La vendetta della melanzana

by Bulbul Sharma, Tatiana Moroni (Traduttore), Sara Radaelli (Traduttore)

Cibo gioioso, cibo goloso, cibo di rito, digiuno odiato. Una donna dispone di ben due mariti in eterna competizione: come una dea della foresta, va placata e vezzeggiata con offerte straordinarie di cibo. Un prete-bambino che calza scarpe Nike e mangia a ritmo lento e inesorabile: la felicità, per la nonna ansiosa di trovare un prete da nutrire alla cerimonia più importante dell'anno. Bala è la cugina povera: i parenti se la passano come un pacco postale, e lei si fa apprezzare con spuntini serali prelibati e rammendi impeccabili.
E quando il giovane Raj sbuca di ritorno dall'America ricco e affermato, mette gli occhi proprio su di lei, il normale ordine delle cose è sconvolto... Questa raccolta di racconti è piena di aromi misteriosi e spezie tentatrici: filtrano da cucine segrete, si spandono per la strada, raggiungono la banchina della stazione. Ricordi, sogni e invidie si confondono a meraviglia con il piacere del cibo tra colori, sfrigolii, rumori di stoviglie. E le ottime ricette al termine di ciascuna storia ne sono una prova concreta: perché non cimentarsi? In questi racconti c'è molta ironia, c'è la voce di tutti, e la grande forza della campagna indiana. La misura del racconto è perfetta, in Bulbul Sharma: il suo tocco giocoso, sapiente, divertito.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Asia, India, Food, Indian Literature, Contemporary

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of food-themed stories of women in India, with triumphs, frustrations, joys and other such moments of life seen with a connection to food in some ways. The authors is also an artist, birdwatcher, and an art teacher. Each story includes one or more recipe, which are all listed at the end. The introduction recalls her grandmother’s cooking (and its rules), with a recipe there also.

Stories:
“Jars of Gold” - the guarded storeroom
“A Taste for Humble Pie” - the lifelong groove of a role
“Sandwiched!” - suffering from a food rivalry between two women
“Feasting with a Vengeance” - wedding feastings compete
(the title story) – subtle punishment of a Sunday lunch tradition
“Train Fare” - a family man’s uneasy train journey
“Mushroom Madness” - a comptetion for a woman’s attention through food
“Constant Craving” - temptations rising during a widow’s fast
“Moonfish by Moonlight” - a surprise at a moonlight picnic
“Food to Die For” - finding the right priest to feed for a ceremony
“Dead Man’s Feast” - caring for a dying man recalling his absent wives
“Sweet Nothings” - the struggle of dieting to keep your man

As can be seen, food is tied to points of life, in two stories food has been limited for a reason (traditions, insecurity), sometimes to a time of unhappiness and other negative feelings, sometimes for comfort and for community, it can be part of a woman’s role, to travel or a celebration day, there can be dreams of it, or memories of it.

My favorite story is either “Train Fare” or “Food to Die For”; “A Taste for Humble Pie” left me a bit frustrated – I don’t really know if her choice to stay in her role instead of choosing marriage was right IMO, but having been for years in her half-forced role and cherishing it, it would've been a bit hard for her to change into something else, even though she is *very* under-appreciated in her role as help for her relatives!

And poor “Sweet Nothings” woman: she is in so dire need of good diet advice her book doesn’t really give her - no wonder she slips so easily when Diwali gives her an excuse to indulge mightily. In contrast, her servants seem to have a better opinion about weight, at least a far lot more positive attitude about it. In “Constant Craving”, at least there’s certain traditions that demand certain limitations, not just unhappiness and rivalries.

I found this book through looking at my sister’s bookshelf quite a few years ago, in its Finnish translation; mine is the English translation, because that other one isn’t so available for me when I wanted to get this book. Good choice; it was fun to read the stories, and the recipes looked really good, though I don’t own a pressure cooker, or know yet where to get some of the ingredients. And I loved how many ways you can make a story about food and women living in India. I wonder if they were built around the recipes, that the recipes came first? And now I wonder which other short story book from one author are built around recipes or other one-theme – well, I think it’s nice that this book makes me think of this also!

