Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate is a story that mixes romance, tragedy, and a little bit of magic into one page turning story. Set in the early 1900s Mexico, the story follows a girl named Tita, the youngest of three sisters, forbidden to marry due to strict family tradition requiring her to care for her mother. Tita is forced to spend all her time cooking in the kitchen of their family's ranch, magically affecting whoever eats it. Tita must choose between obeying her mother’s strict rules or breaking free to live her life how she wants to live it. Throughout its use of magical realism and symbolism Equival wrote a story of love, oppression, and self-expression, although some parts have uneven pacing. Throughout the novel Esquival does an excellent job of using magical realism to convey complex themes and emotions, like how Tita has the power to affect other’s emotions through her cooking. THe author also uses a very poetic storytelling style that makes the story feel more like a fairy tale, adding to the emotional impact of Tita’s journey. Along with magical realism, Esquivel also uses strong symbolism to highlight the themes of love, tradition, and freedom in the novel. One of the most powerful symbols in the novel is the kitchen, which represents both confinement and self-expression for Tita, as it is her mother’s way of forcing her into submission, but she eventually finds a way to break free and express herself against her mother’s rules. The ranch is used as a symbol of tradition and oppression because it is under the control of Mama Elena, who is very overpowering and represents Matriarchal control in society. The author uses the symbols to convey very powerful thematic subjects such as Love vs. Duty, as well as women’s oppression and patriarchal traditions. Although this novel has an excellent use of magical realism and symbolism, there are some parts where the pacing feels uneven, making it feel either rushed or too slow, especially towards the conclusion, or parts where it describes Tita’s internal thoughts and conflicts. The book also would’ve been even better if it went into depth on some of the characters, such as Mama Elena or Rosaura. Mama Elena was a very important character in Tita’s story, but I would’ve liked to learn more about her and why she acted the way she did towards Tita. Rosaura and other side characters could’ve been more developed as well, to make the story more interesting. Esquivel employs various literary devices to illustrate the themes of love, tradition, and self-expression. One of the most effective is imagery, particularly in how she describes food. The way Tita prepares meals represents her emotions and allows the reader to connect with her feelings on a deeper level. Another technique Esquivel uses is foreshadowing, which helps tie the story together and creates a sense of connectedness. Symbolism is also important, as the kitchen and the ranch take on deeper meaning as representations of freedom and control. These literary devices help develop the novel’s themes and make them more engaging for the reader. Even with its minor flaws, Like Water for Chocolate overall is a very well written novel with important and well expressed themes. Anyone who is a fan of magical realism, historical fiction, or feminist literature would enjoy reading this novel. I personally really enjoyed reading this story as it was very entertaining and made me want to keep turning the pages so I could see how Tita and Pedro’s love story turned out. I definitely recommend reading this book because it will keep you invested while also making you question how traditions affect people’s lives and how much freedom they really have to choose their own path.

A novel full of betrayal, love, misery, and revenge. “Like water for chocolate” is a latin american novel by Laura Esquivel. The story revolves around the main character “Tita”, the youngest daughter of her mother “Mama Elena”. Since Titas is the youngest sibling that is destined to take care of her mother until the day she passes, this is the fuel of all the problems that occur in Titas' life. Tita wishes to get married to the love of her life Pedro but Mama Elena won’t allow it, in return Mama Elena offers her middle child Rosaura to marry Pedro. Pedro accepts the proposal only so he may be closer to his true love Tita who is tethered to the kitchen, housework, and Mama Elena. This situation set at the beginning of the book is the start of the conflict seen throughout the story. “Like water for chocolate” is a captivating yet confusing novel about the hardships and sacrifices made for young love. The imagery, details, and tone keep the reader hypnotized, and craving more. Laura Esquivels’ imagery revolves around the recipes prepared by Tita. These recipes are easily one of the most described attributes in the story. Not only do the diction and details provide you with enough imagery to taste them at that moment, but the tone makes these lines so real. It’s almost as if Laura writes these recipes as if they come from her own heart, they are written like an actual cookbook and the tone provided has an undertone of delicacy that I believe mimics the care Tita puts into her cooking. In chapter seven page 123 the author does not just say Tita makes the soup, she goes on to talk about the correct consistency. She describes the perfect texture for oxtail soup, “A good soup that’s worth something has to be soupy without getting watery”. I personally appreciate the little breaks in the recipe, while Tita describes how she is making the food her thinking is interrupted by her other thoughts about what’s going on around her but she quickly goes back to making the food as it’s explained in the story. Not only are the dishes described with such gusto but the feelings of those who eat Titas food are explained in great detail. After the guests devour the wedding cake made by Tita they are described to be engulfed in misery and begin to even throw up, this happened because Tita prepared the cake as she was weeping at the fact that the love of her life Pedro is betrothed to her older sister Rosaura. The emotions felt by the characters are portrayed so strongly that on page two forty-five Tita is said to be eating candles so she can feel the warm almost burning sensation that was once provided to her by her very very recently deceased love, Pedro. If you know you know, that’s all I'm going to say. Although the story scenes are well thought out and explained, the book can be hard to read going from one chapter to another. I didn’t have many problems finishing the book and it was quite an easy read, that is until you switch chapters. Often the time frame was very different between the chapters, each chapter is a different month but usually, the next chapter has no correlation to the one before. I am aware that they are only a month apart but sometimes I felt thrown off track when the chapter I was reading didn’t even talk about the previous one. For example, when a family member died in the next chapter the characters weren’t even grieving even though only a month has passed. Another example was when Tita looked out the window and saw Gertrudis running around, all of a sudden the chapter turned into her mini story and the next chapter was completely different. This could be an attribute of magical realism but it made the book a little difficult for me to understand, I had to take some time to adjust my brain to the new information. I also felt as if the hardships and death in the book came almost too random and suddenly and no one batted an eye. Once again this is a theme often seen in magical realism so this is just my personal opinion. Overall, Like water for chocolate is a captivating novel filled to the brim with emotion. It is an easy read in general and I enjoyed following along with Titas’ life. If you are a fan of magical realism this book is for you. Not to mention there are several interesting and traditional latin american dishes for you to try.

