Product Description
Cuando Malinalli conoce a Hernán Cortés, asume que se trata del propio Dios Quetzalcóatl que regresa a liberar a su pueblo. Los dos se enamoran apasionadamente, pero este amor pronto es destruido por la desmedida sed de conquista, poder y riqueza de Cortés.

A lo largo de la historia de México Malinalli/Malinche ha sido conocida por su traición al pueblo indio. Pero recientes investigaciones históricas han demostrado que Malinalli fue la mediadora entre dos culturas, la hispánica y la indígena; y entre dos lenguas, el español y el náhuatl.

Lo que Esquivel ha hecho en esta novela es desafiar la mitología tradicional mediante un retrato muy temperamental del Adán y la Eva de la cultura mestiza, Cortés y Malinalli, con la caída del imperio azteca como telón de fondo. Contada con el lirismo de la tradición cantarina y pictórica del náhuatl, Laura Esquivel nos brinda un mito fundacional de la cultura híbrida del Nuevo Mundo y una extraordinaria historia de amor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Buena Lectura
Leí Malinche hace muchos años y la recuerdo ocmo una buena novela. Me gustó tanto que me alegro que ahora éste en versión kindle.
No soy mexicano, ni experto en historia mexicana. Me parece valiente que Laura Esquivel escribiera una novela de un personaje condenado y maldito en México, sinónimo de traición.
No sé cuan fiel a la historía real -lo que pueda llamarse "real" en este mundo cambiante-, es la novela. !Ey, dije novela, y no ensayo!. Las novelas históricas no son más que eso: ficción basada y recreada en una historía real. Ya lo aclara la autora en la primera página:
"Adentrarme en el que fue -o pudo haber sido- el mundo de la Malinche, resultó una experiencia fascinante. Imaginar qué estrellas miraba, cuáles flores eran sus preferidas, cuál su comida favorita, qué significaba en su hacer cotidiano el encender el fuego". [si Amazon permitiera negritas subrayaría la frase: pudo haber sido].
Volveré a leerla, pero por lo que recuerdo, la recomiendo como una grata lectura.

Excelente!
Aunque la historia real no diga mucho sobre Malinche, Laura Esquivel ha buscado en todos los documentos que pudo llegar a sus manos,referencias de esta mujer que tuvo tanto poder en su epoca y tanta transendencia negativa en la historia mexicana, malinche es un insulto y no son pocos los que quieran que se oculte esta etapa de la conquista española. Laura Esquivel nos pinta una Malinche, yo diria que pudo haber sido asi. Escrita en una prosa poética, que es una de sus mejores caracteristicas y donde ademas, describe con mucha precision el choque cultural que estos dos grupos de conquistadores y conquistados sufrieron. Cuando describe la unión del pueblo mexicano tenia con la naturaleza y los dioses asociados con ella, te transporta a esa epoca y entiendes sus creencias.He leido otros libros de ella y me parece que este es el segundo mejor despues de " Como agua para Chocolate"

Léela por lo que es
Para mí, esta novela fue una diversión. No es historia con mayúscula, ni tampoco un "clásico," pero sí valió la pena leerla. Se lee rápidamente y se entretiene. La autora usa algunos hechos históricos como base para su historia, pero lo que no sabe, inventa. Idealiza las relaciones y también es bastanta indulgente. No la analices demasiado y vas a disfrutarla.

Desesperante
Después de haber leído "Isabel Moctezuma" de Eugenio Aguirre, novela cargada de acontecimientos históricos y donde se describen con maestría los papeles que juegan los mexicas, mexicas de la nobleza y conquistadores, la novela "Malinche" de Laura Esquivel se queda muy muy corta.En "Isabel Moctezuma" la protagonista es Tecuichpo, hija de Moctezuma, pero como personaje secundario se lee el rol de la Malinche como traductora y concubina de Cortés, su sumisión hacia éste y los abusos que sufrió por éste. Laura Esquivel escribe una historia de amor muy alejada de la realidad. Además, el libro parece no haber sido editado puesto que brincan a la vista las faltas de ortografía y la redundancia de ideas en cada párrafo. Es con frecuencia desesperante el querer avanzar en el desarrollo de la historia y leer siempre lo mismo. Apoyo hasta cierto punto que ella haya utilizado como herramienta de escritura, la manera de narración náhuatl, pero eso no justifica que al pasar de 3-4 páginas la pobre Malinche siga en las mismas. Recomendable solo para aquel que tenga paciencia en leer redundancias, internarse en los pensamientos de una mujer y poco interés en la historia real de la conquista de México.

Mythic Biography
Malinche, an indigenous woman little known except that she served as Cortes' translator, and is looked upon as a traitor to her own people, is presented here as a real person, the author imagining what she must have experienced, and what a difficult life she must have had. Her childhood, rejection by her mother, raised by her grandmother, her world already shaken by the incursions of the Spanish, her grandmother's death, her stormy relationship with Hernan Cortes, and her marriage to Juan Jaramillo, all are portrayed as they might have been experienced.

More than a fictionalized biography, this is the story of Mexico and its difficult history, its birth from different streams of DNA and different cultures, as personified in this woman Malinalli, or Malinche. The text is supplemented by a series of "codices," i.e. pictographic representations of the events in the indigenous style.

