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lifeinpoetry's review against another edition
The second or third piece is a short story instead of an essay like the others and without a little foreword or afterword identifying the speaker espouses blatantly racist views towards indigenous peoples while praising Spaniards.
Then a few pieces after that came an essay on the "male" and "female" parts of culture and relationships which frankly has no place in today's society. Assumes everyone is cishet and classifies culture/the act of writing/(re)production within a binary. Very strange.
DNF at 43%.
Then a few pieces after that came an essay on the "male" and "female" parts of culture and relationships which frankly has no place in today's society. Assumes everyone is cishet and classifies culture/the act of writing/(re)production within a binary. Very strange.
DNF at 43%.
blanquiblue2's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
Laura Esquivel's writing is always a pleasure to read. This funny, emotional and light-hearted collection of essays tackles questions about female socialisation and sexuality along with interesting discusions of food and recipes. It is short and easy to read, and I would definitely recomend it for someone who wants a quick taste of her writing style and themes, or even for someone who has read her before and whom she has left, once again, hungry for more.
nbrickman's review against another edition
3.0
Some essays were more compelling to me than others and I wish there had been more to it. However, I enjoy Esquivel's point of view and her writing style.
jellyneckz's review against another edition
3.0
This book is basically a collection of 14 short speeches and introductions and forwards written by Esquivel for recipes or others' books. The stories are interesting and well written and the pages are beautifully illustrated. It probably takes about an hour to read so it's good for light reading.
senorita_ale's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of speeches, short writings and recipes from Esquivel, most of which have never been published in English. I finished the book (in only a couple of hours) with a strong desire to go back and re-read books from what I've dubbed as "Las Grandes de la literatura" - Esquivel, Cisneros, Allende, Alvarez. Their books made me fall in love with reading and led me to dive deep into Chicano/Latino literature some 20 years ago. It also left me desperate to book my next trip to Mexico.
Prologue: "No one who loves life can ignore literature, and no one who loves literature can ignore life. But to read is also to live: to live reading and to read life."
"...as if they didn't know that the foods they prepared and the rest of us ate remained in our bodies for many hours, chemically altering our organisms, nourishing our souls and our spirits and giving us an identity, a language, a legacy." -At the Hearth
Prologue: "No one who loves life can ignore literature, and no one who loves literature can ignore life. But to read is also to live: to live reading and to read life."
"...as if they didn't know that the foods they prepared and the rest of us ate remained in our bodies for many hours, chemically altering our organisms, nourishing our souls and our spirits and giving us an identity, a language, a legacy." -At the Hearth
sreesha_diva's review against another edition
DNF - 43%.
I'm reading a translation, so that could be the problem, but I can't seem to agree with anything the author is saying. It's rubbing me in all sorts of wrong ways. Sad, given that the author's Like Water for Chocolate is a book I love (and a book she makes frequent references to in this book). It sounds more like a philosophy treatise than a memoir.
I might go back to it someday, but not just yet.
I'm reading a translation, so that could be the problem, but I can't seem to agree with anything the author is saying. It's rubbing me in all sorts of wrong ways. Sad, given that the author's Like Water for Chocolate is a book I love (and a book she makes frequent references to in this book). It sounds more like a philosophy treatise than a memoir.
I might go back to it someday, but not just yet.
pennyriley's review against another edition
2.0
This is a series of articles by Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate) that ponder on life, love and food. They had, I believe all been published elsewhere before making it to this slim book, and they really didn’t hold my attention.
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