Como agua para chocolate: Novela de Entregas Mensuales con Recetas, Amores y Remedios Caseros (Spanish Edition)

by Laura Esquivel

Paperback, 1994

Status

Available

Series

Like Water For Chocolate (1)

Genres

Publication

Anchor (1994), Edition: 1. Ed. De Anchor Books, 247 pages

Description

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The 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. She shares special points of her favorite preparations with listeners throughout the story.

User reviews

LibraryThing member kaionvin

Like Water for Chocolate attempts to spin a Cinderella yarn in turn-of-the-century Mexico, but ends up being represented mostly by cutesy touches (such as recipes representing each chapter) that end up not feeling very cute at all. I’m no resident expert on magical realism, but even I could feel

the patent artificially of its employ, lacking the unspeakable subconscious visceral manifestation qualities and instead, being used as a story-telling crutch and another in the long line of gimmicks. I would’ve wanted to slap all the characters for being so stupidly selfish by the end, except to be honest, the whole thing is written so thinly that the overall impression is that of a calculated enterprise that the characters don’t come across as any sort of people at all.

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LibraryThing member otterley

So I liked the recipes and the descriptions of life on the ranch in Mexico, and the idea that emotions can play out in food, and the story of the wicked mother who turns out to be more sad than wicked in the end - but this isn't a book that really worked for me. I thought the translation was a bit

clunky (at least I hope it was the translation) and the romance - years of thwarted love - disengaging. Sorry, not for me - but I suspect I'm in the minority..

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LibraryThing member nmhale

We begin the story with the entrance of Tita, born in the kitchen upon a flood of tears and the smell of onions, which is why onions always make her cry. What a delightful way to start a novel! This book chronicles the life of Tita and her forbidden love for Pedro, due to a tyrannical family

tradition of the youngest daughter being reserved to care for mother in her old age.
The situation isn't made any better by Mama Elena, who is an imperious old matriarch, and coerces Pedro into marrying Tita's older sister Rosario when he comes to ask for Tita's hand in marriage.

Part of what I love about magical realism is the whimsy, the fantastical elements that are incorporated into the story with the same presentation as everyday events. The characters greet these happenings with equanimity, the mystical and the mundane intertwined in their lives with complete acceptance. Writers like Marquez can be very elaborate in their fantasies, but this novel had plenty of touches that made me smile and remember why I liked the genre so much. Gertrudis, Tita's sister, eats a meal that is spiced with Tita's love for Pedro, and is instantly inflamed with a passionate ardor, so intense that the shower house catches fire and burns down around her. She runs out into the field naked and is carried away by a general on horseback. Mama Elena's ghost comes to chastise Tita, and when her daughter defies her, her spirit zips out and sparks a fire that engulfs Pedro. Though I can't explain why, these miraculous occurrences always delight me.

Tita was even more delightful. She is a strong and complex character. She is the only member of her family brave enough to fight against her mother, is a phenomenal cook, and has an immense capacity for love. The structure of the book is a lot of fun, too. Each chapter is set up like a recipe, with ingredients for a new dish given first, followed by cooking instructions that deftly merges into the ongoing storyline. The ending is a bit glorious. I liked so much about this novel that I'm ashamed I let it sit on my shelves for so long. If you're looking for story with depth and characters, but that is still a really light read, this is a great choice.

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LibraryThing member technodiabla

This is just not my kind of book. It was creative but seemed too childish and cutesy. Then of course there's the magical realism stuff, which I almost never care for. This book seemed intended for a teen audience and I just don't see it as serious literature, despite the accolades.

LibraryThing member elliepotten

I'm not entirely sure how to review this exquisite book in a way that will do it justice. I started it with only the most basic idea of the plot: namely, that Tita, our young heroine, who has practically grown up in the kitchen under the tutelage of their cook Nancha, is deeply in love with Pedro,

a local boy. Their love is condemned by the cruel family tradition stating that as the youngest daughter, she can never marry; instead, she must live at home and tend to her mother all her life. In order to remain close to his beloved Tita, Pedro accepts her mother's suggestion that he instead marries her older sister Rosaura.

Thus begins a sensual whirlwind of emotions, colours, flavours and scents, as Tita, under the fierce eye of her mother, pours all of her repressed feelings for Pedro and the torment of her life into her cooking. Cloaked in the mysticism of Mexican lore, each of those who taste her food are miraculously overtaken by powerful urges and emotions, manifestations of Tita's mood as she prepares each dish.

'Like Water for Chocolate' may turn out to be one of my favourite reads of the year. It is magical and mystical, and burns with fire and passion as Tita and Pedro circle each other through the years, tantalisingly close yet worlds apart. My heart broke for Tita each time her life was torn apart anew, I smiled when she was happy, and my tears must have rivalled hers by the end. I could hear the bubbling saucepans, sense the spices in the air, and taste the sumptious creations one by one. A beautiful, beautiful novel about the power of true love - and one I'll be treasuring for many years to come...