Unfortunately the book is not as well written as it could have been. Author Esquivel indulges in long-winded, repetitive philosophical digressions, dream sequences, circular introspections by her main character, rather than showing the character doing anything. Indeed major events of her life are glossed over quickly, replaced by more of these endless ruminations. Author Laura Esquivel is a great writer, capable of much more than this, so the book was a bit disappointing. Still, it was interesting and I'm glad I read it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber. ... Read more

Product Description
When Malinalli, a member of the tribe conquered by the Aztec warriors, first meets the conquistador Hernán Cortés and becomes his interpreter, she -- like many -- believes him to be the reincarnated forefather god of her tribe. Naturally, she assumes she must welcome him, and help him destroy the Aztec empire and free her people. The two fall passionately in love, but Malinalli soon realizes that Cortés's thirst for conquest is all too human, and that he is willing to destroy anyone, even his own men -- even their own love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

malinche: a must read
a must-read for anyone who spends time in Mexico.it's centuries of history but so readable that you just keep going.Laura Esquivel wowwed us with Like Water for Chocolate, but i find this even more interesting.you'll be amazed with what you didn't know about Mexican history - and future - as you read this.order copies in spanish to share with your local women friends down there also

Esquivel's creative gift....
Laura Esquivel is not your ordinary writer of mundane stories as clearly witnessed in her previous work. 'Malinche' was interpreted from Spanish and tells the saga of a young native girl. Always Esquivel brings a brilliant and unusual blend of point-of-view, story & magic. In this ambitious and creatively crafted book, the historical facts she offers in an at-times-chronologically-defiant story line is fascinating and brings to vivid life the historical figures, culture & climate of the 1500's Yucatan Mexico. I feel sorry that one reviewer didn't even give this powerful character and worthy story a chance to be understood before quitting after page 50 and then giving a bad review.

I admit the long Mexican names slowed down the flow of reading for me initially but once I got past this, the story was so captivating that upon reading the last sentence, I immediately started it all over again and appreciated it even more this second time. One other thing to understand is that there is a very spiritual aspect to the main character, Malinalli. For me, that is what is so sparkling in the book. Esquivel is one of those rare & gifted writers who brings to life a contemplative woman who is deeply connected to the Elements, the Sun, Corn, a Horse and all of nature. The descriptions of the powerful relationship and the conversations she has with her wise blind grandmother I read and re-read. If the reader is not aligned to a mystical way of perceiving life, it may not appeal. I did appreciate, too, how much of the mysterious history of that period was brought to life for me so that I gained new understanding of those tumultuous times.

It is now among my favorite inspirational books and some day, if I am ever ill or impaired I will request some kind person to read me this book aloud. Thank you, Ms. Esquivel for another of your inspired works!

Such A Disappointment
Like several others, I really enjoyed "Like Water For Chocolate." I was looking forward to another book by Laura Esquivel, and this story seemed interesting - I knew nothing about the character of Malinche.

Malinche (or Dona Marina as she also known) was a slave who became a translator for Hernan Cortez during his conquest of Mexico and the Aztecs. It is believed she betrayed her own people because of this, and she has become villanized. This book is supposed to protray another version of her, a bit more understanding of why she did what she did.

There isn't much really known about Malinche, other than legend, so Ms. Esquivel could have taken a lot of poetic license. In some ways, I believe she did, but I don't feel she went far enough to develop the characters. I never really knew who Malinche was. I was not familar with her culture or the system of the society in which she lived. Perhaps, because Laura Esquivel writes to a mostly Mexican audience, she believes people already have that background? But I'm not Mexican, and I don't have the background. I got the Spanish were evil and bloodthirsty - but were ALL of them like that? It also seems the Aztecs were the same way. So, everyone, everywhere was filled with bloodlust?

Laura Esquivel goes into a LOT of detail about the religious culture of whatever background Malinche was. The reader is constantly bombarded with the Native names (which are difficult to pronounce - I tried!), and going on and on and on and on and on - ad nauseum - about the snake goddess and the overall god and this god and that goddess. If I wanted to read a book about Native American religions of Mexico, I would have borrowed a book from the library, or enrolled in a class! It seems this is the main focus of the book, and not the story of Malinche!

Unlike the flowing language and magic realism of "Like Water For Chocolate," this book struggles to find itself and it never quite does. It is dull and tedious and shallow. Perhaps it reads better in Spanish? Well, in English it is such a disappointment.

Laura Esquivel Malinche
Great Buy!! the book was in PERFECT conditions and the price was soooo cheap!!! Shipping was also supper fast!!!! THNX THNX aloot!!! =] peace.

Malinche
Novel about the unforgetable true person, "La Malinche" (Malintzin or Dona Marina, given by the Spanish conquerors), Hernando Cortes' Indian interpreter. La Malinche is often spoken of as a traitor, but also a victim of her most unusual times, the Spanish Conquista of Mexico.

Ms. Esquivel's prose approaches lyrical, but is evocative of this La Malinche's pivotal role in history.

