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A review by jmariecapdem
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3.0
In addition to my great love for food and cooking, I am always fascinated by the origin of herbs and spices and how to prepare them as well which got me into reading this book.
Like Water For Chocolate is a mix of romance, drama, and magical realism. It is written in a diary form which gives you an experience of the main and side dishes prepared by the main character Tita on a monthly basis on every occasion at their household, in addition to her encounters in life. Interestingly, I have also discovered a few cultures in Mexico or Latin America when it comes to marriage. Now a fair warning for all: this has plenty of drama and romance which is also a little too explicit for young adult readers so if you are not comfortable with cooking and steamy scenes then you will not be able to enjoy this.
Tita even though could be over dramatic, still plays a great character here. She represents a strong woman who is also practical and vulnerable when it comes to love not only for Pedro but her family members. I also liked how the other characters are developed including Tita’s assistants, Dr. John, his granny, and the feisty Gertrudis despite the hilarious scandal she had, lastly I hated Tita’s mother and Rosaura. I think the author had a good job in creating like a whole family telenovela in this one.
However, the reason I only gave it 3 stars was because like I said above, it can get over the top emotional which compensated for the flat, dragging parts. This can get tiring and boring from time to time because there are not much new events happening. The dishes on the hand are cool and I am not sure if the amount of ingredients stated is feasible for a banquet in real life but those were the better parts.
Overall, I still enjoyed it and it represented lessons in life so I hope the other aspiring chef bookworms out there will give this a try.
Like Water For Chocolate is a mix of romance, drama, and magical realism. It is written in a diary form which gives you an experience of the main and side dishes prepared by the main character Tita on a monthly basis on every occasion at their household, in addition to her encounters in life. Interestingly, I have also discovered a few cultures in Mexico or Latin America when it comes to marriage. Now a fair warning for all: this has plenty of drama and romance which is also a little too explicit for young adult readers so if you are not comfortable with cooking and steamy scenes then you will not be able to enjoy this.
Tita even though could be over dramatic, still plays a great character here. She represents a strong woman who is also practical and vulnerable when it comes to love not only for Pedro but her family members. I also liked how the other characters are developed including Tita’s assistants, Dr. John, his granny, and the feisty Gertrudis despite the hilarious scandal she had, lastly I hated Tita’s mother and Rosaura. I think the author had a good job in creating like a whole family telenovela in this one.
However, the reason I only gave it 3 stars was because like I said above, it can get over the top emotional which compensated for the flat, dragging parts. This can get tiring and boring from time to time because there are not much new events happening. The dishes on the hand are cool and I am not sure if the amount of ingredients stated is feasible for a banquet in real life but those were the better parts.
Overall, I still enjoyed it and it represented lessons in life so I hope the other aspiring chef bookworms out there will give this a try.