If you are looking for a good book with lots of suspense, surprises, and magical realism, I would really recommend Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel! This book really caught my attention because of the unexpected and suspenseful events that take place in it. Like Water for Chocolate is a magical realism novel set in Mexico. This novel is about Tita De la Garza, the youngest member of her family, who is forbidden to marry due to a strict tradition that the youngest daughter should care for her mother until she dies. Heartbroken, Tita watches Pedro, the love of her life, marry her sister Rosaura just to stay close to her. The main key themes in this book are love, tradition, family, and difficulties. I say this because of the struggles Tita had to deal with. The extremely detailed imagery in this book really helps you get a feel of the emotion that the author wants you to feel. It also makes it easier to visualize the setting, from the heat of the kitchen to the intensity of Tita’s emotions. Through the story, Tita's emotions find their way out in a mystical way. Her emotions are infused in the food she prepares and have their peculiar ways of affecting all those who eat it. Love is both beautiful and painful for Tita as she longs for Pedro. Tradition, represented by Mama Elena, is a force that restricts Tita’s freedom, keeping her from following her heart. Family plays a major role in shaping Tita’s life. Tita's emotions, through the story, are unleashed. They are mixed into the food she makes and affect all who eat it. For example, after she cries into the wedding cake batter, everyone who tastes the cake experiences sadness and cries uncontrollably. Also, when one of the dinners is made with passion, it causes her sister Gertrudis to feel the desire and run off with a revolutionary soldier. All these magical elements in the story make it very fascinating and interesting. The magical realism, intense emotions, and powerful storytelling make Like Water for Chocolate such a good book. I enjoyed the suspenseful scenes in this novel because they were so unexpected, leaving me wanting to read more. I would give this book a 5/5. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys books about love and passion. If you enjoy magical realism, then this book is a must read!

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is a unique story that shows love, family, and food in a magical way. The story is set in Mexico in the early 1900s and follows Tita,who isnt allowed to marry because of her family tradition. As the youngest daughter, Tita is expected to stay home and take care of her mother, Mama Elena, for her whole life. But Tita is in love with Pedro, and doesnt care about her family tradition. When he marries her sister just to be close to her, it creates years of heartbreak, drama, and passion. One of the interesting things about this book is how it connects emotions to food. Whenever Tita cooks, her feelings get transferred into the meals, affecting everyone who eats them. When she is sad while making a wedding cake, all the guests who eat it start crying uncontrollably. When she feels love, the food makes others feel love too. This is a really creative and magical way to show emotions and cook. It makes the story feel different from other magical books. The characters in the book are different, cool, and they make the story better. Tita is the main character who changes a lot throughout the book. At first, she followed her mother’s rules.Of not being able to marry and be self centered but as the story goes on, she learns to stand up for herself and do what she wants to do and chase love. Mama Elena,is a character that is easy to not like because she is so controlling. Pedro, Tita’s Husband, is sometimes frustrating because he doesn’t always take action, but their relationship is still full of emotion. Laura's use of magical realism makes the book feel like a fairy tale in some way, but it also deals with serious themes like love and freedom. The ending is very dramatic and intense, but feels a little extreme, but it fits the book’s style. Some parts of the story feels rushed, and I wish more time was spent on certain characters,and the plot of the story. Overall, it is a magical and goodl read. I would recommend Like Water for Chocolate to anyone who enjoys romance, drama, and with a bit of magic. I like how titas food puts emotion into people depending on how tita feels and shows a bit of magical realism. Good reading and would recommend this book.