This novel is in Spanish.Ms. Esquivel also wrote the popular "Como Aqua Para Chocolate". ... Read more

Product Description
/ESQUIVEL LAURA/ The intensely anticipated new novel from the author of the international bestseller Like Water for Chocolate tells a cosmic love story, a Mexican Midsummer Night's Dream that stretches from the fall of Montezuma's Mexico to the 23rd century. A skillful and delightfully playful blend of fictional genres, The Law of Love features 48 pages of dramatic, color illustrations by Miguelanxo Prado, Spain's premier artist of the graphic novel, plus a compact disc with arias and Mexican.Amazon.com Review
Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel leapt to internationalfame in 1993with Like Water ForChocolate. Her new novel strives to replicate the impact of that workwith multimedia innovation in style and structure. This translation byMargaret Sayers Peden comes with a CD of arias by Puccini and Mexican danzones,and 48 pages of striking color illustrations by Spanish artist MiguelanoPrado. The text by Esquivel is part science fiction, part new age spiritualjourney, as she chronicles the efforts of 23rd century"astroanalyst" Azucena to find her twin soul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

One of the best stories
I like to listen to the cassette at least once a year.I love this story...it is especially good when listened to.I lost my tape last year, but was happy to buy another one for 1 cent. Great story great lesson of love. A all time favourite for me.Thanks Amazon.I love this story

Law of Love
Fascinating view of a future world that acknowledges soul mates, reincarnation and soul progression. The CD included was an interesting touch I have never seen with a book.

A life lesson...
I bought it in its spanish version. I loved the way that Laura Esquivel wrote "Like Water for Chocolate" all this funny situations and romantic inspirations not to mention the recipes. So, I decided to look a work besides that one. I have the theory that, if you get in love with a book, is pretty uncommon to find a writer that could make a new book surpass its predecessor. This is one of this cases. I got it and started to read, it just got me involved in all this reincarnation theme and how much does it cost find love. Is a book you'r definitvely will get involved and enjoy.

Author Esquivel falls short of the hype.
After all the hype regarding Like Water for Chocolate, and in view of my deep interest in reincarnation in fiction, I had greatly anticipated this book. It had a compelling start, in detailing the karmic events set into motion with Rodrigo and Citlala, but the switch to the futuristic setting, with all its fantastical and foreign new technologies and philosophies, was too much far, far too soon.

Problems I identified were: poor, scanty characterization; almost total lack of blocking (description of setting); and comprehensive, almost omnipresent 'telling' instead of 'showing'. We are never allowed to draw our own conclusions about the characters from their actions and words-- Esquivel informs us, either through her narration or that of a guardian or demon, exactly what we are to think of everyone. And both the preachiness and massive breadth of the metaphysical 'stuff' was intrusive and annoying, giving the impression she's telling us what to believe, as well.

The ending is, as with so many novels nowadays, rushed and insufficient, a mere wrap-up chapter telling us what happened to all the main characters after the fact, the lazy man's (woman's?) way of getting the damned thing over with. We aren't shown how any of these things occurred, though it would have been both interesting and satisfying to see how these people came to their rewards or punishments.

And worst of all is the pat and ludicrous resolution of the distance between Azucena and Rodrigo. After their initial meeting at the start of the book, they are separated, and the story basically details (with many flourishes) Azucena's travails in finding him again. But when they do find each other, he doesn't remember her any more, and only has eyes for the reincarnation of Citlala, of whom his violation in a prior life was so lovingly recounted in the first chapter.

Azucena, then, finds love with Teo, and enthusiastically copulates with him at every opportunity. This is explained away with a few convenient sentences by Esquivel, who gives Azucena's reunion with Rodrigo the same treatment in her rushed ending. "Oh, Rodrigo remembers Azucena and leaves Citlala and now only has eyes for his soul mate." Just that easy, was it?

I guess a scene of such power and emotion wasn't important enough for her to render for her readers, but I was left wondering if he felt shame for forgetting Azucena was his soul mate and taking up with Citlala, if Azucena harbored resentment for it. Of course, knowing how Esquivel prefers to tell us what to think, she'd have just informed us with a sole paragraph how it all went down, so I suppose that we're not missing anything by her leaving it out.

Also ludicrous is how easily Azucena forgives Isabel's transgressions against her and the others-- again solved with a convenient telling instead of showing. Esquivel proves how poor her grasp of human nature, and how inadequate she is at rendering it in words for her readers, if she thinks that being murdered and abandoned repeatedly by the same person over multiple lifeties can be erased with a sentence or two.

The multimedia aspect of the book feels gimmicky. The music is redundant in style and theme, and the graphic novel parts feel more like Esquivel couldn't be arsed to describe the scene herself, so got someone else to draw it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, she saved herself about 25,000 of them with the artwork. Convenient for her, but ultimately dissatisfying for us.

In general, this book felt like a wacky sci-fi concept that Esquivel wanted "out there" but didn't feel like bothering to put any effort into. Her heavy-handed treatment of both the story and philosophical issues too many 'WTF' moments, where we have to stop and think hard about what in the world is happening, gives her an overlooming presence that prevents the reader from becoming absorbed in the book; we're too aware it's written, rather than unfolding before us.

