In the last year or two I discovered, really discovered, magical realism. This novel distinctly falls into that category.
Part folk tale, part recipe book, part love story, Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel, was a bestseller for years.
The novel chronicles the life of the De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest daughter, is forbidden to marry by a long tradition that says she must care for her mother until she dies. Desperate, her love, Pedro, marries her sister, Rosaura, in order to be able to stay close to Tita. For years, through love and loss, Tita and Pedro circle one another.
Each chapter looks at a moment in their relationship, and opens with a recipe carefully created by Tita, who takes on the role of family cook and upholder of cherished family recipes. Not only is she an excellent cook, but she pours her emotions into the food she makes, and the result affects each of those who consume it very differently.
The food sounds delicious and plays a very important part in the tale. If you're a foodie, you will likely enjoy this book.
I love the love story, the dance around one another that Pedro and Tita must perform. I'm a fan of the doomed nature of their romance. (Pro tip: When you're in love with a girl, don't marry her sister.)
“Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can't strike them all by ourselves; we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle would be any kind of food, music, caress, word, or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it. Each person has to discover what will set off those explosions in order to live, since the combustion that occurs when one of them is ignited is what nourishes the soul. That fire, in short, is its food. If one doesn't find out in time what will set off these explosions, the box of matches dampens, and not a single match will ever be lighted.”
This novel is rather sensual. There is nudity and sex and rawness and violence. It is a rich, earthy novel, and really not quite what I was expecting. But it's beautiful as well.
“You don't have to think about love; you either feel it or you don't.”
I didn't love the ending, the very very ending, but the rest of the book I did enjoy.
I was surprised and pleased to discover this is considered a classic in much of the States and Mexico; I hadn't heard of it before. But I'm glad I've read it now.
I would recommend it to foodies and lovers, fans of people who like their books a little, well, different. Unique. While it wasn't perfect, I did enjoy it, and read it in a single sitting.
Of five stars, I'd give it four. Solid, solid book.
Have you read this book? What's your favourite "weird" or unusual book? I'd love to read your comments, below, or via my contact page. And please remember to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, coming out in just a couple weeks. (I have something pretty special in this one that I'm so excited to share!)