Simple Recipes

by Madeleine Thien

Winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and the City of Vancouver Book Award, and a Regional Finalist for the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book

Longing, familiarity, and hope suffuse these stories as they mine the charged territory of relationships – subtly weaving in conflicts between generations and cultures. Madeleine Thien’s characters in some way want to make amends, to understand the events that have shaped their lives. A young woman searches back in time for the pivotal moment when her family lost faith in itself. Two sisters keep a vigil outside their former house, hoping their long-absent mother will appear one last time. A wife helps her husband grieve for the woman he has loved since childhood. A daughter remembers the simple ritual she once shared with her father and the moment when her unconditional love for him was called into question. Compassionate and revealing, delicate and wise, these stories chart the uneven progress of love and lay bare the heartbreaking truths at the core of our closest bonds.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Canada, Literary Fiction, Read For School, Contemporary, School

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2001

About the author

Madeleine Thien was born in Vancouver. She is the author of the story collection Simple Recipes (2001), and three novels, Certainty (2006); Dogs at the Perimeter (2011), shortlisted for Berlin’s International Literature Prize and winner of the Frankfurt Book Fair’s 2015 Liberaturpreis; and Do Not Say We Have Nothing (2016), about musicians studying Western classical music at the Shanghai Conservatory in the 1960s, and about the legacy of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations. Her books and stories are published in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, and have been translated into 25 languages.

Do Not Say We Have Nothing won the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize, the 2016 Governor-General’s Literary Award for Fiction, and an Edward Stanford Prize; and was shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The Folio Prize 2017. The novel was named a New York Times Critics’ Top Book of 2016 and longlisted for a Carnegie Medal.

Reviews

[Grazia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dolenti. Le relazioni umane, complesse e faticose.
Le relazioni famigliari non fanno eccezione, anzi.

Sorprendenti per efficacia e misura, ho trovato questi racconti davvero belli.

[Come Musica · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Una casa è un’idea semplice. Chi l’ha costruita muore, ma lei rimane. E sempre ogni infanzia è importante, come menta che cresce nascosta, sempre ogni traduzione è esigente, e priva di melodia naturale. Forse il mondo è vecchio, ma era vecchio anche allora, senza fine né principio».

Roo Borson, Latte

Sette racconti che ruotano attorno a questa presunta idea semplice, che poi tanto semplice non è.
Dal ricordo del padre legato alla preparazione del riso, nel primo racconto, alla difficoltà di andare avanti, perché i ricordi bloccano, nell’ultimo racconto.

“Will mi mise una mano sulla coscia come se in quel modo potesse trattenermi. Continuò a correre, lungo una strada a tornanti che dominava la scogliera. Era il tipo che ti ama malgrado tutte le tue debolezze. Ma io non riuscivo ad andare avanti. Quell’immagine di mio padre mi accompagnava sempre, la sua unica valigia, la sua figura solitaria che attraversava l’oceano in cerca di ricordi. Un viaggio a ritroso per ridisegnare il futuro.

«E qual è la cosa migliore? Non sai neanche quello. Non ti sei neanche presa la briga di pensare a quale potrebbe essere». Scosse la testa, irritato. «Mi manda in bestia, quanto poco sei disposta a rischiare per me e per te stessa.»”

Non c’è niente di semplice nelle relazioni famigliari. Sette scene di vita quotidiana che offrono tanti spunti di riflessione.

[Ian M. Pyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by Ms. Thien and decided to read this to get a feel for her writing before reading the multi-award winning "Do Not Say We Have Nothing".

Like most short story books, there are ones I liked and those I didn't. I enjoyed the writing style, story-lines, characters and their respective feelings, thoughts and how they saw and felt with the situations they were placed in.

Simple Recipes, Map of the City and House were ones I really liked.

Recommended for those who would like to read a (now) relatively new Canadian writer and wants to learn more about another Asian culture and how they adapt to Canada.

[Nikki Reads A Lot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think by starting with Do Not Say We Have Nothing I have spoiled myself. I think Thien's characters are too complex for short stories... I have a hard time appreciating these stories individually, despite feeling the overarching themes of family, trauma, grief and regret quite poignantly.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of short stories will find nothing but delight in this book. This woman is an incredible writer and this book itself was one of her first. So visual, so connected with feelings, so in tune with empathy, these stories deal with family and are simple, unique, and moving.

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devastating!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ricette semplici ****
Quattro giorni dall’Oregon ****
Alchimia ****
Messaggio *****
La casa *****
Treno proiettile ****
La mappa della città ***

Ho voluto scomporre il giudizio perché ritengo che nelle raccolte sia spesso utile giudicare ogni singolo racconto; in questo caso però questo procedimento si è rivelato particolarmente accessorio, in quanto la Thien possiede uno stile decisamente coerente e uniforme, tale da far sì che il livello si mantenga piacevolmente costante, dando grande compattezza all'insieme.
Questo è dovuto anche ad un'uniformità di temi trattati, che si ripropongono sottotraccia in tutti i racconti: la famiglia come un ideale eternamente rimpianto, in quanto dapprima dato per scontato nella sua banale compiutezza e riscoperto quando ormai si è sbriciolato tra le mani; una famiglia composta da madri infrante e padri cromosomicamente incapaci di tenere assieme i pezzi e bambini invecchiati precocemente sotto a pesi più grandi di loro.
E questa dissoluzione della famiglia è sempre trasfigurata nella difficile, quando non impossibile, elaborazione di una scomparsa (che non sempre coincide con un lutto) di uno dei suoi membri.
Il tutto trattato con grande partecipazione emotiva da parte dell’autrice, che attinge al proprio vissuto di canadese con genitori sino-malesi trapiantati e mai del tutto attecchiti.