Appalling on several different levels
Fortunately I have not read Like Water For Chocolate, and so I didn't have particularly high expectations concerning the quality of prose in this book, and reading the jacket prepared me for a rather sappy story.Nevertheless, this was both the most poorly written and poorly conceived book I've read in a long time (if ever!).The writing style reminded me of that of an overstimulated teenager, and the characters were all but empty of substance.What I found most appalling, however, were the ridiculous new-age pseudophilosophies, and the horrendous misinterpretations of karma and reincarnation.Honestly, the whole thing was so bad it was just embarrassing.So glad it was a loaner, not a purchase! ... Read more

Product Description
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in tum-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (460)

An Adventure Through the Heart AND Stomach
One of the most beautiful books I have read in years. With its incredible mix of shameless romance and magical realism, it is a treat that will have you giggling, yelling, tearing up, AND EATING! Do not miss this book. If you have yet to read it, you are missing out on a literary bounty.

Great Idea...but not fantastic
What was so intriguing about the book when I first picked it up is that the cover reads (at least my edition of it) "a novel in monthly installments with recipes, romances, and home remedies". The plot revolves around the character Tita who is the youngest of three daughters. Due to this, her family tradition dictates that she must never marry but instead has to take care of her mother until her mother dies. Unfortunately, she falls in love with a boy named Pedro whom she knows she will never marry. In addition, she is her mother's least favorite daughter and the one on whom her mother takes out her anger. The only place that Tita can find solace is in the kitchen where the housekeeper (her surrogate mother) showers her in love and guidance in cooking. As Tita faces more tragedies (her sister marries Pedro, her mentor dies, etc.), she escapes through her cooking. Magically, when people eat her food they experience the emotions that she was feeling when she made the food. On nights when she is sad, everyone at the table begins weeping. Other nights she is filled with love and lust, and that is passed on to those who eat her food. At first, Tita doesn't understand her power but she soon is able to harness it and use it to speak for her when she is unable to speak for herself.

My satisfaction with this book fluctuated. At times I found the recipes at the beginning of each chapter to be intriguing and endearing, while at others I thought they were annoying and kitschy. I thought that Tita's ability to affect others through her food was an excellent character trait and certainly carried me through the novel. However, there was no one in the novel that I actually liked and wasn't emotionally invested in the story or the characters. I think that it is worth reading because the technique is interesting and something that few others have tackled. However, I won't be re-reading this one.

Steamy goodness with a crunchy aftertaste
By far one of the best examples of magic realism that has come out of Latin America.Laura Esquivel has outdone herself with this mouth-watering, heart-wrenching novel of forbidden love and its power over all.Don't read this piece on an empty stomach or with an empty bed, else you'll be frustrated with the passionate cravings her words induce.Since she was married to the director of the movie under the same title, it follows the story line almost to the letter.Highly suggest reading and watching both, in English AND Spanish.

Like Water for Chocolate
This was a very strange book.It had been recommended to me in a foodie forum, and while it was somwhat about food, the rest of it was a very weird tale of love.

Tita is born in the kitchen, amongst the smell of onions which causes her to cry immediately.She is the youngest of three daughters, born to a controlling mother.As the youngest, she is informed that she will never marry and must take care of her mother until she dies.

When she falls in love with Pedro her mother seeks to destroy their love and instead has Pedro marry her oldest daughter.During the reception at the wedding, everyone is sick from the food that is infused with Tita's tears.This is not the only time her food would have such a strong reaction on someone, however.She also prepares another dish, that makes her middle sister flame with so much desire she burns down the shower house and runs away naked with a army captain.This causes the mother to of course, for pride, disinherit the middle daughter.

As the years pass Pedro and his wife have two kids.Both Tita becomes attached too but is grievously torn away from them at the spite of her mother.When she goes crazy after hearing about the death of one, she is rescued by Doctor John Brown who falls in love with her.With plans to marry she returns to her mother's house to care for her after a bandit attack.Her mother dies and even though Tita thinks she might be free, the return of Pedro and her sister proves that she is not.

She is torn between marrying John or being with her true love Pedro.And what of Pedro's little daughter who she cares so much about.She cannot think of leaving her either.It will be a tough decision that ultimately comes to a shocking ending.

This book, since it is a Foodie book, contains 12 recipes.All seem to be of Spanish descent and feature a lot of nuts.If you have nut allergies, this isn't the book for you, at least to make things out of.The chapters are all labeled by the months of the year, which was strange to me because rather than covering a year, this book covers 23 years.

I wasn't very happy with the ending.With all the hardship that Tita had to face in her life, the ending just didn't seem fair to me.I also thought that the author did a horrible job on the character of Pedro.I couldn't figure out what redeeming qualities he had that would make Tita love him so.I thought he was a wretch.The rest of the characters were wonderfully done though.You could hate the mother, appreciate the middle sister and Tita's other helpers, find pity for the older sister, and smile at the goodness of Dr. John.

Esquivel's writing is very easy to read.This book is in the third person and mainly focuses on Tita.The recipes ingredient lists are easy to read but as far as the preparation goes, its interspersed with the story so one would have to use the book to write it out before hand before trying to make any of them.Some of the recipes look easy, the rest look like they could take the better part of the day to make.There's even a recipe for homemade matches!

Overall while I liked the incorporation of food into this novel, I wasn't as pleased with the novel itself.The story was depressing and some of the characters were hard to connect to.It isn't one I'd read again.