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LibraryThing member landslide

I had seen the movie before so I already knew the story. It turned out to be a good thing cause it allowed me to take my time with it, enjoying it and savouring it as if it was one of Tita's delicious recipes... Had I not seen the movie before, I'm sure I would have rushed through the book eagerly

wanting to know what happens next.

It's a wonderful love story, beautifully told, where each chapter (twelve, like the months of the year) starts with a recipe that is cooked throughout the chapter. The descriptions are so vivid I could almost smell the food being prepared.

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LibraryThing member DubaiReader

Too unbelievable.

I didn't really enjoy this book, it stretched my imagination rather too far. I read it for a book group so I did persevere to the end but it was not a rewarding read. The foodie element was well done but I've never been to Mexico and would have liked more description of the

country.

The central character was Tita, still young at the beginning of the book and experiencing her first crush. Unfortunately she is bound to an old Mexican tradition that the youngest daughter must remain with her mother to care for her and therefore cannot marry. The young man, Pedro, naiively decides to accept her older sister as wife just to stay near Tita. This gives rise to lots of tears and suppressed passions - which affect the food and even the people eating it. Burning passions ignite shower cubicles and cause chickens to agitiate themselves into whirlwinds and disappear into a hole that appears in the ground. Rather too implausible for my taste!

I felt it would be a book that might appeal to fans of Paulo Coelho or Isabele Allende.

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LibraryThing member sjmccreary

I've heard so much about this book (and movie) that I really didn't know what to expect. That is because it is totally unlike anything I've ever read before. Except maybe Paul Bunyan. That is what it reminded me of - a larger-than-real-life sort of mythical story.

This is the story of Tita, the

youngest daughter in a revolutionary-era Mexican ranch family. Family tradition dictates that, as such, she will not be allowed to marry and have her own family so that she will remain available to care for her mother. This was upsetting enough for her, but became unendurable when she fell in love with Pedro. After being turned down by Mama when asking for Tita's hand in marriage, he accepts her suggestion that he marry one of the older sisters, instead, in the hopes that he will at least still be in the same household as Tita. Naturally, Tita finds this solution to be hard to swallow. Which has very unfortunate consequences since Tita is the family cook, and whatever she is feeling while preparing the food shows up in the people who eat it - resulting in a disasterous wedding feast.

At first, I was totally enchanted by the book with its mystical happenings, but then found that to be a bit tedious. In the end, however, it was the straight story which charmed me. A wonderful story about love and family and how they are not always the same thing.

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LibraryThing member katiekrug

This story is Tita's, the third daughter of a Mexican family, destined for nothing beyond taking care of her abusive mother. Tita pours all her passion into the food she makes, unable to be with the man she loves. The best part of this book is the food. I wanted to eat everything described. The

novel is an interesting mix of family dynamics, magical realism, and recipes. It reads a bit like a fairy tale but is grounded in a specific place and time. Some of the writing was awkward, and I put that down to the translation.

The story is a bit thin, and I wanted more. The ending felt rushed. But, oh, the food!

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LibraryThing member Headinherbooks_27

I like the strangeness and uniqueness of the story. The magical realism was clever. The historical aspect of the era, family dynamics, and family traditions were constructed well that I fully sympathized with Tita and all the heartache and mistreatment she had to endure. It was a short and easy

read but witty and full of passion.

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LibraryThing member snat

Okay, so maybe more of a 3 1/2 star. I have a love/hate relationship with magical realism and, if anything, part of my disappoint with the novel comes from the fact that there's not as much "magic" as I had hoped for (I prefer Isabel Allende's House of the Sprits by comparison). However, I still

enjoyed the novel as it was unique in its structure and the conduit for the magical aspects of the novel--food--was beautifully rendered in the recipes and descriptions of the connection between food and culture, as well as food and memory.

Tita, the youngest daughter in her family, is doomed by tradition. She grows up knowing that she will never marry as it is her fate to take care of her tyrannical mother as she enters old age. Tita might have been able to resign herself to her destiny if it weren't for Pedro, the man with whom she falls passionately in love with at first sight. Tita's mother, of course, forbids the marriage and instead does the unthinkable--offers Pedro her eldest daughter Rosaura's hand in marriage. Pedro, the effin' fool that he is (oh, that's my other complaint with the book; I did not cotton to Pedro, although, to be fair, he's not a very well-developed character and so his actions come across as moronic since his only driving impulse is to be with Tita), accepts because it is the only way he can be near Tita. Oh, yeah. You know that's a plan that's going to end in a fustercluck.

