كالماء للشيكوتة ... واحدة من الروايات المشهورة في دنيا الأدب
إندفعت لشرائها وإقتنائها ضمن مكتبتي وذلك لإطراء و إشادة مجتمع الجود ريدز بها
وأنا أظن نفسي أقتني ماسة أو جوهرة أدبية من تلك تسعد بكونها ضمن مكتبتك الورقية
وقد يعاودك الحنين للغوص وسط صفحاتها لكن أيا من ذلك لم يحدث
أكثر من نصف صفحات الرواية بالفعل هي طهي لوصفات ومكونات غريبة لمأكولات مكسيسكية لا نعلم عنها الكثير
الرواية تصف المجتمع المكسيكسي في القدم حيث الحياة في مزرعة
حيث التعليم موضوع للنقاش .. مع أم متسلطة... وتفكك أسري غريب
هي رواية خفيفة لطيفة تذكرت مع الفصل الأخير الكلمة الساخرة ... ثم ماتت حرقوفة
بعد أن مات السواد الأعظم من أبطال الرواية واحداً تلو الآخر
الرواية أظنها ستمكث غالباً ضمن رف قراءات المرة الواحدة
والتي لن يأخدني الحنين لإعادة قراءتها
ولن أرشحها لمن يسألني عن عمل جيد رغم شهرتها الواسعة

Un libro capaz de lo mejor y lo peor.
Fan del realismo mágico loco que presenta.
No-fan de la inmensa mayoría de personajes absolutamente odiosos y a cada cual más idiota.

Recomiendo x1000 para club de lectura

Me encanta este libro con el que reír y llorar, en definitiva emocionarse mucho. Y la película es una adaptación maravillosa.

The back of my edition of Like Water for Chocolate describes it as a "fairy tale, and a soap opera", and this is 100% accurate. I can see why this novel is as popular as it is. There's a lot to like here, its entertaining, dramatic, fast-moving, and outrageous. What I've realised, or reconfirmed, while reading this is that romance just isn't the genre for me. I wanted more from the characters, who ultimately seemed a bit superficial, and although I enjoyed the historical context of the Mexican Revolution, I wanted more of that too. The magic realism was fun, but mostly reminded me of why I like authors who have explored it in more depth.

Auf der Suche nach einem mittelamerikanischen Roman bin ich bei diesem offensichtlich beliebten Werk hängen geblieben und musste recht schnell feststellen, dass diese Art des Erzählstils mir einfach nicht gefällt. Dabei liegt es eigentlich gar nicht mal hauptsächlich an dem so typischen lateinamerikanischen Stil des Magischen Realismus, wobei es immer eine Gradwanderung ist. Nicht so richtig Fantasy, nicht so richtig Märchen, nicht so richtig Gesellschafts- oder Entwicklungsroman.

In diesem Buch entwickelt die weiblichen Protagonisten Tita die mystischen Fähigkeit, bringt die Hochzeitgesellschaft dank ihrer Spucke im Hochzeitskuchen zum massenhaften Übergeben oder stillt den neugeborenen Neffen, obwohl sie gar keine Wöchnerin ist. Sie ist die symbolische Fruchtbarkeitsgöttin, die die Welt füttert. Das sind alles starke Persönlichkeit in der Familie, von der strengen Mutter bis zur Schwestern-Rebellin und ihrem Schwager Pedro, ihrer nicht erfüllten Liebe. Doch das Ganze in einer bittersüßen Sprache, die sich wie ein verklebender Guss über das Gesamtwerk legt. Leseprobe gefällig:

