Product Description

Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in tum-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3361 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-01
• Released on: 1995-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Each chapter of screenwriter Esquivel's utterly charming interpretation of life in turn-of-the-century Mexico begins with a recipe--not surprisingly, since so much of the action of this exquisite first novel (a bestseller in Mexico) centers around the kitchen, the heart and soul of a traditional Mexican family. The youngest daughter of a well-born rancher, Tita has always known her destiny: to remain single and care for her aging mother. When she falls in love, her mother quickly scotches the liaison and tyrannically dictates that Tita's sister Rosaura must marry the luckless suitor, Pedro, in her place. But Tita has one weapon left--her cooking. Esquivel mischievously appropriates the techniques of magical realism to make Tita's contact with food sensual, instinctual and often explosive. Forced to make the cake for her sister's wedding, Tita pours her emotions into the task; each guest who samples a piece bursts into tears. Esquivel does a splendid job of describing the frustration, love and hope expressed through the most domestic and feminine of arts, family cooking, suggesting by implication the limited options available to Mexican women of this period. Tita's unrequited love for Pedro survives the Mexican Revolution the births of Rosaura and Pedro's children, even a proposal of marriage from an eligible doctor. In a poignant conclusion, Tita manages to break the bonds of tradition, if not for herself, then for future generations.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Take one part Whitney Otto's How To Make an American Quilt (McKay, 1991), add a smidgen of magical realism a la Garcia Marquez, follow up with several quixotic characters, garnish with love, and you'll have Like Water for Chocolate , a thoroughly enjoyable and quirky first novel by Mexican screenwriter Esquivel. Main character Tita is the youngest of three daughters born to Mama Elena, virago extraordinaire and owner of the de la Garza ranch. Tita falls in love with Pedro, but Mama Elena will not allow them to marry, since family tradition dictates that the youngest daughter remain at home to care for her mother. Instead, Mama Elena orchestrates the marriage of Pedro and her eldest daughter Rosaura and forces Tita to prepare the wedding dinner. What ensues is a poignant, funny story of love, life, and food which proves that all three are entwined and interdependent. Recommended for most collections.
- Peggie Partello, Keene State Coll., N.H.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
It's clear that narrator Arizmendi, who played daughter Rosaura in the film, has an affinity for Esquivel's work. She offers a lively reading of this story of thwarted love in turn-of-the-century Mexico. Arizmendi's rich accent and dramatic flair enhance the tale of Tita, who, by tradition, must forsake true love. She retreats to the kitchen where she channels her intense loss into cooking. The female characterizations are vibrant, and the descriptions of Tita's culinary creations are mouth-watering. The male voices lack inspiration, however. The story retains its continuity in a strong abridgment though occasional music disrupts rather than contributes to the setting. H.B.K. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Charm And Quirkiness
The title of the book offers a fitting and versatile metaphor for the book. In Spanish, como aqua para chocolate, refers to the passions, sexual or anger, that boil over. Chocolate only melts with boiling water. Mama Elena, the domineering, controlling force of a hacienda in Mexico, suppresses her daughters but particualarly Tita De La Garza, the central character who is not allowed to "reach the boiling point" of her passions, particularly with respect to Pedro Musquiz to whom she has a passionate attachment reciprocated by him. Mama Elena forces Tita into spinsterhood so that Tita can take care of her mother as she ages. To be close to Tita, Pedro marries her sister, Rosaura. The adventures spin off from there and there is a magical element to many of them, including the exceptional recipes that Tita uses for the residents and guests of the hacienda. The book is well-written and deserves its international fame.Translator's KissSimply Irresistible (Widescreen)

a feast of the 5 senses, come to life
besides the excellent recipes wholly printed in the book version, here is my review of the movie, which is not as detailed nor able to be prolonged but is true to the book (unlike other movie versions of books in which some stuff is changed):

after you watch this movie, you will either want to eat, cook (preferably one of the mentioned recipes), make love or all three! i saw the version dubbed in spanish, and also read 3 selected chapters from the book, for spanish class. it's a work of art and genius, and it must be watched all the way through without stopping. the characters are excellently portrayed, and it combines love, feminism, drama, sensuality, lust, hope, passion, and humour, topped with cultural tradition and folklore. i don't know which one is better, the book or the movie. all of the 5 senses are provoked on a deep and perhaps even primal level, especially taste and smell, feverishly yearning for a sum greater than their overall parts (gestalt) - which brings up the sixth sense, intuition.

A Good Book To Read
Like Water For Chocolate is a good book to read because of the unique way of story telling. The characters in the book are very interesting. Tita is the youngest child of her family and tradition has it that she may not marry and that her duty is to take care of her mother until she dies. Tita falls in love with a young man in her local community, but can't stand the fact that she cannot do any thing about it. Titas mother (Elena) a very religious person who is very strict about following religious believes and following all the rules and traditions, prohibits Tita to see or have relations with Pedro the man of her dreams. The story takes the character Tita through many difficult struggles, and hard decisions. The story has many twist and turns and the ending has a more significant meaning than other stories. Furthermore I though the writing was well done with good understanding by the narrator. I thought It was a clever and brilliant idea to include a recipe of a food item described in that chapter for every chapter, not only that but the chapters are organized by the mouths in a year, from chapter 1 (January) to chapter 12 (December). The author does a great job incorporating the mouth and recipe into each chapter. Another notable aspect of this book is the use of magical realism or exaggerated symbolism. There are many examples of this throughout the whole book. The ending of the story also incorporates the use of magical realism. Overall this is a great book that you can come to enjoy and appreciate. I strongly recommend this book for a good relaxing afternoon reading.