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a l i z a r i n R E D the red light district |
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Monday, 4 February 2008
 I've seen this book countless of times and have heard great reviews about it but I've never felt compelled to read it until recently. Almost immediately, I felt the bitter taste of regret at having waited so long. It was simply sublime. I fell in love with it the moment I finished reading the first chapter. It tells the tale of Tita De La Garza, a young woman deprived of being with the man she loves because of some stupid tradition her mother has imposed upon her--being the youngest daughter in the family, she is doomed to a lifetime of caring for her tyrannical Mama Elena. The story makes heavy use of magical realism. Tita, an exceptionally gifted cook, pours all her emotions into the dishes she prepares--her love, lust and longing for Pedro and her anger and frustrations toward her mother and sister and rigid family traditions--that every meal she prepares makes for an incredibly sensual experience. Upon eating the cake she baked for Pedro and her sister Rosaura's wedding, all the guests promptly burst into tears. The Quail in Rose Petal sauce she prepared after a passionate encounter with Pedro promptly made her sister Gertrudis unleash all her inhibitions, eventually leading her into the arms of a revolutionary officer. It was an amazing read from start to finish. It inspired me to start reading again. Haha just what I needed to wake up from my rut! The novel was made into film in 1993. I want to see it! I wonder if it's as good as the book. I doubt it, though. Movie adaptations always end up as half-baked versions of the original story. Based on the ones I've seen anyway. Except the TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in the 90s starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I loved it. Way better than the recent movie starring Keira Knightley, which did nothing but annoy me.
posted by Anonymous @ 10:34 2 Comments:
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About the most recent P&P movie, I thought Matthew McFadyen was a babe. But Keira Knightley was *so* NOT Elizabeth Bennet. Jennifer Ehle was way better as EB.