[Akanksha G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating short stories about Indian women and the significance of food in their lives at levels larger than the culinary. The stories are simple and realistic, and very relatable. The subtle presence of rules of cooking and commensality according to different traditions, sometimes oppressive, sometimes ridiculous add a touch of poignant humour. Food becomes a theater of conflict and a site of rebellion for the women in this book.

[Irina M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un recueil de nouvelles pleines de saveurs, gourmandes, qui décrit sans rien enjoliver, sans romantiser, la vie quotidienne de familles indiennes. Les mariages arrangés par des annonces dans le journal. La recherche d'un prêtre pour une cérémonie. Les angoisses de couples. Les voyages en famille. Chaque nouvelle met en avant la nourriture, et à la fin de chacune, l'autrice nous propose quelques recettes.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories and recipes. I picked this up for the Helmet Reading Challenge thanks to a recommendation from a coworker and was rather pleasantly surprised in the end. The stories tell of life in India and you can tell this is already an older book as some of the things feel very outdated. However, the stories had wonderful variety and some of them were much darker than I expected, which makes this a good collection. Food plays an important role in all the stories, many rules for cooking are explained and this did make me hungry while reading. Haven't tried the recipes, but would imagine a bunch of them could be easily cooked at home.

[TurningPagesClem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Heli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ihan hirmuisen hauska keittokirja ja novellikokoelma. Novelleissa korostuvat ruokaan liittyvät pakkomielteet ja vallankäyttö ruoan avulla.

Tunnen roppakaupalla ihmisiä, joille ruoka tuntuu olevan elämän ja kuoleman kysymys, ja minuakin ruoka kiinnostaa monin tavoin ehkä enemmän kuin on yleisesti hyväksyttyä. Kenties siksi nämä naisten suhteesta ruokaan kertovat novellit tuntuvat niin viihdyttäviltä. Myös mukaan ujutetut intialaisruokareseptit vaikuttavat erittäin herkullisilta ja kokeilemisen arvoisilta.

Erityisesti jäi mieleen novelli, jossa mies matkustaa junalla vanhan äitinsä, vaimonsa ja teini-ikäisen tyttärensä kanssa. Pursuavat ruokatonkat kaivetaan esiin jo ennen junan lähtöä, ja mies häpeää naisseurueensa syöpöttelyä, vaikka koko muu junakansa mässäilee yhtä runsaasti. Hersyvän hauskasti kuvataan myös miehen huolta siitä, mitä kaikkea vahdittaville naisille voi tapahtua vaikka vessajonossa. Joku saattaisi vaikka katsoa päin. "Hän toivoi ja rukoili mielessään, etteivät he kävisi yöllä vessassa."

[Sae-chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was only laying out problems faced by women posed by society. Too bad it was short of empowering. Some stories timidly asked, isn't this not supposed be? I'm afraid that the writer was actually affirming these stereotypes of women's role in society. I really hope not.

Women need to get away from trying too hard to get "equality" with men. When women strive on getting equality, it means that we still see ourselves as being inferior. We need to position ourselves as equal, which I believe we are, and act accordingly. No more judgment, no more stereotyping, especially among ourselves.

[Ronkeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pieniä tarinoita Intiasta ja reseptejä, joihin ehkä alkaisi nykyään Suomestakin löytyä aineksia. Runsaasti uutta sanastoa, joka löytyy selitettynä kirjan lopusta.

[tomasawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'était plutôt bien parti. On salivait. Ca frémissait dans les casseroles et puis on s'est noyé dans des récits chiants du quotidien.

[Simona Stefani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non amo le raccolte di racconti, anche quando sono scritte bene come questa, semplicemente perché fatico a ricordarmi poi le varie storie. Già quando non scrivo immediatamente la recensione di un romanzo (soprattutto dei thriller) tendo a dimenticarmi il finale (ad esempio solo adesso dopo MESI mi è venuto in mente il finale de L'uomo del labirinto). Anyway...
Questa raccolta di racconti ha come tema centrale il cibo ed il rapporto delle donne con esso.