[Gabrielle]

sentimental and complex, all the stories center around a sort of coming-of-age where the narrators are default spectators as children, but grow into their own realizations and emotions about life. madeleine thien's writing is gorgeous and emotionally intense, but in the subtle kind of way that presents itself as longing and regret. she weaves through the layers of humanity and emotions quite well and i'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

[Dimitris Karagkounis · Rating 5 out of 5]

as always, madeleine thien has left me speechless before her ability to capture and depict emotions and moments i had until now thought impossible to describe. her grip on the inner workings of people and relationships (especially familial) is enviable, and the flow of her prose carries you along from the very first sentence of every story.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein Vater kocht für seine Familie. Er wäscht den Reis, sammelt ein paar kleine Körner heraus, füllt den Reis in einen Topf und bedeckt ihn mit Wasser. Das Wasser muss bis zum ersten Knöchel seines auf den Reis gesetzten Zeigefingers reichen, damit der Reis genau dann gar sein wird wenn das Wasser verdunstet ist. Die Erzählerin der Geschichte hat diese täglichen Handgriffe als Kind immer wieder beobachtet. Sie selbst wird diese Hingabe an eine einfache Tätigkeit nicht lernen, wie sie auch die Muttersprache der Eltern nicht lernen wird, die als Flüchtlinge aus Malaysia nach Kanada gekommen sind. Die Routinetätigkeit scheint nicht wichtig genug, um sie zu erlernen, vielleicht isst man in Kanada auch keinen losen Reis. Über den beschriebenen Vater und seine Familie würde ich am liebsten hunderte von Seiten lesen. Hätte ich nicht Madeleine Thiens Romane schon gekannt, hätte sie mich mit dieser Beschreibung sofort am Haken gehabt.

Thiens Figuren sind Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene, deren Eltern als Immigranten aus Asien in einem neuen Land nie vollständig heimisch werden. Ihre Heimatlosigkeit kommt als Entfremdung und Hilflosigkeit gegenüber den Kindern zum Ausdruck. In einer Geschichte schwebt die Angst vor Gewalt und Missbrauch drohend über einer Freundschaft zwischen Jugendlichen. Ein Mädchen leidet unter der langen Abwesenheit des Vaters, der monatelang in fernen Wäldern als Holzfäller arbeitet. Sie und ihre Schwester hoffen, dass alles besser sein wird, wenn sie selbst älter sind, und erkennen, dass der Vater dieses Leben auf sich nimmt, um auch ihren Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen.

Durchgehendes Thema der Erzählungen sind Erwartungen von Einwanderern an ihre Kinder, endlich die Träume ihrer Eltern nach einem besseren Leben zu erfüllen und die Einsamkeit dieser Kinder. All das ist fein beobachtet und atmosphärisch dicht niedergeschrieben.

[Rachyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories came at a good time for me. It's filled with families, and more importantly, filled with the failed expectations of families. The stories are often people who are fighting with disappointment. For one reason or another life didn't turn out how they had imagined it. To me that was what really hit home, they way you can be so upset when things don't work out in that idyllic way you imagine they should.
The writing, I thought, was great and it was filled with candid moments of life. I loved especially how you are presented with multiple generations of perspectives: from the young, innocent eyes of children to the weary eyes of the elderly. It's really a wonderful connection and I love the way the stories fit together carrying between them, along with theme a multitude of motifs that fit into each story in a different way.

[Rena Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Madeleine for a manuscript review and had already started reading this book. She's currently Writer in Residence at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. When I told her I was working on a series of short stories, she said she was still quite proud of this first book - her only book of short stories to date. It's a wonderful read and I understood her critique of my work much more after reading hers. She has such a depth of expression for the the complexity of human relationships and adds such a fine lilt of poetry to her prose. Incredibly impressive writing for someone so young at the time. I look forward to reading her latest novel and following her career far into the future.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this, all of her descriptions and prose create these images of places and people I've feel I've met before. Something about thiens writing fills me with this hope for the future and peace with the past.

[wutheringhheights_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tutti i racconti vertono sull’argomento rapporti tra genitori e figli, famiglie che si sfaldano, si lasciano e raramente si ritrovano. Vengono esposte le debolezze presenti nelle famiglie che possono essere più o meno problematiche. In alcuni dei racconti i figli subiscono violenze gravi, in altri si lasciano trasportare dall’età adulta e si distaccano dai genitori. Il punto di vista è sempre quello dei figli, giovani innocenti che subiscono: a volte violenze notturne, a volte improvvisi abbandoni o l’indifferenza.
Riconosco il valore della scrittura, ma i racconti non mi hanno colpito più di tanto. Ho sempre provato la sensazione che il racconto avesse bisogno di maggiore spazio, per dare il meglio, invece di essere ridotto a poche pagine. Credo che l’autrice sia più brava a scrivere romanzi.

