Little Culinary Triumphs

by Pascale Pujol, Alison Anderson (Translator)

Set in the storied Parisian quarter of Montmarte, this heartwarming, comic tale is a must for foodies, Francophiles, and lovers of a good story well told.

Made famous by artists, writers, and bon vivants of every ilk, Montmartre has been the stomping ground for bohemian celebrities through the ages and a neighborhood synonymous with transgression and innovation. Today, it is a bustling multiethnic neighborhood where cultures, cuisines, the past and the future of Europe cohabitate and collide. Here in this vibrant community, in Pujol’s charming English-language debut, a cast of endearing characters fall into increasingly comic situations as they seek to follow their often-outrageous dreams.

Sandrine works as a functionary in an employment office, but there is a lot more to her than one might suspect from her job description. With a volcanic personality and an imagination to match it, she is also a world-class cook who is waiting for the right occasion to realize her dream of opening a restaurant of her own.

With a master plan that one could only describe as Machiavellian, Sandrine ropes Antoine, an unemployed professor looking for a fresh start, into her venture. A carousel of extravagant characters follows: the giant Senegalese man, Toussaint N’Diaye; the magical chef, Vairam; the extravagantly flatulent Alsatian, Schmutz and his twelve-year-old daughter Juliette—IQ 172!; the alluring psychologist and Kama Sutra specialist, Annabelle Villemin-Dubreuil.

Plans for the restaurant proceed smoothly until Sandrine discovers a shady newspaper operation next-door that leads her to a sinister magnate manipulating the Parisian news outlets.

Genres: Fiction, France, Food, Novels

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2015

Reviews

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel set in MONTMARTRE



Little Culinary Triumphs is a debut novel by Pascale Pujol – and it is an impressive one. It starts almost as a series of short stories, with diverse characters in different situations. Then, a while into the book, we return to the first story’s characters – and characters from one story start appearing in others, until we get to a place where they all come together and everything makes sense as the conclusion approaches. It is cleverly worked.

We have Sandrine who works as an interviewer in a local government unemployment office – but who harbours a desire to run a restaurant. She is an excellent cook. We have Antoine – one of her clients – a former teacher, who is desperate to stay unemployed, but who she persuades to train as a chef. He is totally into green produce and saving the planet (his commitment is why he has fallen out with former employers). He lives in a hostel for unemployed men, where two of the inhabitants are very good cooks indeed (one specialises in Tamil cuisine, and one in Senegalise cuisine). The hostel is under threat, and about to be sold to a property developer. Then, a separate thread, there is Marcel who runs a magazine company, along with his spendthrift and not overly bright son (and his much brighter ‘child minder’, Luc) – sales are declining, a rival publication has launched successfully, and something needs to be done to save the company. And, yet another thread, there is a not terribly moral estate agent, Samuel, who impacts the lives of several of the characters in the book – and keeps on appearing. It then turns out that Marcel had an affair with Sandrine’s mother-in-law many, many years ago… Marcel is persuaded to to take on Sandrine’s children for work experience, and new ideas for his company start to flow. Two of the ‘short stories’ merge…

All we need now is for everyone to come together to foil the plans of the property developer intent on acquiring the hostel. And they do.

Multi-ethnic Montmartre is a key character in Little Culinary Triumphs. All the action is set in the area… and it comes through loud and clear. It is a part of Paris that never fails to enthral.

Little Culinary Triumphs is a book that brings together many strands of humanity into a definitely heartwarming story. Recommended.

[Denver Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delicious little book is the author's English language debut, translated by Alison Anderson (who also translated The Elegance of the Hedgehog), and readers are instantly transported to the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris. At the center of these interconnected stories is Sandrine, who dreams of having her own restaurant while working for the city unemployment agency. Each chapter is titled with a food - Chicken with Olives, Seafood Platter, Kulfi, etc.. and indeed, readers may find their stomachs growling with envy as the characters eat their way through problems and solutions. Curl up in your favorite chair with a glass of wine and be transported to this lovely world!

Get Little Culinary Triumphs from the Denver Public Library

- Dodie

[Marcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I slogged through this book, skimming only at the very end, but never got into it. Characters were unappealing and uninteresting, and the weaving together of the various plot lines was too thin and simply didn't work.

[Carole Cohen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I just read. I wanted to love the book but found it to be tangled mess of characters I couldn’t put together. I’m a foodie at heart and the title and the location of Paris had me excited. Huge disappointment overall. I don’t recommend this book

[Marie-Hélène · Rating 2 out of 5]

Je ne me suis vraiment pas régalée avec ces petits plats de résistance. Trop d'ingrédients, trop de personnages. La sauce n'a pas pris, je me suis ennuiée. L'histoire est trop foutraque. La recette est à revoir !

[Lianne]

I was attracted to this title because I enjoy European fiction in translation published by Europa editions. The translator of "Little Culinary Triumphs" also produced "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," a title I very much enjoyed several years ago. This novel is penultimately French and features a long shaggy dog plot of multiple colorful characters who, in the tradition of 18th century novels or the French theater, are revealed to be related with surprise fathers, and estranged sons. What's entertaining are the current cultural references to Montmartre, that ever bohemian Parisian quarter. There are shadow businesses, real estate agents on the make, an obsessive compulsive civil servant who wants to own her own organic restaurant, plus a teenage prodigy hacker who is helping her grandmother sell sex toys online. The plot meanders crazily to its denouement while we follow along in a romp through alleys, cafes and charming apartments that need maintenance. Not exactly fine literature but a little escape from our more serious world.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

So, this was not what I thought it would be. lol

With that said, I did find this translation piece funny, poetic and really off the charts. It’s a wild ride to the middle of nowhere and then BAM! Right between the eyes, it all comes together and actually makes sense. The crazy antics of creative characters and their struggles really surprised me.