Le storie:
Funghi irresistibili - in cui le attenzioni di una donna vengono contese da due uomini
Buono da morire - alla ricerca del prete giusto da sfamare
Chiodo fisso - le crescenti tentazioni durante il digiuno della vedovanza
Pesca al chiaro di luna - una sorpresa durante un picnic sotto la luna
La vendetta della melanzana (molto divertente) - la sottile punizione durante il pranzo domenicale
Amara fedeltà - la parente povera inchiodata al suo ruolo
Tra due fuochi - un uomo soffre la rivalità tra due donne (mamma e moglie)
Barattoli d'oro - una dispensa sotto chiave
A colpi di banchetto - l'escalation di due famiglia per una festa di nozze
Fatiche ferroviarie - il difficoltoso viaggio di un capofamiglia
L'ultimo tormento - il ricordo delle mogli assenti da parte di un uomo in punto di morte
Qualcosa di dolce - dieta ferrea per il proprio uomo

Vediamo donne di tutti i tipi, sottomesse e libere, giovani e anziane, benestanti e povere. Tutte legate in qualche modo al cibo (chi per tener legato a sé l'uomo, chi la famiglia, chi per tradizione...).

Cosa simpatica: alla fine di ogni racconto troviamo la ricetta di uno dei piatti raccontati nelle pagine precedenti. Oh... quanto mi piacerebbe sapere cucinare bene

[Aurélie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si vous n’avez jamais lu « La colère des aubergines », merveilleux recueil de nouvelles indiennes paru en 1999, il est grand temps d’y remédier. La maison d’édition Picquier publie pour les Fêtes un superbe collector numéroté, vous n’avez plus d’excuses !

Son autrice Bulbul Sharma est une magicienne. Par ses mots, elle fait éclore les odeurs et les saveurs, au fil d’intrigues évoquant avec simplicité les paradoxes de la société indienne. Dans ces 13 nouvelles et autant de recettes, les plats y sont les personnages à part entière : aubergines frites ou en curry, pakoras d’épinards, pommes de terres à la poudre de mangue, gâteau de carottes… Autour d’eux gravitent des histoires de femmes dans leur cuisine, car c’est dans ce lieu que se jouent les rapports de pouvoir et de caste. Les hommes n’y jouent qu’un rôle secondaire. Souvent tendres, drôles, ou corrosives, ces petites saynètes en disent long de les traditions indiennes.

[StephenWoolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une société très oppressive se profile à travers les aperçus familiaux que nous livre l'autrice. Heureusement, les descriptions sensuelles de la nourriture et de sa préparation, de sa fonction rituelle et d'étai vient adoucir un peu les choses. Je vais peut-être tester la boisson au gingembre : 5 tranches fines de gingembre frais, 5 feuilles de basilic (variété tulasi-, 5 clous de girofle, 5 grains de poivre & une gousse de cardamome. Faire bouillir le tout dans 2 tasses d'eau. Laisser réduire de moitié. Ajouter une càs de sucre.

[Elisala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recueil de nouvelles savoureuses, chacune suivie de recettes qui ont ma foi l'air tout autant savoureuses.
Les nouvelles, en tournant d'une manière ou d'une autre autour de la bouffe, de la cuisine, paraissent assez révélatrice sur la société indienne: les relations dans la famille, le couple, le mariage, le rapport à la mort. C'est intéressant, avec la petite pincée d'humour qui va bien pour pimenter tout ça...

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un livre effectivement lu il y a plusieurs années qui, par ses parfums culinaires de fritures et de préparations raffinées au cœur des foyers indiens, laisse le souvenir de tensions familiale cristallisées dans la cuisine: la cuisine, lieu de soumission et de créativité pour la femme, esprit de tendresse ou de rancœur dans ces gestes répétitifs, lieu de partage et de conflits ... à déguster sans modération, il n'y aura pas d'indigestion!

