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Book Title: Bittersüße Schokolade
Author: Laura Esquivel
Page Count: 279
First Published: 1989
Summary: Tita is the youngest daughter of Mexican matron Elena and destined to stay at home and care for her mother until she dies. Tita is also a superb cook. The book centres on 12 different recipes, one for each monthly instalment, and tells the story of Tita and her family. Tita falls in love with Pedro, but isn't allowed to marry because of the family tradition that the youngest daughter has to take care of her mother. Pedro marries her older sister instead. Their wedding is the first time that Tita's cooking does more than just tastes good - it reflects her emotions while preparing the food and plants them in the eaters, magnified. If Tita is sad, her food makes whole wedding receptions cry, if she feels lust, her sisters runs away naked to make love in a field and join a brothel later, among other things.
Rating: superfunk -golden - sweet - blah - superblah - blergh
This book was so good! If it weren't for this whole stupid magical realism thing where a person cries tears that flood several rooms and provide a sackful of salt and nonsense like that. It simply throws me out of a story when impossible things happen in an otherwise regular setting. It was also really confusing that the chapters are named after the months, but the story spans several decades. But the story told is beautiful, and the recipes sound simply delicious. Now to find a Mexican Restaurant...
Author: Laura Esquivel
Page Count: 279
First Published: 1989
Summary: Tita is the youngest daughter of Mexican matron Elena and destined to stay at home and care for her mother until she dies. Tita is also a superb cook. The book centres on 12 different recipes, one for each monthly instalment, and tells the story of Tita and her family. Tita falls in love with Pedro, but isn't allowed to marry because of the family tradition that the youngest daughter has to take care of her mother. Pedro marries her older sister instead. Their wedding is the first time that Tita's cooking does more than just tastes good - it reflects her emotions while preparing the food and plants them in the eaters, magnified. If Tita is sad, her food makes whole wedding receptions cry, if she feels lust, her sisters runs away naked to make love in a field and join a brothel later, among other things.
Rating: superfunk -golden - sweet - blah - superblah - blergh
This book was so good! If it weren't for this whole stupid magical realism thing where a person cries tears that flood several rooms and provide a sackful of salt and nonsense like that. It simply throws me out of a story when impossible things happen in an otherwise regular setting. It was also really confusing that the chapters are named after the months, but the story spans several decades. But the story told is beautiful, and the recipes sound simply delicious. Now to find a Mexican Restaurant...