Like Water For Chocolate
Copyright 1992
246 pages

Not so bad
Well, I read it because it was required by ESL advanced reading teacher. The book is Magical Realism style, it has a lot of exaggeration and tall tell. To me, it's kinda boring and the ending is absurd. I will remember this book not only because it is my first English novel, but also my reading teacher, she is so beautiful, feminine and womanly, I was attracted by her. :) ... Read more

Product Description
As the millions of fans of Like Water for Chocolate know, Laura Esquivel is a romanticist whose novels explore the power of love and the truths of the human heart. She returns to those themes in Swift as Desire, the story of a loving and passionate man who has the gift of bringing happiness to everyone except his own wife.

The hero of this novel is Júbilo Chi, a telegraph operator who is born with the ability to “hear” people’s true feelings and respond to their most intimate, unspoken desires. His life changes forever the day he falls deeply and irrevocably in love with Lucha, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family. She believes money is necessary to insure happiness, while for Júbilo, who is poor, love and desire are more important than possessions. But their passion for each other enables them to build a happy life together-- until their idyll is shattered by a terrible event that drives them bitterly apart. Only years later, as Júbilo lies dying, is his daughter able to unravel the mystery behind her parents’ long estrangement and bring about a surprising reconciliation.Amazon.com Review
Laura Esquivel's Swift as Desire, an enchanting and sensuous romance, reflects upon an undying love and the will to overcome an unspeakable tragedy. As in her bestselling novel Like Water for Chocolate, Swift as Desire is rich with metaphor, coated with magic, and very much about the power of desire. Júbilo, a telegraph operator blessed (or cursed) with the ability to hear what people feel, radiates joy from his birth. He spends his life mediating for others and salvaging their relationships, until disaster strikes his own life and causes him to question, even loathe, his supernatural gift.

He who knew that no matter how quiet the air was, there were always hearts beating, planets spinning in the heavens, bodies breathing, plants growing; and all producing sounds, but he hadn't heard anything! He hadn't heard anything!

Writing the novel as a tribute to her father (himself, a telegraph operator), Esquivel integrates her belief in the power of words. Swift as Desire is an engaging and enjoyable story that anyone with the slightest interest in a sensually romantic novel will find quite desirable, indeed. --Yvonne Schindler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Great Book!

This is a magical, heartwarming, fun book. The language is a delight to read.

An Enchanting Tale
Her use of language is like listening to your favorite music. It's passionate, exalted,electric and emotional. You can feel the power of love in her words. Lots of use of magical realism. I got the enchantment and magic of "everyday life". It's earthy,sensual and sparkles off the page.

Simple and Powerful

Having reread `Like Water for Chocolate' after approximately 10 years, I got curious as to what else Laura Esquivel had written and came up with this. WOW!
This is very different to `Like Water for Chocolate', and although this story is much simpler (essentially a love story about the lives of an ordinary couple) it is just as powerful and touching - if not more so.
Definitely recommended.

Oh My Papa...
This review refers to the Unabridged audio cassette edition of "Swift As Desire" by Laura Esquivel...

So... after reading "Like Water For Chocolate", also by Ms. Esquivel, and reading some of the other reviews here, I didn't figure that this was going to be anywhere near as great as LWFC had been. But the truth is, I loved this charming,sentimental,sometimes witty, sometimes sad, emotional story. I could not wait to get to it every day.If my phone or doorbell rang, I paused it right where it was, so as not to miss a second of the wonderful reading given by Ellizabeth Pena.I wanted more when it ended and left me with a lump in my throat

Jubilo, was a special human being.He had a way with words. He worked as an all important telegraph operator, long before E-mail was available. He kept people, loved ones, and businesses abreast of all situations. He seemed to have a magical way of being in tuned with the earth's messages even apart from the telegraph. He was a lover of life. Of the gifts nature provided, and the gifts he was able to give back to his wife, his family and the world.It is his story from boyhood to his dieing day, that Ms. Esquivel delights us with. How this very special man, now blind, made communication an art,hearing things as imperceptible as the movement of a grain of sand,how heloved so deeply, andhow he played the hand life dealt him, whether it be great triumphs, or huge losses.

Ms Esquivel gives us magical moments with real characters, and a good taste of Mexican and Mayan traditons and heritage.The story of family,the feeling of "Not knowing what you really have, until it is gone", will take you by surprise, and linger deliciously.Elizabeth Pena's("Lone Star") reading is not only delightfully enthusiastic, but lends a great deal of authenticity to the read. She manages to find the distinguishable traits in each, to bring them to life. To feel their joys and pain.

This edition is an unabridged reading. It has some very descriptive scenes of love making, so it is probably not one you will want to play on your stereo with children about. There are 4 two-sided cassettes, with a total running time of about 6 hours.A tray with a slot for each tape, keeps them in order(may be helpful to vision impaired readers). The sound quality is very good. Sometimes, the reviews for all editions of a book are lumped together, so if it is this audio edition that you are interested in the ISBN is 0375419780. Below the picture of the couple kissing on the cover art, there is a green band that says..Read By Elizabeth Pena - Unabridged.