[Éric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of short stories that all have in common a depiction of Indian society and in particular people's relationship to food. I really enjoyed 2 stories that were beautiful and meaningful. I found most of the other stories kind of depressing on the topics of women, traditions and caste system.
But all in all, quite an enjoyable read.

[Aurélia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un livre à ne pas lire quand on a faim ! Il donne envie de mettre en pratique toutes les recettes données. C'est agréable à lire, l'utilisation du format de la nouvelle pour faire découvrir des traditions culinaires est adaptée. Mais ce n'est pas pour autant une lecture qui me marquera.

[Säde Noormets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iseenesest oleks teos võinud olla mõnus lugemine, sest seda parajasti tehes läksid lood kiirelt, kuid millegipärast oli raamatu kätte võtmine alati raske. Võib-olla tõrjusid mind eemale stereotüüpne suhtumine naistesse, kes ometi olid lugude südames, ja neid ümbritsevate meeste mõttetus.

Raamat koosnes lühikestest jutustustest, mis keerlesid alati toidu, enamasti mingi kindla retsepti ümber. Uuriti, kuidas inimsuhted ja söök omavahel seotud on ning mis konflikte ja rõõme kulinaaria võib esile kutsuda. Olles ise tantsu kaudu india kultuuriga seotud, tundsin näiteks diwali kirjeldusi lugedes äratundmisrõõmu. Samuti tõid juttude keskmes olevad road vee suhu.

Kohati olid lood ehk isegi liiga lühikesed, kuna tegelastega ei jõudnud ära harjuda ja neid tundma õppida. Seetõttu jäi neist lugejale vaid peamistes konfliktides-intriigides väljendunud pealiskaudne esmamulje. Samuti sarnanesid omavahel mitmete osaliste nimed, mis kohati kattusidki, ning raske oli meenutada, kes mida mis loos tegi.

Lisaks, nagu mainitud, jätsid teoses esinevad mehed mind täiesti külmaks. Nii palju, kui neid lühikeste lugude kaudu tundma sain, tunnetasin nende üleolekut ja laiskust ning kõikehõlmava patriarhaadi võidutsemist. Ka naised käitusid traditsiooniliselt ja koduperenaiselikult, mistõttu ei saanud ma nendega kuigivõrd suhestuda. Ootasin ehk raamatust midagi soojemat ja feminiinsemat, naistesõbralikumat kui see, mis mulle osaks sai.

[Gentiane · Rating 3 out of 5]

L’idee de récits gastronomiques est plutôt intéressante, avec des recettes a la fin de chaque nouvelle, mais la qualité des nouvelles est tres variable, et beaucoup se finissent comme si elles étaient baclees… dommage.

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming collection of short stories and exploring the role of food in the Indian culture in which the stories are set. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a short story collection this much. Each story is followed by one or two recipes for the food mentioned in it.

[Panda Laveur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre qui donne faim ! Mais la gourmandise exotique des nouvelles cache souvent une saveur douce-amère pour les femmes de ce recueil... Une jolie découverte

[Dagautier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recueil de nouvelles qui tournent toutes autour de la relation à la nourriture dans la société indienne.
Agrémenté de recettes.
Bien sympathique à lire même si pas très littéraire comme style.

[mlle-cassis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Des nouvelles et des recettes. Intéressant, appétissant, sans plus.

[Valerio Brugnoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho amato moltissimo il racconto “funghi irresistibili” e “buono da morire”. Proverò qualche ricetta!

[Locturne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un recueil de nouvelles, au ton léger qui raconte les vies de familles indiennes avec souvent au centre des femmes au destin triste et la nourriture qu'elles consomment et préparent.

[Brown Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai envie de cuisiner chaque recette. Je ne savais que c'était un style littéraire, les histoires avec des recettes. Un style que j'aime beaucoup.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro che abbia una verdura nel titolo 🍅

[Elsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tämä vaikutti premissin perusteella aivan uskomattoman kiinnostavalta, mutta tarinoissa jokin jäi etäiseksi. Ehkä intialainen kulttuuri ei ole mulle tarpeeksi tuttu, jotta olisin päässyt novellien ytimeen. Silti tarinat naisista ja ruoasta maittoivat. Reseptit osana novelleja olivat hauska lisä.

