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casspro's review against another edition
5.0
Good example of some magicial realism (in terms of magic being an integral part of reality, I'm not so sure about the theory behind it). Heartbreaking and romantic and sensual, I'd love to try the recipes that are included in the beginning of the chapters.
milo0o0o's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sksrenninger's review against another edition
4.0
Very unlike anything I've read before; I'll have to try some more magical realism. Are you supposed to (be able to) make the recipes? Personally, I read it as more of a fairy tale / fable, and I didn't have the problems that other readers seemed to have, but then again, I love fantasy. I don't know *almost any* Mexican history, so if the story parallels that, I missed it, but I'm assuming the domineering, witholding, demanding mother vs originally submissive, hopeful, determined daughter setup stands in for the two forces in the Mexican revolution. Does the "last daughter must take care of her mother forever without marrying" tradition mirror the social-class situation in Mexico pre-Revolution? I would think so, but I don't know; someone who knows better, please feel free to chime in! I did like the idea of food expressing all the things Tita couldn't say, because I'm obsessed with food and I like whimsy and mysticism. Maybe it's because food is such a basic and everyday need, it's a reminder that life continues in all kinds of circumstances? I don't know--someone have this conversation with me. But anywho, I thought it was cute, and if you can read it without needing it to be perfectly realistic, you might enjoy it as well.
Spoiler
And then, the way she vanquishes her mother by refusing to give in, but her mom lights Pedro on fire: the time it takes for Pedro to recover is a stand-in for the time it takes for society to pull itself back together after a kind of catastrophic fight (like a war)?ellakelynack4's review against another edition
4.0
This book, despite being a short novel, felt long to read. Perhaps that is with the passing passage of time (although I never quite knew what measure of time that was).
I found this book to be really thought provoking. Especially because I felt as though I empathised with tita and her dilemas but found her to make the wrong choices a lot of the time. It became hard to like her despite the sorrow I felt for her.
This story is very interesting in the manner in which I learnt a lot about Mexican customs and traditions, and the deep-rooted lack of choice women face. I enjoyed tita and her female counterparts journeys to liberation.
I also love the Aspect of magical realism
team John :( poor lad.
I found this book to be really thought provoking. Especially because I felt as though I empathised with tita and her dilemas but found her to make the wrong choices a lot of the time. It became hard to like her despite the sorrow I felt for her.
This story is very interesting in the manner in which I learnt a lot about Mexican customs and traditions, and the deep-rooted lack of choice women face. I enjoyed tita and her female counterparts journeys to liberation.
I also love the Aspect of magical realism
team John :( poor lad.
sleepylizzie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.0
katmystery's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The insta-love got on my nerves, but I enjoyed the delectable descriptions of food and the book's silliness; it didn't take itself seriously, which made it quite a fun read. The least depressing magical realism book I've read, though still not a very happy one.
alouisecabin's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
5.0
colleengeedrumm's review against another edition
4.0
To the table or to bed
You must come when you are bid.
How a soul that hasn't been warmed by the fire of love is lifeless.
Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can't strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it.
Ah, and let me suggest, next time you fall in love, don't be such a coward!
Life would be much nicer if one could carry the smells and tastes of the maternal home wherever one pleased.
Now she admired the way they (seeds) opened their skin and allowed the water to penetrate them fully, until they were split asunder to make way for new life. She imagined the pride they felt as the tip of the first root emerged from inside them, the humility which they accepted the loss of their previous form, the bravery with which they showed the world their new leaves. Tita would love to be a simple seed, not to have to explain to anyone what was growing inside her, to show her fertile body to the world without laying herself open to society's disapproval. Seeds didn't have that kind of problem, they didn't have a mother to be afraid of or a fear of those who would judge them.
If a strong emotion suddenly lights all the candles we carry inside ourselves, it creates a brightness that shines far beyond our normal vision and then a splendid tunnel appears that shows us the way that we forgot when we were born and calls us to recover our lost divine origin. The soul longs to return to the place it came from, leaving the body lifeless.
You must come when you are bid.
How a soul that hasn't been warmed by the fire of love is lifeless.
Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can't strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it.
Ah, and let me suggest, next time you fall in love, don't be such a coward!
Life would be much nicer if one could carry the smells and tastes of the maternal home wherever one pleased.
Now she admired the way they (seeds) opened their skin and allowed the water to penetrate them fully, until they were split asunder to make way for new life. She imagined the pride they felt as the tip of the first root emerged from inside them, the humility which they accepted the loss of their previous form, the bravery with which they showed the world their new leaves. Tita would love to be a simple seed, not to have to explain to anyone what was growing inside her, to show her fertile body to the world without laying herself open to society's disapproval. Seeds didn't have that kind of problem, they didn't have a mother to be afraid of or a fear of those who would judge them.
If a strong emotion suddenly lights all the candles we carry inside ourselves, it creates a brightness that shines far beyond our normal vision and then a splendid tunnel appears that shows us the way that we forgot when we were born and calls us to recover our lost divine origin. The soul longs to return to the place it came from, leaving the body lifeless.