It is a story dedicated to the Author'sown father, and after the read, you may feel the need to call your's or at least leave you with thoughts of the special gifts he gave to you.
Enjoy....Laurie

more romance audio books:
Notorious [Audiobook] by Janet Dailey [Unabridged]
The Shipping News
Echoes (Danielle Steel)

Love or Lust
Swift As Desire is the story of an intense love relationship between Don Jubilo and Lucha. Jubilo is born with a very special talent in which he is able to hear what people are thinking and feeling. This special talent bases the entire story. Jubilo finds the woman of his dreams, Lucha, when he is 15 and she is 13. They fall in love immediately and eventually marry. They suffer through many hardships mainly because Lucha cannot live with their lack of money since she is so used to living amongst wealth. Jubilo feels that money is never at all important in finding happiness. Jubilo uses his special talent to become a telegraph operator. While trying to help a friend out, Jubilo cheated someone out by using his talent in a bet. He won, and since he used his talent in a bad way, he lost his special ways. This is hard for him, but he makes it through. He and his wife are very much in love and nothing else matters when they are with eachother, which is what makes their relationship so strong.
Lucha's boss begins to put a burden in their relationship. Jubilo feels very uncomfortable with how he treats Lucha and how he admires her. Eventually Don Pedro (Lucha's Boss) causes some problems.
Throughout the novel, Laura Esquivel switches back and forth between Jubilo's daughter's perspective in the present and back to Jubilo's life in the past. The entire time, the author leaves readers wondering what tragic event happened in Jubilo and Lucha's life that caused them to split up in the future.
Towards the beginnning of this book, I wasn't very interested because all Laura Esquivel talked about was the lovey relationship between Jubilo and Lucha. In the middle I really started to like the book. I loved how there was a huge mystery about what tragic event changed everything in their lives. Laura Esquivel keeps the writing very interesting and keeps readers on the edges of their seats, wanting to read more.
This novel is very similar to Like Water For Chocolate because both stories contain aspects of magical realism. They have a good amount of history on Mexican culture which I thought was very interesting.
Also, in Swift As Desire, the author shows her liking of philosophy and nature through Don Jubilo's character. He is very philosophical and every chapter starts out with how he currently feels and what nature aspects are forming his feelings.
Swift As Desire is an excellent book that everyone should read. On a scale from 1 to 10 I would rate in an 8.
... Read more

Product Description
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother's womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef. She shares special points of her favorite preparations with listeners throughout the story.

The Spanish language edition of the best-selling Like Water For Chocolate is a remarkable success in its own right. Now, in this mass market edition, thousands of new readers will be able to partake in the sumptuous, romantic, and hilarious tale of Tita, the terrific cook with an extra special something in her sauce.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

PURCHASED iT FOR MOM
OLD WORLD LOVE STORY..i LOVE THiS BOOK! i PURCHASED THiS BOOK FOR MY MOM SiNCE SHE ONLY READS SPANiSH AND SHE LOVES iT :) ...i HiGHLY SUGGEST THiS BOOK TO THOSE WHO LOVE POETRY/ROMANCE. :)

No es muy bueno
Este libro entretiene pero la historia es muy exagerada y hasta en ocasiones absurda.Lo mas que me decepciono fue el final.Fue original, pero absurdo.Lo bueno de este libro son las recetas tradicionales mexicanas.

Como agua para chocolate
I needed to purchase multiple copies of this novel in Spanish to teach my Advanced Spanish class. I was greatful for the prompt and very reliable service provided by Amazon.

Great Story but this edition has lots of typos!
This book is a classic in Literature in Spanish, but please don't buy this edition from Anchor Books.It has a lot of typos and spelling mistakes that a good editor would never allow.

It was a very disappointing buy... but a great story regardless.That is why it gets 2 stars and not one.

The best story I've ever read!
I bought this book for my goddaughter who is a senior in high school and taking Spanish 4.But I have a copy myself and it is the best story I have ever read.The story has influenced my life, which is unusual for a novel.It is heart-warming, romantic, and inspiring for a decent gourmet chef like me.You'll love this story. ... Read more

Product Description
Laura Esquivel regresa con una novela de gran belleza y compasión.Mientras Como agua para chocolate se basó en la vida de su madre, en Tan veloz como el deseo Esquivel hace un trabajo de ficción acerca de la vida de su padre en México. Nacido con la curiosa habilidad de entender los mensajes ocultos en los sentimientos humanos, Don Júbilo se convierte en un traductor que ayuda a otros a solucionar problemas de comunicación en sus relaciones. Sin embargo, cuando una tragedia destruye su matrimonio, es la habilidad de su hija para escuchar que reunirá a Don Júbilo en su cama de muerte con su esposa. La señora Esquivel nos muestra con cariño, estilo y humor como el mantener secretos nos llevara a ser infelices y como la comunicación es la llave para alcanzar el amor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

novelita buena
Inicio muy bien, continua a veces bien a veces aburrido. Mezcla tiempos muy bien. Final expectacular. No se diga de un vocabulario muy mexicano, grosero, pero con esa suavidad haceb que te de risa como una palabra soez puede hacer tanto daño pero no en la boca de Laura.