[Sandhya · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2009/07/bo...

This wasn't a book very easy to find, what with it threatening to go out of print. But a couple of friends made it possible and man, am I grateful!

It was a very favourable review on one of my favourite book sites, http://www.biblio-india.org/ and my own personal fondness for books that combine fiction with food that made me eager to lay my hands on this. The last book I read with a similar theme (food and women) was The Book Of Rachel by Esther David, which I absolutely loved and savoured. But while in David's book, food is mostly linked to the Jewish ethos and the simplicity of home made cooking, here, in The Anger of Aubergines (very inspired title), food -- while it is inseparably connected with the Indian way of life (ritualistic and otherwise) – takes a life of its own in the passion it evokes in people.

What sex is to man can be food to a woman ( they are certainly interchangeable of course) and beyond the uncontrolable urge she feels towards it from time to time, it is also closely linked to her emotions and her sense of well-being. This is one of the overriding themes in the 12 short stories that Bulbul Sharma so brilliantly pens. At least 8 of these stories are sheer gems.

The stories abound in so many wonderful references to food – and there's a whole array here – and some pages go into details of how they are cooked, so that in no time you'll be salivating even as you read.
The book is an ultimate ode to food – because it sees its role as far more potent than it outwardly signifies. Between stories, it sees food as a source of power and envy, a thing of pride, a binding force, and many such things. The passion for food in women comes out even more strongly since most of the stories are set in a somewhat patriarchal, middle class ethos, where decorum and ritualistic demands need to be honoured.

The first story, Jars of Gold, sees food – in this case, pickles, as so precious that they are protectively guarded in a store room by the family's matriarch, Bauji. To the young protagonist, who has to make do with a very small piece of the pickle during meal times (the bigger portions are reserved for the men), the glistening pickle jars in the store room are a source of constant amazement. “I caught a glimpse of a row of pickle jars glowing tantalizingly in the dim, brown-paper-filtered light. There was mango pickle in jaggery, a large glass jar of sweet and spicy cauliflower and carrot pickle, and next to that sat the pride of Bauji's store room: ten little bottles of red chillies filled with spices.”

Train Fare – while it again reiterates women and their special connection with food – is really a wonder in terms of character sketch. Here, you have a very nervous Mr Sen undertaking a train journey with his mother, wife and daughter to Haridwar. He is stunned to see the passion for food the women have and the contented glow that their face takes on once their tummies are full. Here, food is seen as something wonderfully liberating to a woman, a permissible indulgence that them assert her tastes and choices.

Food is seen as power, a show of wealth and excess in Feasting with A Vengeance, where both the bride and groom's side want to outdo the other in servering their guests. “If one party served rabri loaded with pistachios, the other retaliated with kulfi flavoured saffron.....”
Similarly in Food To Die For, the grandmother takes great pains to cook the perfect and most elaborate meal for the pundit who is invited for her husband's shradh.

...a bit long so the rest can be read at my blog, http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2009/07/bo...

[Mazel]

Qui meurt dîne, La Colère des aubergines, Folie de champignons, Festin pour un homme mort... : quelques titres de ces récits donnent un avant-goût de leur saveur.

Les histoires racontées, pleines d'odeurs de cuisine, puissamment évocatrices des rapports et des conflits entre les membres d'une maisonnée indienne, soulignent bien sûr le rôle déterminant qu'y jouent la nourriture et celles qui la préparent.

Des femmes croquées sur le vif y livrent des instants de bonheur, des secrets de famille, d'amour, d'enfance qui ont parfois la violence du désir ou l'amertume de la jalousie.

Mais les véritables héroïnes sont ces recettes qu'il s'agisse de confectionner un pickle de mangue, un gâteau de carottes ou un curry d'aubergines au yaourt, le lecteur goûtera, du palais et de la langue, l'alchimie des aromates indiens.