Tita is both elated to know that Pedro is only marrying her sister out of love for Tita and depressed by the fact that their love is to go unconsummated as long as her mother's eagle eye ensures that the two are kept apart. Unable to express her innermost desires, they instead surface in her famed cooking. Ordinary meals become an emotional feast as those who eat her food are consumed by Tita's suppressed passion, anger, and resentment.

The episodic structure of the novel is genius, separated month by month and beginning with the recipe around which the story will revolve.

The characters are somewhat one-dimensional, but given that the novel has a fairytale quality to it and reads more as myth than reality, I'm willing to forgive that. What ruined the entire novel for me was the ending. I don't want to ruin it for other readers, so I will simply say that I don't think Tita chose the right man and leave it at that.

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LibraryThing member ElenaEstrada

This story is complex, deep, symbolic, and historical. Because of its magical realism, the reader must be willing to go along with the narrator and believe many details that are not part of reality. Readers who are not willing to imagine, will have a difficult time enjoying the literature. For

instance, in the beginning the narrator states that the main character Tita cried so violently in the womb that even the house servant who was deaf heard the infant cry. Of course if a person is truly deaf they certainly cannot hear anyone cry, let alone an unborn infant. In fact, I would venture to state no one has ever heard an infant cry. But the author is implying that the unborn child was crying because she new even then that the life that awaited her would be filled with sorrow and pain. This story is about the oppression Mexican women must live with put on them by religion, Mexican cultural traditions, and a false sense of right and wrong. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the story is set during the Mexican Revolution of the early 1900’s where women took arms and fought and died next to men to bring about change in their country. Tita’s sister Gertrudis is in charge of soldiers in battle, and advises Tita to take charge of her life and be true to herself. Gertrudis’ character calls all Mexican women to take action, leave female roles behind, and fight for their rights to live their own lives by creating their own destinies. One of the major themes of the novel is to living with courage by risking security and personal safety. This is a great book for young minds, especially females of Mexican descent.

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LibraryThing member amanda4242

It's not bad, but it did have me rolling my eyes more than a little. I kept thinking that most of the conflict could have been avoided if any of the characters had taken two seconds to use their brains for more than taking up the space between their ears.

LibraryThing member MsNikki

I saw the movie first, and told my brother that it the imagery was so similar to literature...I enjoyed it thoroughly...so I bought the book and wasn;t disappointed.

You can practically taste the food discribed in the book...One of my favourite books ever!

LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50

Although Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel covers the serious subject of the life of a woman in turn-of-the-century Mexico, it is a charming interpretation using magical realism to highlight the story. The author opens every chapter with a recipe and sets pretty much most of the action in

and around the kitchen as that recipe is prepared.

We follow the destiny of Tita, the youngest daughter of a well born rancher. Her story is not a particular happy one as she has been raised to remain single and look after her aging mother. Tita does fall in love, but her mother quickly puts a halt to the relationship and, in fact, offers Tita’s love interest, Pedro, the hand of her sister. Tita learns to express herself through her cooking and pours her emotions and thoughts into the food she prepares. When she is forced to make her sister’s wedding cake, the power of her thoughts causes every guest to burst into tears when they taste the cake.

In a light-hearted, almost breezy style, the author uses cooking to describe Tita’s frustrations, hope and love in this unusual folk tale. The book is playful, sensual, earthy and engaging and was the perfect read to keep my mind away from the seriousness of real life.

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LibraryThing member jcmontgomery

Like Water for Chocolate's full title is, Like Water for Hot Chocolate: A novel in monthly installments with recipes, romances and home remedies. However it is much more than a “diary” recounting the life of a beloved aunt.

This book is about relationships: those between a family of women and

the challenges borne out of sibling love and rivalry; those affected by a family tradition that is the catalyst for rebellion; and of those between women and the men who pass through their lives.

The setting plays an important part in Esquivel’s narrative, as it mirrors the lives of her characters. It is turn-of-the-century Mexico. A time of revolution and change. Not only in politics, but in the culture as well. This is clear to see within the family of the De La Garza women as the story moves along from one generation to the next. How they, and the times change, some adapting - some not.

When I first saw the film, I misunderstood the title and its meaning. Not until studying the Spanish language did I realize the error. It was my “Ah ha!” moment. The story, the metaphors, the beauty of it all became so much clearer, and I was thrilled to finally “get it”. I decided then and there to get the book and read it. I am so glad I did.

The phrase is common in many Spanish-speaking countries and in this book, it applies to those people or emotions (such as anger and passion) that are so extreme, they are close to reaching a point where they are about to “boil over”.

I can nearly count on one hand the number of books adapted as well as this. Of course Esquivel wrote the screenplay, which helped. However, it remained with the director and the actors to bring to life the story as the author intended, and they did it well.