"Unter der Bluse wippten ihre Brüste keck hin und her, trug sie doch grundsätzlich kein Leibchen. Dabei traten an ihrem Hals Schweißtropfen hervor, die allmählich hinabglitten und sich schließlich einen Weg durch den Spalt zwischen den wohlgeformten, festen Brüsten hindurch bahnten. Unfähig zu widerstehen, folgte Pedro den betörenden Duftschwaden, die aus der Küche hereinzogen, und blieb, als er Tita in solch aufreizender Pose gewahrte, wie angewurzelt im Türrahmen stehen. Tita schaute auf, ohne freilich in ihrer Bewegung innezuhalten, und sah direkt in Pedros Augen. Da entflammten beider Blicke so heftig, daß sie schier miteinander verschmolzen und ein heimlicher Beobachter bloß einen einzigen Blick, ein einziges rhythmisches, sinnliches Wogen, einen einzigen beschleunigten Atem und eine einzige Wollust wahrgenommen hätte. Für eine Weile verharrten sie in ihrem Liebesrausch gefangen, bis Pedro schließlich den Blick senkte und auf Titas Brüste heftete. Tita hielt im Stampfen inne, richtete sich auf und reckte stolz ihre Brüste vor, damit Pedro sie auch in ihrer vollen Pracht bewundern konnte. Die Prüfung, der er sie alsdann unterzog, sollte unwiderruflich ihr Verhältnis zueinander verwandeln. Nach diesem forschenden Blick, der die Kleidung durchbohrte, würde nichts mehr so sein wie bisher. Bei dieser Gelegenheit erfuhr Tita am eigenen Leib, wie die Berührung mit dem Feuer die Elemente verändert, wie ein Teigball zur Tortilla wird, warum eine Brust, ohne durch das Feuer der Liebe gegangen zu sein, eine leblose Brust bleibt, eine völlig nutzlose Masse. Wenige Augenblicke genügten, und schon hatte Pedro Titas Brüste vom Zustand der Keuschheit in den der Wollust versetzt, ohne sie auch nur im geringsten zu berühren."

Bei mir entsteht ob der Schwülstigkeit der Sprache keine Wollust, sondern eher die Lust, das Buch so schnell wie möglich zur Seite zu legen. Ich habe es zumindest über die Hälfte durchgehalten. Zudem fühle ich mich bei lateinamerikanischen Autor/innen zu oft mitten in das bunte Treiben ihrer erdachten Gesellschaft hineingeworfen, zahllose Personen kommen und gehen und das intensive Kennenlernen eines bestimmten Protagonisten fällt mir äußerst schwer. Das erinnerte mich teilweise an G.G. Marquez, wobei dessen Sprache sich für mich deutlich von der mexikanischen Autorin abhebt. Vielleicht fehlt mir aber einfach nur der geschlechterspezifische Zugang zu diesem Buch, welches ich in der BRIGITTE-Edition gelesen habe. Und dort stand quasi als Warnung auf dem Buchdeckel: Frauenliteratur. Ich war so frei es trotzdem zu probieren.

Bir kadınlık masalı… O kadar geç kalmışım ki bu romana, okurken kendime çok kızdım. Nasıl denk gelmemiş, nasıl ıskalamışım? Ne kadar benzersiz ve etkileyici bir kurgu… O kadar haz alarak okudum ki şimdiden favorilerimden biri oldu. Yazar büyülü gerçekçilik akımını çok dozunda, bana göre tam da ‘olması gerektiği’ kadar kullanmış. Bunun belli bir ölçüsü yok elbette ama yine de kanaatim bu yönde. Şimdiye kadar en sevdiğim büyülü roman Isabel Allende’nin ‘Ruhlar Evi’ydi, şimdiyse bu oldu. Onun kadar büyük bir roman değil elbette ama daha yaratıcı bir kalemden çıkmış ve lezzeti daha çok.

‘Şeytan Tangosu’nun Krasznahorkai’nin ilk eseri olmasına inanamamıştım. Bunda da benzer bir şaşkınlık yaşadığımı söyleyebilirim. Farklı çalışan, yaratıcı ve yetkin bir beynin yine ilk eserinde ortaya koymayı başardığı bir yetkinlik var karşımızda. ‘Şeytan Tangosu’ kategoriler üstü, aşkın bir metin olduğundan bu yakıştırma beklentilerinizi öyle bir seviyeye yükseltsin istemem fakat şunu da rahatlıkla söyleyebilirim ki bu debut, son derece sağlam ve bütün bir şekilde kotarılmış.

