“For film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinematic classics and the enduring love stories that have served as their heart-tugging inspiration.
What makes a good love story endure? Is it the courtship? The obstacles along the way? The happy endings (or in some cases, heartbreaking conclusions)? Author Kristen Lopez explores 40 beloved screen adaptations of the book world’s great romances to reveal what makes these works resonate across decades.
From Pride and Prejudice (1940) to Twilight (2008), Lopez presents how these classics depict both budding fiery love and unrequited desire on the page and screen, and why each makes for a swoon-worthy adaptation. The essays also unpack how these works serve as time capsules of their respective eras, charting the evolution of gender roles and femininity in adaptations such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) and Waiting to Exhale (1994). Hearts may break and lovers may part, but these works show how romance carries on forever.”
We present her thoughts on “Like Water for Chocolate.”
Excerpted from But Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition: 40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films by Kristen Lopez. Copyright © 2026. Available from Running Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
A series based on the book is now streaming on HBOMax.
Other featured adaptations include:
Anna Karenina · Atonement · The Bishop’s Wife · The Bridges of Madison County · Bridget Jones’s Diary · Chocolat · Doctor Zhivago · The Ghost and Mrs. Muir · Jane Eyre · Laura ·Love Story · The Notebook · A Room With a View · The Sheik
Available from your favorite local bookstore or visit HERE.
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Kristen Lopez is a pop culture essayist, critic, editor, and disability expert. She has worked as an entertainment journalist for over 15 years, with her articles appearing at Variety, MTV, TCM, and Roger Ebert. A California native, Kristen was raised in a small suburb near Sacramento and graduated with a Masters in English from California State University, Sacramento. Based in Los Angeles, she enjoys reading and finding Old Hollywood connections in her neighborhood in her free time. She is the author of “But Have You Read the Book: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films.” and Popcorn Disability.
Kristen was previously the Film Editor for TheWrap and the TV Editor for IndieWire where she was nominated for a SoCal Journalism Award and National Journalism Award by the LA Press Club. She is the creator of the classic film podcast, Ticklish Business. Her blog and website are the perfect places to get to know Kristen. The Film Maven. Website