¡¡¡¡ FENOMENAL !!!!
Había tenido la oportunidad de leer Como Agua para Chocolate y me fascino. Ahora decidí leer esta novela pues me habia encantado la manera de escribir de Laura Esquivel. Sin duda esta historia es tan erotica como "Como Agua para Chocolate". Laura Esquivel sabe como manejar las palabras para hacerlas sensuales, tristes, cautivantes, interesantes sin dejar de ser aburrida la historia. Me encanto.

Breathtaking Love Story
Jubilo Chi is a remarkable little boy who always smiles, who brings laughter and smiles to everyone around him. Learning to translate (and mediate) between his Mayan grandmother and his Spanish speaking mother, he becomes profoundly impressed with the power of words and the mystery of communication--and so, he decides to become a telegraph operator when he grows up.

Tan Veloz is the story of Jubilo and his life, and especially of his lifelong and sometimes stormy love affair with Lucha, his childhood sweetheart, later wife, later ex-wife. Seen largely through the eyes of his daughter Lluvia, it is a story of the intricacies and difficulties of communication, and of life. The story is not always happy, but the characters are always fascinating, characters you would love to meet. The book also has a great villain, don Pedro. A villain you will love to despise. What else could a reader ask for? I won't tell you the plot, but let's just say it will keep you turning pages.

A charming book by an author who obviously understands the human soul and the mysteries of love. I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

A great book for beginning a book club!
During our first book club meeting, we discovered that we had a lot to say about this novel.There are many wonderful themes to discuss and ponder.At different points in the novel we felt both compassion and disdain for Jubilo and Lucha. The ending is great and we had a feeling that life had come full circle for some of the characters. We're hoping for a sequel to find out about more about the lives of Jubilo's children!

Buen Libro
El libro es muy comprencible y corto por eso es que lo escogipara saber los problemas de los personajesy aveses esta trizte . por eso es que se los recomiendo es todo por ahora . ... Read more

Product Description
Outstanding essayists in Latin American literature and film explore Laura Esquivel's critical reputation, contextualize her work in literary movements, and consider her four novels and the film based on "Like Water for Chocolate" from diverse critical perspectives. The Editor's "An Introduction to Esquivel Criticism" reviews twenty-years of global praise and condemnation. Elena Poniatowska, in an essay provided in the original Spanish and in translation, reflects on her first reading of "Like Water for Chocolate". From unique critical perspectives, Jeffrey Oxford, Patrick Duffey, and Debra Andrist probe the novel as film and fiction. The Reverend Dr Stephen Butler Murray explores the author's spiritual focus, and cultural geographer Maria Elena Christie uses words and images to compare Mexican kitchen-space and Esquivel's first novel. Elizabeth Coonrod Martinez and Lydia H Rodriguez affirm divergent readings of "The Law of Love", and Elizabeth M Willingham reads contested national identity in "Swift as Desire". Jeanne L Gillespie and Ryan F Long approach "Malinche: A Novel" through historical documents and popular and religious culture.In the closing essay of the volume, Alberto Julian Perez contextualizes Esquivel's fiction within Feminist and Hispanic literary movements. A glossary and translations recommend the work to English-speaking readers and those new to studies of Hispanic fiction and film. This book is the first in-depth review and assessment of twenty years of Esquivel criticism. The comparative and theoretical views presented of each of Esquivel's four novels and the film of "Like Water for Chocolate" provide suggestions for future literary research. ... Read more

Product Description
"The return to the kitchen was not easy. I wanted my daughter to know her past, to eat what I had eaten in my childhood; however, I quickly realized that I no longer remembered my family's recipes....I forced myself to try and remember a recipe on my own. And that is how I discovered, as I had already known in my childhood, that it was possible to hear voices in the kitchen."


Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel leapt to international fame with Like Water for Chocolate. With millions of copies sold in hardcover and paperback, and with the phenomenal success of the movie, it is truly one of the most beloved stories of the last decade. In her latest book, Between Two Fires, Laura Esquivel continues to sustain us on levels beyond the physical.

Between Two Fires is a wonderful collection of the best of her passionate speeches, short writings, and recipes from the last decade or so, most never published in English. Funny, poignant, imaginative, and insightful, Esquivel muses on all the topics we have come to associate with her -- love, life, family, and of course, the importance of food in all aspects of the human experience -- while also giving us a rare look at what makes her tick. Beautifully illustrated with delightful drawings, this gem is the perfect gift book for her many fans, as well as for foodies and readers of Latin literature everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A collection of thoughts.
For those of you who expect something along the same lines as "Like Water for Chocolate" and "The Law of Love," you will be disappointed. "Between Two Fires" is basically a collection of thoughts, or short essays, taken from articles published in "Vogue de Mexico;" prologues to books such as "The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking," by Rick Curry; or speeches made at book fairs and psychoanalyst workshops.

"Between Two Fires" does not carry the heady aroma and full body of Esquivel's previous books. One feels as though someone forgot to keep stoking the fire and the meal, so to speak, has well ... gone cold in places.