Tita isimli karakterimizin aşkı üzerinden, geleneksel yemek tarifleriyle ilerleyen roman; diğer yandan büyülü gerçekçiliğin sihirli anlatımını arkasına alarak acısını hissettiğimiz; fakat lezzetini de damağımızda hissettiğimiz benzersiz bir yemeğin etkisini yaratıyor. Bir beş yüz sayfa daha olsa okutturacak bir anlatım bu. Bazı bölümlerde yaptığı zaman atlamaları sebebiyle yazara sitem dahi ettirebilir; anlatsaydın keşke Esquivel, biz okurduk yani.

Kitap 1989’da yazılmış. Bundan üç sene sonra da o dönem yazarın eşi olan Alfonso Arau tarafından film yapılmış. Filmi görmedim henüz. Kitaptan sonra izlerim dediklerimdendi, iyi ki de öyle yapmışım. En kısa zamanda izlemek için listeye yazdım.

Romanın temel izleği bir aşk öyküsü olsa da aslında Meksika Devrimi hakkında da satır aralarında kabaca kurulan fon anlatısı, romanın vurucu güçlerinden biri. Bunu özellikle anlatmamak, ama diğer yandan da anlatmaktan kaçmamak; hatta esere uzaktan bakınca anlatımın isabetli bir amaca işaret etmesi romanın çok katmanlı olmasını sağlıyor. Edebiyat diyoruz işte buna.

Demem o ki sevdim ‘Acı Çikolata’yı. İyi ki okumuşum diyorum, size de gönül rahatlığıyla öneriyorum.

İyi okumalar.

I read this decades ago and then read it again during Covid. First time, I thought it was amazing. It was my first time reading magical realism. I was also probably very naive about the world and hadn’t been to Mexico except once on a church trip as a kid. So this book opened up lots of new pathways of thinking and understanding the world for me. Reading it a second time, I was more experienced in the world and better traveled. Given my perspective had changed, the book was less impactful. Still, I think back to it with a fond nostalgia.

Una lectura ligera y rápida, que disfruté por el estilo de la narración.
Me pareció maravilloso cómo la autora intercala el tema cultural y culinario con la magia, es un realismo mágico muy particular el de «Como agua para chocolate», me sorprendió y me hizo sonreír, pero al mismo tiempo ni los personajes ni la acción me atraparon.
Hay algo en la historia que no terminó de conectar conmigo, quizás esas vueltas con el amor, y ese humor un poco cruel a veces.
Sea como sea, es una historia diferente, para pasar una buena tarde de lectura.

في قطرة الندى تلمع الشمس
تجف قطرة الندى
في عيني، وفي عيني تلمع أنت
وأنا ، أنا أحيا...

Have you ever finished a book and thought "Man, this is going to be hard to review?" Because that's the first thing I thought when I finished this little book by Laura Esquivel. Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments With Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies is a book that really left me conflicted. There were things about it that I absolutely loved, and things about it that made me very angry. The only way I can think to write this review is to explain what I found good and bad, and let you all come to your own conclusions.

First, let's start with the good things. I loved the way this book was written. Like Water for Chocolate reads like a folktale, and a fun one at that. Some people's reviews that I've read found the magical realism trite or annoying, but I found it really endearing. The book managed to be an easy, quick read without sacrificing quality. Now, I cannot review this book without talking about the recipes. The book is split up into monthly installments, and each month has a recipe that Tita makes that ties the story together. The recipe is given at the beginning of each monthly chapter, and the instructions for preparation are woven into the story. Now, I'm a huge fan of cooking, so I found this idea to be really great. Since so much of the story takes place around and hinges on food, putting the recipes in the book makes perfect sense. I loved the way that the preparation instructions were included in the action of the story. Some people seem to find it gimmicky, but I thought it was a fun little addition to a book already filled with the tastes and smells of good Mexican cooking.