I was hooked right away and despite a few typos, the pace and plot moved along drawing the reader into the heads of the characters right away and not allowing them to escape until they were ready to sum everything up. Then the reader has several aha moments and the story wraps up perfectly.

This book is one of those hidden gems a reader hopes to find.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book and vacillated between an "OK" or "Liked" rating, I went with liked. In many ways the book seemed more a collection of vignettes than a plotted novel. The relationships of the many characters to the protagonist seemed tenuous; in hind-sight I wish I'd done some sort of diagram as characters were introduced so I could map the various relationships between the characters; I think it would have made the character interaction and the plot more apparent.
Each chapter title has a culinary theme, but in many instances the theme is only minimally related to the content, characters may be eating the chapter food but it doesn't drive the chapter. That said I have to make some biryani and drink more champagne.

[Katia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think, generally, the type of humor in the book is just not exactly mine, as it felt like the author tried very hard for the story to be humorous, but, possibly, it turned out to be less so than intended. On top of that, some of the jokes are on the verge of being inappropriate, as far as I am concerned, and felt more like jibes and derisions, but perhaps I am just too serious. Also, the plot has a lot of characters and it was a bit hard for me to keep track of them.
However, some parts do have that famous stereotypically French attitude to life, light and effortless, which was a good reminder to me that maybe sometimes it is good to be less serious.
It took me a long time to finish it, though.

[Positivitea · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want to read this for the food, I would recommend finding another book.

As someone who loves the culinary world, I was drawn in by the title and synopsis that promised a "heartwarming, comic tale is a must for foodies, Francophiles, and lovers of a good story well told". It fell flat on every account and the food references were so shallow that they might as well not even have been included. This book definitely requires a certain type of humour, one that doesn't sync with me personally, like a strange acquired taste. I found it too vulgar at times and very chaotic, could not get into the story and its characters at all.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume comprises a series of brief visits with a set of characters who could each boast their own novel. Set in Montmartre, it focuses on Sandrine and her effort to open a restaurant. Pujol touches on a variety of current issues (especially for the French). It's funny in spots and perhaps because it's topical for Paris (but not necessarily for the US) went over my head in others. Regardless, it was a good fast read and a nice introduction to a French author. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Amanda Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book from the New Release shelf at the library because I liked the cover and it sounded like something I would enjoy. Alas, I did not. There were too many characters and each character received their own chapter. By the time a new chapter for a character would come up, I completely forgot who that character was. It took me forever to get the half way point of this book and when I did I realized I just didn't care. I had to call it quits on this one.

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

My pleasure in this slight read was spoiled--as always with Europa editions--by distracting typographical errors. There were no less than five halfway through, then I stopped counting. Fun read that makes light of French bureaucracy with a cast of interesting characters.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

So very French , tongue in cheek, bitey dialogue that only the French do well. Story and characters disjointed but it's reads like small chapters to a novel that could be improved with more interwoven structure .

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, well-written, light confection of a book. Reminded me somewhat of Anna Gavalda’s work, also published by Europa. Highly enjoyable and I will be on the lookout for more from Pascale Pujol.

[Lillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars started off well, somewhere near the last third veered off course. Had no clue where it was or where it was going. Ending was fine but that mess in the last bit had me confused. Was it the translation? I don't know.

[Carol Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the tantalizing title and location I was looking forward to this novel. There’s too many characters and storylines take too long to come together, but the last few chapters had some good moments. Because it’s a quick read I gave it a 3 rating.

[Colson Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The names were still in French and I’m bad at remembering characters anyway and the unfamiliar names made it harder.

But it was fun and witty, even if the climax/resolution kinda came out of nowhere.

Goal for 2026 is read more from foreign countries, so starting well!

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful.

[Rhea Abramson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved all the details of Paris but there were too many storylines not adequately tied together.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent, interesting right to the end, a little mysterious, and completely hilarious.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, over-the-top farce. Enjoyable read with quirky characters, but by the end, it got so frenetic that my interest waned. Too many characters and subplots, too much flatulence.

[Ayesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, out-of-this-world characters with more inclusive representation than any other book I have read about Paris, or France generally.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting little book that definitely got better and better.

[Kiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very French.

[Michele Dubois · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’est bizarre! The storyline would be better performed on a stage or on screen.

[Me · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Lee Hagens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun book, translated from French. I enjoyed the culture, food, humor and memories of places I've been in Paris.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Culinary Triumphs is so French-weird that it’s hard to present. And consequently, my opinion about it is not that clear-cut either. But I’m French myself, so that makes sense, right? We have the reputation of never being happy about anything, of always complaining, lol.

VERDICT: French urban comedy, with delicious food, sex, and crazy scenes on very serious topics. As only the French can do in pursuit of justice.

My full review is here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2018/11/29/...

[Charles-Antoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rocambolesque et bien écrit. Une foule de personnage dont les destins se rencontrent à la fin dans une apothéose quasi burlesque. On en redemande déjà tout en imaginant très bien le film que l'on pourrait tirer de ce sympathique roman.