I was captivated by every single page of this novel about "the secrets of love and life as revealed by the kitchen." Set in Mexico during the revolution, fifteen-year-old Tita's mother refuses to allow her to marry because as the youngest in the family, she must take care of her mother until she dies. When Pedro, who she knows she is in love with when she "knows how dough feels when it is plunged into boiling oil," asks for her hand in marriage, Tita's selfish mother offers her sister instead. Pedro agrees, seeing it as the only way to be near Tita. Tita deals with injustices and heartbreak as she cooks amazing meals for the family that seem to convey her emotions. The book is filled with supernatural elements contrasted with stark realism--like the process of castrating chickens. (I looked up this book on Wikipedia, and, lo and behold, this quality of the book has a name--"magical realism." Who knew? Well, all of the English majors and librarians probably. It only sounded vaguely familiar to me.)I found this book very entertaining with its culinary metaphors and the way the author conveyed the emotions of the characters. It has it's "steamy" parts, some romantic, some humorous, some rather mystical. But I guess the steam goes with the title; "like water for chocolate" is a Spanish expression referring to the process of making hot chocolate in which the chunks of chocolate are dropped into boiling water. It usually describes a state of passion or anger, both of which are well represented in the novel. (Thanks again, Wikipedia! When I was done with the book, I still couldn't figure out what the heck the title meant.)
I have never created a "half" stars graphic, and it is so appropriate for some books! So for this one I will type the rating:
Rating: 4.5/5
I've always heard of this book, but never knew it was magical realism. Is it an easy read? The magical realism I've tried before was rather heavy and convoluted (100 Years Solitude, A Winter's Tale...)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a book I would enjoy. Thanks for review! I shall have to add it to my TBR.
ReplyDeleteJeane,
ReplyDeleteIt is a very easy read, very enjoyable and relaxing!
If you like Magical Realism, you should Winter's Tale. It's not a good book to read when you're going to have a million interruptions. (You're a SAHM, aren't you? I thought I remembered that.) If you get a chance to read on a vacation or at nights when the kiddos are in bed, it's wonderful. I'm really excited to read this one now. It's on my A-Z list and I'm looking forward to it even more after reading your review.
ReplyDeleteWinter's Tale does sound good. I am a SAHM (the first time I saw SAHM, I thought, "What the heck is that?" Then I realized I was one!) My youngest is six, so I have more free time than in the past with her in Kindergarten for a few hours. I still get plenty of interruptions though, but I like that with a book you can just stop and put it down without missing anything.
ReplyDeleteHi! i just joined the TBR Challenge and spotted your blog...how long have you been doing your A-Z challenge? i may start that one!
ReplyDeleteblessings!
Barbara
Barbara,
ReplyDeleteI think I started in January. It is so much fun to fill in each letter! You should give it a try. When I first started I thought there was no way I could read 52 books in a year, but I'm progressing way faster than I thought I would.
I can't believe that came out in 1989!! That's almost 20 years ago! I loved the magical realism and metaphor, but I thought she was putting way more energy into that than into developing the characters....
ReplyDeleteI read this book a long time ago and remember loving it. There is a movie, too, although I haven't seen it. Your blog is great!
ReplyDelete