Scan barcode
dellydoos's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Despite the fact that this book is not a comedy, it really should be marketed as one. Like Water for Chocolate has to be one of the most random, outlandish and yet deeply emotional stories I’ve read. Set in turn-of-the-century Mexico, this tale follows the ill-fated romance between Tita De La Garza and her true love Pedro. Bound by family tradition, Tita is forbidden to marry as the youngest daughter expected to care for her mother. When Pedro proposes, Tita's manipulative mother offers her older daughter Rosaura's hand instead- and Pedro accepts, hoping to remain close to his beloved Tita.
Magical realism will always have my heart as a genre, because you just cannot find this wacky shit anywhere else. The amount of times I literally died laughing over the complete randomness and over-the-top events that happened in this novel is unreal. Tita is a force to be reckoned with, and as we witness her struggle to be true both to family tradition and to her own heart, we also realize that Tita has special talents, both in the kitchen and beyond dishes. Her dishes evoke emotions and affect people in supernatural ways. I lost it over the magical meals causing people to float, combust, and become sexually aroused. This novel blends romance and family drama with talking ghosts and mystical cooking in a way only magical realism can.
As the chapters were originally released in monthly instalments, every important story beat feels like the most deadpan plot-twist that seemingly comes out of nowhere. From Tita's sister engaging in passionate sexual encounter on horseback, to characters meeting their demise in the most bizarre ways, the narrative is a whirlwind of chaos. And yet, amidst the madness, there's an underlying current of warmth, love, and resilience that grounds the story in something deeply human. The descriptions of Tita's cooking are mouth-watering and all of the emotions that food can bring forth, both literally and figuratively, was a joy to read.
However, its folkloric or fairy-tale-like narrative style occasionally held me at arm's length, leaving me feeling more like a passive observer than an active participant in the story. It’s incredibly fast-paced where seemingly the most important plot points seem to be skipped over, instead, most of the focus is put on character. And whilst Tida was a character that felt rich and deep, Pedro, on the other hand, was a complete flog and felt almost antagonistic to Tida’s own emotional journey. By the end of the book, I really thought the narrative was going in one direction, when it actually ended in another. Because of this, I did feel a little unsatisfied, which unfortunately brought down my rating.
A wild ride. 3.5 stars.
Magical realism will always have my heart as a genre, because you just cannot find this wacky shit anywhere else. The amount of times I literally died laughing over the complete randomness and over-the-top events that happened in this novel is unreal. Tita is a force to be reckoned with, and as we witness her struggle to be true both to family tradition and to her own heart, we also realize that Tita has special talents, both in the kitchen and beyond dishes. Her dishes evoke emotions and affect people in supernatural ways. I lost it over the magical meals causing people to float, combust, and become sexually aroused. This novel blends romance and family drama with talking ghosts and mystical cooking in a way only magical realism can.
As the chapters were originally released in monthly instalments, every important story beat feels like the most deadpan plot-twist that seemingly comes out of nowhere. From Tita's sister engaging in passionate sexual encounter on horseback, to characters meeting their demise in the most bizarre ways, the narrative is a whirlwind of chaos. And yet, amidst the madness, there's an underlying current of warmth, love, and resilience that grounds the story in something deeply human. The descriptions of Tita's cooking are mouth-watering and all of the emotions that food can bring forth, both literally and figuratively, was a joy to read.
However, its folkloric or fairy-tale-like narrative style occasionally held me at arm's length, leaving me feeling more like a passive observer than an active participant in the story. It’s incredibly fast-paced where seemingly the most important plot points seem to be skipped over, instead, most of the focus is put on character. And whilst Tida was a character that felt rich and deep, Pedro, on the other hand, was a complete flog and felt almost antagonistic to Tida’s own emotional journey. By the end of the book, I really thought the narrative was going in one direction, when it actually ended in another. Because of this, I did feel a little unsatisfied, which unfortunately brought down my rating.
A wild ride. 3.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
motherofpearly's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Mixed emotions about this book. Loved how the rich imagery made me feel like I was in the kitchen with Tita. The author took care in describing each flavor, aroma, and cooking technique. I loved how Tita’s emotions infused with each dish and magically affected those who ate it.
However I felt that the meals were more developed than the characters, and many large plot points were skimmed over. A few times I had to re-read sections to make sure I didn’t miss a page or two. Ultimately I had little emotion about the romance, heartbreaks, or traumas that any of them experienced.
Also I found the spicy scenes to be boring and sometimes creepy. Especially the first time betweenTita and Pedro which I expected to be more passionate since the sexual tension had been building up to a boing point. One night, he decided to hide in a dark room, and pop out unexpectedly when she came in. Startled, she asked what he was doing, and he answered by “throwing himself upon her, caused her to lose her virginity and learn of true love”. Super creepy and made me feel uneasy. Don’t even get me started on Gertrudis losing her virginity on horseback after being found naked in a field by a man who literally tracked her down by her magical scent. Probably could have done without reading this book, but it was definitely memorable
However I felt that the meals were more developed than the characters, and many large plot points were skimmed over. A few times I had to re-read sections to make sure I didn’t miss a page or two. Ultimately I had little emotion about the romance, heartbreaks, or traumas that any of them experienced.
Also I found the spicy scenes to be boring and sometimes creepy. Especially the first time between
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death and Rape
Minor: Death, Racism, Suicide, and War
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Fatphobia
vikkisgrotto's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I loved the way Laura Esquivel wove recipes into each chapter, and I thought the magical realism was really unique and fun. I unfortunately didn't love the romance between Pedro and Tita because it felt mostly based on lust, and the ending left a lot to be desired. It's a good tragic love story, but I kind of wish she had chosen John, who was the more stable choice, in my opinion.
