected to most. This book shows that true love does survive if it is meant to be.
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Summary: water for chocolate
Review: The book, Like Water for Chocolate, was a very interesting book. Sometimes it was a little boring but most of the time it was suspenseful. The part that was the most exiting for me was when Tina and her sister were having an argument in the kitchen. Another part that I liked was when Tina told John that she was cheating on him. I recommend this book because it keeps you guessing a lot and you will be on the edge of your seat till the end of the book. You should really go out and get this book.
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