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Summary: Lyricism in Cooking & Writing
Review: A friend recommended this book. As an avid cook, I loved the interwining of aspects of cooking and of life. I found this book had much the same lyricism in its writing as _Like Water for Chocolate_.
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Summary: Enchanting
Review: You feel as though you have just stepped through the doors of a magical spice store...greeted by the multitude of fragrances and the vibrant colors of the spices...you can feel their power. I was a bit disappointed by the ending as it seemed to be wrapped up too neatly but overall a great book.
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Summary: Excellent!
Review: Having spent 10 years of my life in India I was somewhat familiar with certain aspects of the book. I cook Indian cuisine frequently and so am familiar with the taste of certain spices and some of their medicinal properties. The writing was almost lyrical in quality and transported me into the little magical shop every time i picked up the book to read it.
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Summary: Excellent and moving
Review: The Mistress of Spices left me longing for more. I haven't read this good of a book in a long time. The character of Tilo was quite complex but I was able to relate to her all the same. As a young Indian-American aspiring writer, I found this book to be extremely motivating.
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Summary: The only book I was interested.
Review: The main charactor, The old lady who comes from India to America is very poor. So she comes to America makes a will to start a resturant and earn money. So she start a Indian food resturant. As she start for her resturant she makes a way to survive. As the way enters in life she becomes more happy and enjoys her life. One way that it makes her life enjoyable is she starts carring money for her exponditure. Another thing she tends to find many people to talk too and share her feelings with. As she atracts her custmers she meets more people and get more money. So if there is a will there is always just as the the lady she made a will to start her resturant and a way for money and friendship came along.
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Summary: the art of love and cooking never will be the same again
Review: I came across this book by chance and couldn't put it down. As a keen cook I mas delighted to read about the magical powers all the spices have. One of those books that all should read and keep in their hearts the art of love and self-forgiveness.A story that shows you that what we love is in the inside of each other.You will probably look at your loved one and try to see who really is inside.
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Summary: Plot versus Substance.. Ane the winner is...
Review: While reading this colorful, lyrical story, it is easy to be transported by the present-tense, sing-song prose, enigmatic imagery and sensual descriptions. After closing the book and gaining some distance, one begins to see how simple and predictable is the story line. But while steeped in the fragrant brew of the narrative as it progresses... Ahhh! it is so easy to be captivated. Very original style and point of view. Deliciously original premise! Somewhat flat plot and even flatter resolution. In my opinion, the style in this case outweighs the substance. And what a style!
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Summary: Great book with a magical touch
Review: At first I was a bit sceptical - having ordered the book through a book club. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it didn't take long before I was unable to put it down.
The words are almost magical and I could hardly wait to read of the powers of the next spice.
A great book about love and sacrifice!!!!!
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Summary: Inspiring
Review: I don't know what to expect when I bought this book. After reading it for a while I got hooked. There are words and quotes that was like it was meant for me. I know it is kind of lame but I was feeling kind of down and out and this book enlightened me on some facts of life that I should realize and really think about. It is worth reading. I you think the story is kind of predictable, just read it to experience the artful language and poet-like narration. Two thumbs up for me!
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Summary: The Mistress of Spices - audio version
Review: Sarita Choudhury's reading is as piquant as a garam masala, with the rising and falling cadences of a graceful woman's footfall, and the deep warning tread of a man coming through the door of Tilo's shop. She plays off these contrasting elements beautifully. The inner serenity of the traditional healer, based on ancient knowledge, is constantly challenged by the realities of immigrant life. But she does not entirely surrender to it, not even when she changes into an outfit purchased from Sears. As Joseph Campbell wrote of his Catholic faith - it went from being denotative (the belief in the truth of the Invisible World) to connotative (the acceptance that the symbolism of religion describes inner states of the mind, inner dramas). Telo seems to be on the point of making that transition. She puts aside her vows to make practical change in the world. She dares to be effective. But then she learns that helping others is not so simple. We have no ultimate say in the outcome. We can only try. "Spells" in America can only work by suggestion. While she is playing "social worker", she is doing it with traditional medicine. When magic seems to intervene, when the Invisible World seems to appear, as though summoned by her deeds, the reality is that our natural world - with earthquake and fire - is every bit as potent as our magical constructions. The difference between our traditional foremothers and ourselves, is that we accept the natural causes. The similarity is that some part of our mind always puts ourselves at the middle of the drama around those events, because our emotional reactions to them are so strong. Even this story, so seemingly filled with the metamorphosis of Tilo (like the Arthurian Loathly Lady), can be read naturalistically. The subjective sense of being an aged woman is transformed by longing and romantic love, so that Tilo need never have "really" changed to the objective eye. Thus, the story is a powerful blend of East and West, of the denotative preserved in the connotative. The words of an author, put on paper, transcribed into speech, have stung my eyes like a peppers thrown into hot oil. When the tears fall, I see a New World and it is very exciting.
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