If however, you want a quick, short read to pass the time on the bus, train, underground, in the doctor's waiting room or waiting for the kettle to boil whilst in the full knowledge that you can finish a chapter by the time you get to your destination, are called for your appointment or need to make tea for the neighbours, then this is an ideal book to carry along with you. It is basically an anthology of memories, thoughts, ideas, short stories, interwoven with the ever present taste and aroma of the kitchen. ... Read more

Product Description
This book considers the novels of three Latin American writers, the Argentinian Griselda Gambaro, the Colombian Albalucia Angel, and the Mexican Laura Esquivel, and examines their work in relation to the formation of feminine identity. Concentrating on two novels of each writer in turn, this book considers how their writings may be seen to engage with the production of identity in the era of transference from a modern to a postmodern aesthetic. Two broad focuses are used in the reading of these novels: the reworking of the intertext, and the crafting of the body. With relation to Gambaro, the two novels under consideration are her works Nada que ver con otra historia and Dios no nos quiere contentos which are examined in the light of their reworkings of the Frankenstein trope and representations of circus performances, and their investigation into the marking of the body by the discourse of power. With regard to Angel, her novels Dos veces Alicia and Las andariegas are used to trace the development from the space of literary play of the first novel to the space of politicized feminist play of the later, where intertextual reworking and bodily transformations come to form part of a feminist praxis. In the final chapter, Esquivel's Como agua para chocolate and La ley del amor are examined with regard to the proliferation of bodies and codes which constitute a movement towards the status of postmodern pastiche, providing an ambiguous space for the feminine subject. ... Read more

Product Description
A Random House Kindle eBook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

PURCHASED iT FOR MOM
OLD WORLD LOVE STORY..i LOVE THiS BOOK! i PURCHASED THiS BOOK FOR MY MOM SiNCE SHE ONLY READS SPANiSH AND SHE LOVES iT :) ...i HiGHLY SUGGEST THiS BOOK TO THOSE WHO LOVE POETRY/ROMANCE. :)

No es muy bueno
Este libro entretiene pero la historia es muy exagerada y hasta en ocasiones absurda.Lo mas que me decepciono fue el final.Fue original, pero absurdo.Lo bueno de este libro son las recetas tradicionales mexicanas.

Como agua para chocolate
I needed to purchase multiple copies of this novel in Spanish to teach my Advanced Spanish class. I was greatful for the prompt and very reliable service provided by Amazon.

Great Story but this edition has lots of typos!
This book is a classic in Literature in Spanish, but please don't buy this edition from Anchor Books.It has a lot of typos and spelling mistakes that a good editor would never allow.

It was a very disappointing buy... but a great story regardless.That is why it gets 2 stars and not one.

The best story I've ever read!
I bought this book for my goddaughter who is a senior in high school and taking Spanish 4.But I have a copy myself and it is the best story I have ever read.The story has influenced my life, which is unusual for a novel.It is heart-warming, romantic, and inspiring for a decent gourmet chef like me.You'll love this story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Estrellita Marinera una fabula de nuestro tiempo
This little book of fabulous stories and illustrations by Francisco Melendez make it unlike anything else I have seen by Esquivel. It was found in a bookshop in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. I would suggest you try to find a copy of this title if you can. ... Read more

Product Description
La ley del amor, novela New Age de Laura Esquivel, autora de Como agua para chocolate, tiene como escenario la Ciudad de Mexico en el ano 2200. Su personaje principal, Azucena, ejerce el oficio de astroanalista, especialidad que consiste en tratar a pacientes con trastornos mentales generados por las malas acciones cometidas en vida pasadas. Justamente, Azucena ha sido elegida para restituir la armonia cosmica que fue quebrantada siglos atras, cuando los conquistadores destruyeron la gran Tenochtitlan y de paso, la inefable Piramide del Amor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Stauning!!!!
Everybody that wants love in their life should read this book..!!!! Love to everything for everything inside out....

OUTRAGEOUS!!!!
I did have tons of fun reading this book. As a Latin I do love a lot Cuquita's character because she represents many people I know. She has the pepper of the story.

The whole plot is treated in an amusign way so you will never, ever get bored.

Ninotchka Freer
San Jose, Costa Rica

2 palabras:LECTURA DIVERTIDA
Debo confesar que durante los primeros capítulos tenía el prejuicio de que lo que leía era un libro malo, escazo de literatura, hasta que poco a poco capté el concepto:Esquivel de una forma muy sutil, logra a través de una técnica que se vale de un lenguaje muy coloquialmente popular, de una narrativa muy simple pero efectiva, de un estilo sin complicaciones, transmitir su mensaje de La Ley del Amor.En efecto sólo como Mexicano puede apreciársele en su nivel de comicidad, pero considero que el no serlo no descarta en lo absoluto el poder disfrutar el libro ampliamente ("graciosidad" incluida).El recurso de ilustraciones hermosas + música clásica y música popular resulta muy bien logrado, opinión personal.

Al final de cuentas, esta obra logró "convertirme" de mi prejuicio inicial, a mi opinión final:una creación literaria muy entretenida que *NO* es pretenciosa (lo cual es clave de su buen resultado) y que por tanto, bien se merece el crédito al que se hace acreedor> un buen libro que no pretende ser más que una lectura grata para su lector.

Very Creative
Very Different way of looking at life after death. I love ALL of Laura Esquivel's works of art, but this was simply entertaining.

GREAT
This book contains romance and much imagination. It uses the impossible and possible to build a story of love and charma. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

interesting concepts
very well written & interesting - therefore difficult to put down at times. ... Read more