I also liked the fact that the story was narrated by Tita's great niece; I had forgotten about it because they only mention it at the beginning of the first and end of the last chapter, but it gave the story a more full-circle and complete feeling.
I also liked the fact that the story was narrated by Tita's great niece; I had forgotten about it because they only mention it at the beginning of the first and end of the last chapter, but it gave the story a more full-circle and complete feeling.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Rape, Blood, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
jodzy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
It was an interesting read, entertaining. However, I didn't particularly love the book. I liked the part with recipes and Gertrudis the most. And the writing was honestly amazing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
tokki_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
bellacate's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
clariast7's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Minor: Rape
booksanna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was WILD, and not in the exciting way. If you like dramatic Spanish Soap Opera with an overbearing mother, personal conflicts, lustful relations, and yummy food recipes, you will love this story. The main characters journey spans many years and follows her through all of her life’s struggles. It seems like every possible and impossible thing that could happen to a human happened in this book. Pregnancy scare, LITERAL rivers of tears, rape, assault, death(A LOT OF DEATH), murder, racism, brothels apparently, going insane, yummy beef broth soup, cheating, dark humor, a love polygon that I can’t comprehend the logistics of, kidnapping, forced marriage, babies (lots of babies), CHICKEN TORNADO, drunk serenades, arson, persistent ghosts, a quilt with dimensions of a hectare, a magical abortion, matches that light if you chew them, and so much more I can’t remember The plot was full of twists and turns constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat. However, the plot was so wild, it was concerning.
Interestingly, this book likes to blend long descriptive chains of paragraphs with the plot of the story. For example, at one point you have a character describing how they meticulously cut onions to minimize crying, and the next the same character is getting slapped by their mother. The author really mastered mixing the 2 elements so skillfully that I was unable to tell how the plot was going to develop at all. I loved all the descriptive chains of text about food as they added a lot more uniqueness and depth to the story. The writing style was beautiful and eloquent with a lot of figurative elements.
For a book that heavily relies on magical realism elements, I felt that the characters and their personalities were very realistic and representative of all the ranges of human emotions. I loved Gertrudis, she had the best character development of allGirl went from a brothel employee to a general of the revolution and its military, best woman role model. I also felt that the villain characters were very realistic (and nasty by the way). I could definitely picture them living in the real world. However, I felt like most conflicts could be easily solved if the characters just made thoughts for themselves instead of letting other people control their decisions. I am very glad that Tita soon adopted this self-sufficient mindset instead of obeying every order. Although, I wish she could have done that before Mama Elena died
Just when I thought the book was becoming predictable/normal, I was horrifically surprised with the next plot twist. At some point the book became so outlandish and chaotic that the heavy topics in the book became the norm. No emotion or build up happened when any of the characters died or got hurt. The story moved right along like nothing happened. like when the baby died, or when Mama Elena died, or when any other of the numerous deaths happened. Also, Chencha was raped, yet we didn’t even hear about any effects it had on her or TIta. It just something that occurred, and was immediately overshadowed by the next plot twist
The magical realism aspect was a very heavy presence adding more confusion and drama to the story. Although I am not a fan of magical realism, I will say that it was a lot better than the plot of the book. The magic elements really elevated the story and added a physical manifestations of our main character’s emotions. There was so much drama from the magic. Like that one time where everyone became lustful after eating a rose cake and people were making love anywhere they could find. exact quote “Any place was good: in the river, on the stairs, in the tub, in the fireplace, in the oven of a stove, at the pharmacy counter, in the wardrobe, in the treetops. Necessity is the mother of all inventions and all postures. That day there was more creativity than ever in the history of humanity.”
Speaking of emotions, this book was full of lust.Bruh they emphasized Tita’s body and sexuality in this book so much. Like that one time where there was a paragraph describing his lust when he saw under her skirt her ankles. It was a lot. Or any other time these characters were interacting there was a very high sexual emphasis. The love interest was so lustful that he DIED while making love with the main character. If that is not dramatic, I don’t know what id
The ending was even more wild.I feel so bad for John. He was such a good guy, and he deserved so much better.
Overall, if you love drama, I recommend.
Interestingly, this book likes to blend long descriptive chains of paragraphs with the plot of the story. For example, at one point you have a character describing how they meticulously cut onions to minimize crying, and the next the same character is getting slapped by their mother. The author really mastered mixing the 2 elements so skillfully that I was unable to tell how the plot was going to develop at all. I loved all the descriptive chains of text about food as they added a lot more uniqueness and depth to the story. The writing style was beautiful and eloquent with a lot of figurative elements.
For a book that heavily relies on magical realism elements, I felt that the characters and their personalities were very realistic and representative of all the ranges of human emotions. I loved Gertrudis, she had the best character development of all
Just when I thought the book was becoming predictable/normal, I was horrifically surprised with the next plot twist. At some point the book became so outlandish and chaotic that the heavy topics in the book became the norm. No emotion or build up happened when any of the characters died or got hurt. The story moved right along like nothing happened.
The magical realism aspect was a very heavy presence adding more confusion and drama to the story. Although I am not a fan of magical realism, I will say that it was a lot better than the plot of the book. The magic elements really elevated the story and added a physical manifestations of our main character’s emotions. There was so much drama from the magic.
Speaking of emotions, this book was full of lust.
The ending was even more wild.
Overall, if you love drama, I recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence
onefinestein's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape