Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States

by James C. Scott
Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States cover
Good Books rating 3.17
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  • ID: 5202
  • Added: 2025-10-22
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
ajaonline.org · Unknown · 2025-10-24
thought-provoking 4.50

Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States explores the origins and dynamics of early states, challenging conventional narratives. The book delves into the political and social structures of these ancient societies, offering a fresh perspective on their development and impact. It's a thought-provoking read that encourages readers to reconsider their understanding of early civilizations.

Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States is a fascinating exploration of the earliest states and their complex societies. The book challenges the traditional view of these civilizations as merely agricultural societies, instead highlighting their sophisticated political and social structures. The author's deep dive into the archaeological and historical evidence provides a compelling narrative that sheds new light on the origins of statehood. The book's strength lies in its ability to weave together various threads of evidence to create a coherent and engaging story. However, some readers might find the dense historical details a bit overwhelming. Overall, it's a must-read for anyone interested in the deep history of early states and their enduring impact on modern societies. The book's unique perspective and thorough research make it a valuable addition to the field of ancient history.

Quick quotes

    The book challenges conventional narratives about early states and their development.

    The author's deep dive into the archaeological and historical evidence provides a compelling narrative.

    The book's strength lies in its ability to weave together various threads of evidence to create a coherent and engaging story.

londonreviewbookshop.co.uk · Unknown · 2018-09-11
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 to connect with the central love story due to weak characterization.

Like Water for Chocolate is a melodramatic, exciting, and entertaining book with a large splash of magic realism. The reviewer found the descriptions of food and cooking fascinating, as they added a tender and sensual quality to the narrative. However, they struggled to connect with the central love story between Tita and Pedro due to weak characterization, particularly Pedro's lack of dimension. The reviewer found Pedro to be weak, cowardly, and selfish, making it hard to root for the couple. The other characters were also one-dimensional, with Mama Elena being a villainous figure and Rosaura appearing cartoonish. The reviewer appreciated the arc of the sister Gertrudis but felt that the book's approach to romantic love as a sweeping dramatic passion was hard to accept. They enjoyed the magic realism and style of writing but found the weak characterization and asinine love story detracted from the overall experience.

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).

blogs.lse.ac.uk · Unknown · 2017-10-30
disappointing 2.00

The reviewer found 'Like Water for Chocolate' to be a disappointing read despite its initial appeal. The novel's exploration of family dysfunction and supposed feminist themes fell flat, with the characters and plot often feeling contrived and unconvincing. The magical realism elements, particularly those involving food, were more off-putting than enchanting.

The reviewer initially approached 'Like Water for Chocolate' with high expectations, drawn in by its quirky subtitle and promises of magic, love, and female empowerment. However, as they delved deeper into the story, they found themselves increasingly disappointed. The novel's portrayal of family dysfunction was unsettling, with the matriarchal household and the tradition of the youngest daughter forgoing marriage and children creating a sense of cognitive dissonance. The reviewer found the characters, particularly the men, to be weak and unconvincing, and the supposed feminist themes to be poorly executed. The magical realism elements, especially those involving food, were more off-putting than enchanting, often leading to disgusting results and queasiness. The middle chapters offered a brief respite with the introduction of Dr. John Brown, a rational and caring character who provided a love interest for Tita. However, the final chapters descended into absurdity with a time-skip bait-and-switch and an insane wrap-up that left the reviewer feeling unsatisfied.

Quick quotes

    The only tradition Esquivel seems to value is the preparation of food, with each traditional recipe carefully embedded in the novel itself, yet she betrays and mocks it alongside everything else, for most of the dishes produce disgusting results as the food takes on the properties of Tita’s own suppressed emotions, causing mass vomiting at Pedro and Rosaura’s wedding, summoning worms into the sausages and turning a regular meal into a destructive aphrodisiac — twice.

    The funniest thing about Like Water for Chocolate is the vaguely defined yet repeated claim that it is somehow a feminist text (probably because it is set during the Mexican Revolution and Tita and Gertrudis both rebel against tradition).

    The only rational character exits unaffected while everyone else grabs a partner and heads out for a massive orgy. Esquivel singles this out for applause, crowing that the uninhibited sexuality on display that day was some of the greatest creativity in the history of the human race.

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