Now, for the things that troubled me. First of all, I have to admit that even though I'm a huge lover of all things fairy-tale and myth, I do not like the "love at first sight" narrative. It's not that I'm not a romantic, but I feel that real love is something that is built up from a knowledge of a person's character and personality, not something that magically happens when you see someone from across the room. As for Tita's beloved, Pedro, I honestly didn't like him. He spent the entire book being selfish, immature, and whiny. I have no idea what Tita saw in him. While this book started out with that "love at first sight" narrative, there is a point that it has the chance to go away from that narrative and treat love in a realistic and touching manner. Honestly, that was the ending I was hoping for, so I was pretty well disappointed with how the book actually ended. For me at least, the ending was the worst part of the book. I feel like it kept the book from really having any particular meaning or significance, and instead just avoided any difficulty and wrapped up as quickly and neatly as possible. It just wasn't satisfying.

There were also plot elements that I found really disturbing. There are some *spoilers* in the following paragraph. At one point Pedro completely ignores all concepts of consent and just assumes that Tita wants to have sex with him, even though she has denied him repeatedly because he is married to her sister and she is promised to someone else. Does he care about this? No. Is this seen as a problem in the book? No, of course not. As soon as Pedro grabs her and pulls her into a room, Tita magically forgets all of her previous objections, and it's just seen as more proof that they need to be together. Honestly, I find that to be pretty wrong. If somebody who I had repeatedly told to leave me alone just assumed that I didn't really mean it and that I really wanted to have sex with him and decided to pull me into a dark room, I would kick him so hard he would never want to have sex again. It wouldn't matter how much I actually loved him, if he can't respect my decisions he is not worth my time. Combine that incident with the not-very-sympathetic treatment of a rape victim at another point, and you can imagine that I wasn't exactly happy with the way this book treated consent. *End spoilers here* Basically, this book had some incidents that left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and made me wonder exactly what kind of love the author is trying to promote.

Overall, the good writing and fun recipes in this book did not outweigh the problematic elements in the narrative. As much as I wanted to, I could not let myself simply enjoy this book, because problems with the plot and the ideas in the book kept jolting me out of the magical world of the narrative. This book was supposed to be a great love story, but I couldn't help feeling that Tita ended up with the wrong man. The ending of the book was completely disappointing, and only served to cement my growing discomfort. For those of you who don't mind the things that I mentioned, this book could be enjoyable. For those of you who want realistic love and respectful healthy relationships, I would suggest that you stay away from Like Water For Chocolate.

Rating: not recommended
Good things: enjoyable writing, fun format, successful magical realism
Bad things: unrealistic love, unhealthy relationships, consent problems, unsatisfying ending

For more reviews, visit my blog at http://readingwhilefemale.blogspot.com

I have come across this book many times on GR but never considered reading it. But then I find it hard to resist BRs, so when a friend suggested this as weekend BR I jumped in right away and finished this in few hours. It's a short and easy read.

Like Water for Chocolate tells us the story of Tita and her family. Her falling in love and then a heartbreak because of a stupid family tradition. But at the heart it is story of Tita and her love affair with cooking. How she finds solace in food and how it helps her to overcome the grief and misery in her life.

Language of the book is simple, like grandma telling a bedtime story (minus all those sensual and erotic details). Each chapter starts with a mouth watering recipe. I wanted to transport myself into this story and help Tita in kitchen (in spite of the fact that I don't like to cook) and gobble down all those delicacies.

Since it's magical realm, I loved how Laura Esquivel used Tita's culinary skills to express emotions. Tita was an introvert but her food did plenty of talking. She showed love, anger, pain, ecstasy, lust and many other emotions through the food that she made.

While reading this book I kept thinking about The House of the Spirits, which I think was not a good sign. It meant that this story was not good enough to have all my attention. Though the story was likable I didn't like the characters. Tita was stupid and easily scared. Pedro was arrogant and selfish. Rasura was a cry baby and Mama Elena was a tyrant. Most all I hated the ending. It was confusing.

I don't think I will recommend it to my friends.

Sencillo ¡lo amé!

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