Like Water for Chocolate is a romantic tragedy that takes place during the Mexican Revolution, at the turn of the 20th century. It was written by Laura Esquivel in 1989 and has won the ABBY award, which is given annually by the American Booksellers Association. The novel has been translated into over thirty languages and has been printed into over three million copies. The author uses a very broad and sophisticated vocabulary and uses a lot of figurative language in her writing. The book also contains several delicious Mexican food recipes that go well with the overall theme of each chapter. Each chapter of the book is categorized into a month of the year, causing the book to take place over a span of many years. “Like Water for Chocolate” has a very dark message to it, and I feel that it is geared towards a more mature audience than myself. This novel stars 3 daughters and their controlling mother, Mama Elena. The youngest daughter, Tita, experiences heartbreak and deep sadness when her mother forces her lover, Pedro, to marry Tita’s sister, Rosaura, rather than Tita.Tita is told that it is her job to take care of her mother, and that she must remain single for the rest of her life. Tita and Pedro long for each other, and continue to pursue eachother even after his marriage to Tita’s sister. When a tragic event strikes, Tita becomes overwhelmed with sadness and goes into a state of depression. She leaves the ranch and tries to reconnect with herself through the help of an indigenous woman and a doctor that she is staying with, named John. Tita finds her passion for cooking and begins to heal. After hearing of life changing news at the ranch, Tita decides to go back and do what is right for herself. The novel ends with hundreds of plot twists and never answered questions. The author ensures that the reader connects with the characters of this book by incorporating strong emotions that create a heartfelt adventure for each and every reader. I would say that “Like Water for Chocolate” was definitely a hard read. The constant sadness that is expressed by each character caused me to be overcome with emotion, but at the same time I often found myself getting a bit bored while reading. The plot was a little repetitive, and I was a little bit disappointed with the ending. Another criticism that I have of the novel is that I feel like the characters were not described in enough depth. Throughout the whole book, the characters' appearance seemed to be a mystery. This made it harder for me to imagine what they looked like, but at the same time allowed me to fully focus on their personality traits. Something that I enjoyed about this novel was how the author personified Tita’s cooking and incorporated emotion into the food that she made. The recipes symbolize the different tones of the story, and reflect Tita’s mood and emotions. Esquivel uses Tita’s knowledge and experience in the kitchen and applies it to her ability to communicate her emotions. The author conveys love, pain, lust, and many other emotions through cooking and arouses an intense sexual desire in several of the characters through the food in which Tita makes. Overall, I would rate this novel 3/5 stars, and would love to read it again once I feel that I have matured a little bit more. “Like Water for Chocolate’ deeply explores the themes of love and lust and teaches the reader about the traditional lifestyle of Mexico in the early 1900s.

When assigned to read Like Water for Chocolate for my 10th grade English class, I had no idea what to expect. I am not an expert on Latin American Literature, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Here is my view on the novel! The novel's unique storytelling approach is one of its strong points. Esquivel creates an engaging and unforgettable narrative by combining supernatural elements with everyday experiences. For instance, the main character Tita is able to communicate her feelings through her cooking, and the meals she cooks have the ability to influence the people who are eating them. This magical component gives the narrative a new depth and allows for a greater understanding of Tita's feelings and experiences. Each chapter's use of a dish as a metaphor for the chapter's issues encourages the reader to empathize with Tita on a deeper level. The novel's feminist viewpoint is one of its other strengths. Due to her family's traditional expectations, Tita cannot get married to the man she loves, and this makes a clear reflection on the limitations put on women's choices and freedoms. Tita serves as a good representation of female freedom since she is able to utilize her cooking as a means of resistance and rebellion against these restrictions throughout the book. Despite its strong parts, "Like Water for Chocolate" has certain negatives as well. The novel's character development is one of its flaws. Some of the other characters in the book are not as well-developed as Tita, despite the fact that her story is interesting and her character is well-drawn. For instance, it was difficult for me to fully comprehend Pedro, Tita's love interest, because he is presented as a one-dimensional character. Additionally, the reader may find it hard to fully comprehend the motivations and acts of some of the supporting characters, such as Tita's mother and sisters, who lack depth and are not fully explained. If the author were to have used more details when referring to the ideas of side characters, I feel that I would have enjoyed Like Water for Chocolate more. When reading other reviews left by other readers, I learned that the novel’s lack of historical accuracy is another issue people have brought up. Despite the fact that the book is set during the Mexican Revolution, it is noticeable that Esquivel has altered the accuracy of the real-life characters and events. Some readers contend that this decreases the impact of the book and makes it challenging to properly understand the historical setting. In conclusion, "Like Water for Chocolate" is a book that combines feminist viewpoints with magical aspects to create a captivating and memorable story. Upon opening this book, I was eager to turn each page. It is an important contribution to literature because of its distinctive storytelling approach and strong comments on the limitations placed on women's choices and freedoms. However, some readers may find it challenging to completely love the narrative due to the story's lack of historical authenticity and its weakly developed characters. Fans of feminist writing and magical realism should still read "Like Water for Chocolate" despite its flaws.

