How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character cover
Good Books rating 3.5
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Technical
  • ID: 4080
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 2
Reviews
goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-21
great 4.00

The reviewer initially found 'Like Water for Chocolate' average but enjoyed it more upon a reread, appreciating Tita's character and the magical realism. They also praised the recent adaptation, finding it faithful and captivating.

The reviewer initially read 'Like Water for Chocolate' a few years ago and found it average, remembering only the heartfelt final chapter. However, after watching a new adaptation on Max, they were compelled to reread the book and discovered a deeper appreciation for it. Tita, the protagonist, is a complex character whose love for cooking and her forbidden love for Pedro are central to the story. The magical realism adds a unique layer to the narrative, making it more engaging. The reviewer also highlights the faithfulness of the adaptation, which expands on the story in ways they found satisfying. They particularly enjoyed the development of Pedro's character and the additional context provided in the series. Overall, the reviewer found the book and its adaptation to be a captivating exploration of love, suffering, and the power of food to evoke emotions.


Quick quotes

    Tita loves to cook. Food for her is special. It can evoke emotion and create memories.

    But Tita’s passion goes beyond food and lands on Pedro.

    Despite the changes, it’s still an incredibly faithful adaptation of the novel.

kckidsdoc.com · Unknown · 2025-01-14
mixed 3.00

The book is melodramatic, exciting, and entertaining with a large splash of magic realism. The reviewer found the descriptions of food and cooking fascinating, but struggled with the weak characterization and the unsatisfying love story.

The book is set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and tells the story of Tita, who is condemned by family tradition to remain unmarried and take care of her mother. The reviewer found the descriptions of food and cooking fascinating, with an operatic, fable-like quality to the writing. However, they struggled to connect with the central love story between Tita and Pedro, finding Pedro's character weak and one-dimensional. The other characters were also fairly one-dimensional, and the reviewer was disturbed by the cursory treatment of a rape scene. Overall, the reviewer enjoyed the magic realism and style of writing but found the weak characterization and asinine love story detracting from the book.


Quick quotes

    When the talk turns to eating, a subject of the greatest importance, only fools and sick men don’t give it the attention it deserves.

    “…My grandmother had a very interesting theory; she said that each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves; just as in the experiment, we need oxygen and a candle to help. In this case, the oxygen, for example, would come from the breath of the person you love; the candle could be any kind of food, music, caress, word or sound that engenders the explosion that lights one of the matches. For a moment we are dazzled by an intense emotion. A pleasant warmth grows within us, fading slowly as time goes by, until a new explosion comes along to revive it. Each person has to discover what will set off those explosions in order to live, since the combustion that occurs when one of them is ignited is what nourishes the soul. …”

    I enjoyed reading this book — loved the magic realism and style of writing, but the weak characterization and asinine love story detracted from it somewhat (although I recognize that there is a larger theme of individual love/agency vs. traditional authority).