[Lalettricesovrana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non stiamo parlando di un ricettario di cucina, bensì di un' unica ricetta che racchiude tutti i racconti presenti in questo breve libro.
Amore, sofferenza, solitudine, felicità, tristezza...sono tutti gli ingredienti di quest' unica ricetta che serve a tutti noi: come imparare a vivere.
Assolutamente consigliato.

[HaileyG · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that gives readers some insight on culture and what it means to grow towards and away from it as an individual grows older.

With dynamic characters and relationships, this story gives a glimpse into certain aspects of many lives, that many gloss over if they’ve never experienced themselves before.

[Kaitlynn Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like Thien's Do Not Say We Have Nothing , these stories are ones you'll have to read over and over before you can fully understand them, and if you found Thien's novels to be too hard to follow, I would highly suggest giving these short stories a chance.

[Kar Wai Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best short story collections I've read!

[Alice Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collection of short stories exploring families, especially on the relationships betweent children and parents. My favourite was "A Map of This City."

[lxngy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my introduction to madeleine thien, & definitely won’t be my last. each story is beautifully crafted, filled with melancholic love & loss.

i first saw this novel being read on a plane & was instantly intrigued. weeks later, i rediscovered it in a bar’s library — how kismet✨

[Leonardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I first came across the eponymous story for my English 12 class. Years, later, I read it at the perfect moment of my life.

[Alopexin · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a burst of sudden insights the blurb named exactly the theme of this short stories collection: family betrayal. I like how they flow. Maybe the author's melancholic style suits short stories more than novels.

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent stories. 😊

[Arlidgeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotionally challenging read as Thein strips ways all pretence of the layers we insulate our inner thoughts and fears, and lays bare the raw emotion of living with all its joy and hurt and messiness. One of my favourite lines was,”He was the kind of person who would love me despite my failings.”

[Krysten]

I should have known by the Alice Munro blurb that this book would be too boring for me. sorry.

[mokshali · Rating 4 out of 5]

shit hit harder than the dad in the titular tale

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. Really anything that is set in Canada gives me that warm nostalgic feeling; and this collection was no exception. The stories are set in beautiful British Columbia, and traverse through lives loved and lost, relationships broken and reconciled. Immersive, poetic, and earth shattering in the quietest way; this collection reminiscent of Alice Munro's writings will stay with you long after you're read the last page.

[Ania Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dimenticate i libri di cucina e la semplicità richiamata dal titolo perché sono tutto fuorché semplici le ricette di Madeleine Thien. Padri, madri, figli, mogli, mariti, amanti, al centro di tutto sempre la famiglia, disfunzionale, alla deriva, senza più speranze. Rapporti spezzati, disgregati che, a volte, trovano un punto comune da cui ripartire.
Cito dall’aletta: “rammarico che si mescola a dolore, ricordi incuneati nel cuore, impossibili da lavare via, e la vita con i suoi minuscoli dettagli, quelli sfocati e quelli nitidi, che Madeleine Thien sa restituire con precisione chirurgica e commovente.”
Sette racconti narrati con uno stile chiaro, pulito e delicato che accarezza il cuore, nonostante il dolore. L’ultimo, La mappa della città, è un gioiello che emana pura emozione.

[Matthew White Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this collection of short stories. The opening story and the titular story “Simple Recipes” is about a girl who begins to see the dimensions of what was once an uncomplicated, unconditional love between her and her father. Seeing this relationship breakdown was painful and I felt genuinely affected by this and each story in the collection.
My only complaint is that the main characters, the speakers, seemed to be observers more often than active participants. However, the perspectives of these characters are never dull so reading their observations was a delight.
The final story and the longest of the collection, “A Map of the City” is structurally complicated in the way it jumps timelines but I never felt lost while reading it. Thien is able to control her prose with precision and clarity while also making room for exercising experimentation.
This collection was fascinating to read. It was nice to see the early genius of Thien that would develop further into her Giller Prize winning novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing. I’m excited to read more of Thien and if you’re looking for a good place to start with this author, Simple Recipes is it.

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounded up from 4.5

The blurb hints at it but these stories are about complicated feelings around family. They are not easy reads though many of them seem to start that way, slowly reeling you in until you’re aware of the tense or awkward or downright abusive undercurrents guiding each character.

Many of these stories focus on father figures and their relationships with their children. Some of my favourite stories were “Simple Recipes”, a story of a father who teaches his daughter how to prepare rice but has a fraught relationship with his son; “House”, where the children await the return of their long-missing mother; and “A Map of the City” about a father who brings his daughter to his furniture store each day and longs for his home country.

There are so many Vancouver touches in the stories, mentions of city landmarks or street names that were a lovely little touch to pick up on as a reader in the same city. As with most short story collections I read, I would love to go through this one again to find even more to enjoy in each story.