Like Water for Chocolate Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate

A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

    • 4.3 • 303 Ratings
    • $9.99
    • $9.99

Publisher Description

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico blends poignant romance, bittersweet wit, and delicious recipes.

This classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother's womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef, using cooking to express herself and sharing recipes with readers along the way.

GENRE
Fiction & Literature
RELEASED
1994
August 1
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
256
Pages
PUBLISHER
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
SELLER
Penguin Random House LLC
SIZE
3.2
MB

Customer Reviews

Greek half blood ,

A Flavorful Fantasy

Like Water for Chocolate is a tasty tale of magic and love set in turn-of-the-century Mexico.
Tita lives on her family’s ranch with her mother and sisters. On this ranch, Tita is in charge of taking care of her mother because of a family tradition requiring the youngest daughter to care for her mother until she dies. This rule is a source of conflict which causes Tita to drift away from her family. The distance between the members of the family begin when Pedro, Tita’s true love, comes to the ranch with his father to ask for Tita's hand in marriage. Mama Elena (Tita’s mother) denies Pedro, since Tita’s family duty forbids her to marry, but offers another one of her daughters. Pedro agrees to marry Tita’s sister Rosaura so he can stay close to Tita. Naturally, this causes a feud between Tita and Mama Elena and Rosaura all revolving around Pedro. Esquivel uses Pedro to constantly create conflict between all of the characters in the book.

In addition to dealing with the complexities of familial love and responsibility, this novel explores the importance of food and the kitchen in human relationships. In many families food is an expression of love and care. In this magical realism novel, Laura Esquivel turns food into a more literal transmitter of various emotions and feelings. Through Tita and her magical connection to the intricate dishes she prepares, her emotions are experienced by those who consume her culinary creations. For those she loves her food is some of the best in the world bringing joy and comfort. However, to the people in Tita’s life who cause her discomfort, her food is representation of her negative emotions and may even be poisonous. While Tita is preparing a wedding cake for her sister, she cries and her tears dilute the cake’s frosting. This cake causes everyone including those who she loves to be longing for something because that is how she felt. An example of her food bringing joy and nourishment is when Roberto, her nephew, needs breast milk and Tita is the only person that can provide the breast milk for him even though she was never pregnant.

One of the few issues I found while reading this book was that Tita’s magical powers were not clearly defined,and were developing even to the end when she eats candles to create an artificial fire. Also bothersome is that although Esquivel provides a basic setting of 20th century Mexico, she does not elaborate about historical events going on or even where in Mexico the family’s ranch is located. Even with its flaws, Esquivel shows how brilliant a writer she is by her use of vivid imagery to develop a better understanding of the role of food and magic play towards the novel’s theme. With each chapter, she takes the audience on a journey of changing mood through Tita’s character, making this story hard to put down. This book was an easy and fun read that included complex ideas and hidden meanings which add depth to the novel. I would recommend this book to those looking for a different and unique reading or those who enjoy magic and fantasy.

Auds1414 ,

Beautifully Written

I have read this book multiple times and every time I love it, it’s amazing!

I just want pizza ,

Upest

Should clarify that it wasn’t the audio book and made me waste $13

More Books Like This

The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao
2017
The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo
2012
Where There Was Fire Where There Was Fire
2023
So Far from God: A Novel So Far from God: A Novel
2005
Of Bees and Mist Of Bees and Mist
2009
Lamb in His Bosom Lamb in His Bosom
2011

More Books by Laura Esquivel

Como agua para chocolate Como agua para chocolate
2010
Malinche Spanish Version Malinche Spanish Version
2006
Swift as Desire Swift as Desire
2001
Como Água para Chocolate Como Água para Chocolate
2019
Como água para chocolate Como água para chocolate
2015
A Lupita le gustaba planchar A Lupita le gustaba planchar
2015

Customers Also Bought

Romeo and Juliet: The Shakesperience Romeo and Juliet: The Shakesperience
2012
The Odyssey The Odyssey
1950
The House of the Spirits The House of the Spirits
2015
Dear Life Dear Life
2012
An Incomplete Education An Incomplete Education
1997
White Teeth White Teeth
2001