I first became aware of Like Water for Chocolate when the movie became a selection on my cable company's free movie menu. The description of the movie seemed interesting and I watched it, even though it was Spanish with English subtitles. Like Water for Chocolate takes place on a large ranch during the Mexican Revolution (think Pancho Villa) and concerns the life of Tita De La Garza, the youngest daughter of the clan. Due to the shock of hearing that her husband has died, Mama Elena (the matriarch of the De La Garza family) gives birth to Tita prematurely. However, Mama Elena is unable to breastfeed Tita and so she falls under the care of Nacha, the ranch cook, who nourishes her with teas and broths in lieu of milk, and teaches her the lessons of life in a way only the kitchen can. The fact that Mama Elena is unable to care for her daughter is ironic in that as the youngest daughter, Tita is bound by family tradition to never marry or have children in order for her to take care of her mother until the day Mama Elena dies. Mama Elena firmly believes in her family's traditions and takes a special delight in ensuring that both recipes and the rules of proper society are followed to the letter. She rules her family with an iron fist and frequently abuses her disobedient daughter both verbally and physically. When Pedro comes to ask for Tita's hand in marriage, Mama Elena refuses citing the harsh family tradition. In order to remain close to Tita, Pedro decides to marry Tita's older sister Rosaura instead. Forbidden from being near the man that she loves, Tita expresses her desires and pleases him in the only way that she can...through her recipes. The story takes on an almost surreal quality as Tita's thoughts and emotions while preparing meals seem to imbue the food with magic that has a profound effect on the hearts and minds of those who consume her dishes. In one instance, Tita is forced to prepare all the food for her sister's wedding banquet. Mama Elena tells her that she must do this and show no emotion," not one tear." However the wise and sympathetic Nacha allows her to cry, knowing that Tita must release her pain over her lost love. Unfortunately, Tita's tears fall into the cake batter and when the guests take their first bite of the cake they become overwhelmed by the memories and heartaches of their own lost loves. In addition, they also become violently ill leading Mama Elena to believe that Tita put an emetic in the cake to purposefully make everyone sick out of spite. Mama Elena beats Tita so badly that she has to stay in bed for a week to recover. In another incidence, Pedro gives Tita a bouquet of roses the petals of which she uses to make a sauce for roasted quail. Tita's passion and desire for Pedro pours into the sauce and when it is consumed by her eldest sister Gertrudis she becomes enflamed with passion. So much so that when she attempts to cool her passions in the outdoor shower the water evaporates before it touches her skin, and the wooden shower itself burst into flames. Ultimately, Gertrudis runs naked from the shower and is swept away by a revolutionary drawn by the powerful scent of roses emanating from her. Throughout the story Mama Elena does everything that she can to keep Tita and Pedro apart. Similar to her own birth, Tita becomes the primary caregiver for her sister's son, Roberto, after her sister is unable to care for him to due to a difficult birth and Rosaura's inability to breastfeed. Sensing that Roberto is drawing Pedro and Tita closer, Mama Elena sends Pedro, Rosaura and Roberto away to live with distant relatives. Unfortunately, Roberto dies and Tita blames Mama Elena. Tita becomes even more rebellious and locks herself away in the dovecote and refuses to come down or even speak. Mama Elena, believing her daughter has gone insane, arranges for a doctor to come to the ranch and take Tita to a mental hospital. The doctor, John Brown, takes Tita to his own home instead where he allows Tita to heal in her own time and in her own way. During her recovery, Tita is visited by the spirit of Dr. Brown's grandmother, Kikapu, a wise Indian herbalist, who offers her a delicious tea and establishes non-verbal communication with her. It is here that Tita gets her first taste of freedom and finally gets the opportunity to decide for herself what she wants to do with her own life. Dr. Brown falls in love with Tita and then she must decide if she loves him enough to marry him, if her heart still belongs to Pedro, or if her destiny is to deny herself love all together in order to take care of her mother. Along the way the spirit of both Nacha and Kikapu is there to guide and support her. As the title states, Like Water for Chocolate includes recipes, romances, and remedies. Each chapter begins with a recipe as Tita expertly prepares the dish in question. Some of the recipes explore the traditions behind the meals. In addition, the healing power of soups, teas, and even barks are discussed and even a little bit of science and medicine is included. At only 256 pages, Like Water for Chocolate is a quick read and can be completed in only a few hours, however it is a story that stays with you long after the last page is read, the book is closed, and returned to the shelf.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel is a novel chalk-full of rich and beautiful metaphors and figurative language, magical realism and best of all FOOD! The emotion that has been poured into writing this piece is clearly evident and has created a meaningful, emotional and heartfelt journey for every reader. Watch as Tita discovers herself, learns life lessons and most importantly about passionate love. Again, the book is centered around cooking, which is personified throughout the book and is spoken with an air of such love, passion and pride… it becomes something more than just cooking. Cooking is a vector of emotion in this book, the aroma’s, the sounds, the smells, the feelings etc. all reflect Tita’s emotions and thoughts. To reflect this further, a motif is used throughout the book: hot and cold are used constantly to compare good and bad. Mama Elena is almost always described to be frigid, chilling and cold. Whenever Tita is upset or during periods of depression; she is described to have a chronic chilling feeling in her bones. John is described to be warm, symbolizing that he truly loves her and respects her. There is another symbol related to this which will become a prevalent point towards the end of the book. Over and over again, a tiny flame is used to describe internal peace, love and passion. This is what cures Tita of the unbearable coldness. The fire is lit by people that love you and lift you up. To bring the motif of temperature and flame full circle, in cooking heat is often applied to cook something. Before the help of the flame, food is raw and inedible. With the heat, the food is turned into an emotional work of art. It takes Tita almost the entirety of the novel to find her true self and to understand love and passion. The book is named “Like Water for Chocolate”, because it is describing boiling water. Boiling water is on the brink of boiling over, but it hasn’t and doesn’t boil over. Instead, there is turmoil inside the pot, but nothing on the outside. This is a beautiful and well-thought-out​ metaphor expressing that Tita wants so badly to stand up to her mother, but her whole life, her mother never acted as a mother to her. Tita spent so much of her life trying to get her mother's approval, even if she didn’t know it fully. Like Water for Chocolate is a beautiful book, it is a book that withdrawals emotion within us just as it does in the book. This book will make you smile and then make you angry and then make you cry, with tears of love and sadness. It is not an easy read, emotionally… probably because the message of this book resonates so deeply within us.

