“I can't
speak for readers in general, but personally I like to read stories behind
which there is some truth, something real and above all, something emotional. I
don't like to read essays on literature; I don't like to read critical or
rational or impersonal or cold disquisitions on subjects.” – Laura Esquivel
Born in
Mexico City on this date in 1950, Esquivel wrote the worldwide bestselling novel
and award-winning screenplay Like Water for Chocolate. The book is the all-time bestselling novel in Mexico and the film the winner of more than two dozen international awards. It was
the first of 10 novels for Esquivel, whose latest is the Spanish language My
Black Past.
Also noted
for her essays on life, love and food – based on the culture of Mexico but
resonating around the globe – Esquivel’s compilation of many of her best were
published in another huge bestselling book Between Two Fires. She characterizes the kitchen as the most
important part of the house; “a pleasurable source of knowledge and
understanding.”
When asked
if she likes fiction or film better, she leaned into fiction.
“In film you can use images exclusively and narrate a whole story very quickly,
but you don't always so easily find the form in cinema to dig deeper into human
thoughts and emotions,” she explained. “In a novel you can much more
easily express a character's inner thoughts and feelings.”
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