Deciding on which rating this story deserves has been extremely difficult. I love the book. I love the story. However the translation is an issue albeit a small one. Compared to others such as The Shadow of the Wind, this one comes up a little short as sometimes the flow runs a little less smooth than it should. Still, I cannot get over the amount of depth and beauty in this book.

Thus it is getting 5 Stars out of 5 and a permanent spot in my library.

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LibraryThing member savannahp

"Like Water for Chocolate," by Laura Esquirel was not of my taste. I originally chose to read the book because of its Hispanic nature, thinking I could somehow relate to it. And I could. The struggles of Tita were similar to those of mine. I had to hold down the house for so long, and take care of

my mother. I though, was the oldest, adding more tension. Some aspects varied drastically, for instance, I would never be denied marriage even though it is discourage. And Tita’s love of cooking was one I could greatly relate to. The kitchen is where I feel safest, and I think that’s how she felt also. Having been raised in the kitchen basically.
Like Water for Chocolate is a hyperbole, which is an exaggeration of speech and art, and I prefer books opposite to this. I like realistic books. Books where the story doesn’t get confused with fantasy and such. Tita’s emotions are tied to the book in a way that somewhat aggravated me at times. Her tears caused so many unrealistic actions.
I would assume, after reading the past paragraph, that readers would assume this aspect ruined my taste for the book. In some way it did. The story line though, what matters most in my opinion, was great. That is what kept me entertained. Tita’s struggle to survive in such a tragic living condition drawled me in. I was interested to see if her life improved.
The book all together was satisfactory. However, I would not read it again if given the choice. The design of it was, as I said, not of my taste. If you like hyperboles or fantasy and things of that nature I would strongly recommend it. But if you are like me, and enjoy realistic type books with no exaggeration this book may not be for you.

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LibraryThing member veens

Like Water for Chocolate – A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies is a mystical tale, that I enjoyed thoroughly. Being always greedy for good food, my taste buds never slept, after I started reading this amazing tale. It is so ‘fairy-talish’ and yet so real.

I loved Tita, and was amazed at the speed with which the story accelerated each month.
I must say that the end was amazing, nothing that I did expected at all.
There have been mixed reaction to this novel, but I completely adored it. I had half a mind to test these recipes, or the Home remedies; but there were so many things I didn’t understand that I would not dare try.
I never knew about so many things – related to kitchen. It is amazing, that I really enjoyed the peek-a-boo into Mexican ranch life of the nineteenth century.
If you enjoy something mystical, love cooking, have problem in keeping your taste-buds from becoming watery and are emotional about love and women who don’t seem to get their love … then this book is for you … as much as it is for me.
Loved it totally.And hope you too love it too!

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LibraryThing member ejfertig

This book just speaks for itself. It's descriptions are so beautiful.

LibraryThing member HippieLunatic

Like Water for Chocolate is a modern day fairy tale where the cook's emotions run into the dishes. As a kitchen enthusiast, a lover of fairy tales, and a romantic to the core, this was a perfectly marinated text.

The thing that keeps this novel from earning 5 stars is that a large part of me wanted

Tita to choose a different path. Even though the ending might not have been as brilliant, the embers of love have a more lasting warmth than the flames, and just once, I would like to see the oven-like love explored more than the open-fire love.

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LibraryThing member EdinaMonsoon

You won't put it down. This book haunts you like the fragrance of a delicous meal. The story of a passionate but forbidden love.

LibraryThing member quixotic-creator

An interesting and sensual love story that literally explodes with passion and misfortune. I have always enjoyed reading this book not only because of the intriguing Mexican recipes but because it is a story presented with depth. Well written and translated, this story tells a tale of love,

betrayal, bitter disappointment as well ultimate sacrifice, as experienced by a family of women. It is a strong and bold novel that leaves one satisfied but hungry.

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LibraryThing member ablueidol

The story and structure is enchanting. We follow the life and frustrations of Tita via a meal per month but over 20 years plus and more with flashbacks. She is forbidden to marry as she is needed to look after her mother in old age but her lover marries the sister to be near her. Magical realism

created some lovely images for the emotions. It might read better in Spanish but it was a bit wooden in parts. It has a lot of interesting characters that evoke the period rather then explain it. A enjoyable midday snack rather then a splendid feast.

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LibraryThing member smully

When an author attempts something unique in writing style, and it works....you get stories like this. Esquivel's choice to present the story in conjunction with traditional Mexican recipes and women's folklore sounds sketchy until to you start to read. It is a beautifully woven tale about family

and tradition and loyalty and passion. With each installment you become more wrapped up in richness and warmth of the kitchen and understand why it was so powerful for Tita. I echo other reviewers in applauding the flowing use of magical realism, as it accompanies the soul of the story rather than distracting from it.

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LibraryThing member Essa

A deliciously unusual book. Captivating and magical, it is a fairy-tale for adults that blends bodily passions and culinary pleasures in one sumptuous serving.

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