メキシコに留学していた友人から聞きメキシコで空前の大ヒットと聞き 映画を見た後、英訳も読みたくなり即購入！ 日本語翻訳とはちがったさらに深い内容も知ることができます 料理好きの人も楽しみながら読めます これを読んでおなかいっぱいになりましょう 結末はかわいそうなお話ですが切なさもこの本のスパイス、 ぜひ皆さんに読んでいただきたいです 英訳を読破したらつぎは原本のスペイン語版へ！一粒で2度おいしいですよ！！

Absolutely love this story. Will read it again and again. This purchase was actually a copy for a friend because I enjoyed it so much.

This is a well crafted novel, all the more so for the way it combines magical realism, narrative and dialogue. Just like a recipe. 'Crafted' is perhaps the wrong word. There is too much emotion, imagery, involved narrative. It is more like music. The control of tempo is excellent. To start with I thought the recipies inserted into the text were unnecessary. They are not. They are there to slow the pace. At the beginning of a chapter they are like a prelude, and woven into the story, often as part of the magical realism. A magical potion. But it works the other way too. Passions are a drug and food can be a an antidote. There is much more to praise. It deserved literary prizes (published 1989). It is enthralling reading. Just read it.

This novel has to be read in the context of the Mexican revolution. The dictatorship fell and the strict laws of the Church, the rigid rules of society which created hunger and poverty amongst the poor, find an outlet in this amazing novel. There is the “law” and there is a subversion of the law. What 3 generations of women who live through rebelling against the status quo do so through the love and companionship of other women in the kitchen. In cooking and cleaning, social classes disappear.

One of my favourite books - a lovely example of Magic Realism. Just bought it as a present for a book-loving friend.