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7 rue de Grenelle #1
Estasi culinarie
Nel signorile palazzo di rue de Grenelle, monsieur Arthens, il più grande critico gastronomico del mondo, il genio della degustazione, è in punto di morte. Il despota cinico e tremendamente egocentrico che dall'alto del suo potere smisurato decide le sorti degli chef più prestigiosi, nelle ultime ore di vita cerca affannosamente di recuperare un sapore primordiale e sublime, un sapore provato e che ora gli sfugge, il Sapore per eccellenza, quello che vorrebbe assaggiare di nuovo prima del trapasso. Ha così inizio un viaggio gustoso e ironico che ripercorre la carriera di Arthens dall'infanzia ai fasti della maturità, attraverso la celebrazione di piatti poveri e prelibatezze haute cuisine. A fare da contrappunto alla voce dell'arrogante critico c'è la nutrita galleria delle sue vittime (i familiari, l'amante, l'allievo, il gatto e anche la portinaia Renée...), ciascuna delle quali prende la parola per esprimere il suo punto di vista su un uomo che, tra grandezze pubbliche e miserie private, sembra ispirare solo sentimenti estremi, dall'ammirazione incondizionata al terrore, dall'amore cieco all'odio feroce.
145 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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7148 people want to read
About the author
Muriel Barbery
25 books2,698 followersMuriel Barbery is a French novelist and professor of philosophy. Barbery entered the École Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud in 1990 and obtained her agrégation in philosophy in 1993. She then taught philosophy at the Université de Bourgogne, in a lycée, and at the Saint-Lô IUFM.
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La timide et très discrète Muriel Barbery ne s’imaginait sans doute pas faire l’objet de l’engouement qu’elle suscite aujourd’hui, bien malgré elle.
Ce succès, elle le connaît grâce à ses deux livres : Une Gourmandise et surtout L'élégance du hérisson.
Née au Maroc, à Casablanca en 1969, Muriel Barbery regagne la France, le Calvados plus précisément, pour se consacrer à ses études. Elle s’inscrit à l’Ecole Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud et y fait des études en philosophie. Elle obtient alors un DEA, qui lui permet de devenir professeur.
Habitant les environs de Bayeux, toujours en Basse Normandie, elle enseigne d’abord dans un lycée, à Saint-Lô.
Muriel Barbery plonge dans bon nombre d’ouvrages, mais confie volontiers que, plus que tous les autres, Guerre et Paix du romancier russe Léon Tolstoï , la fascine encore aujourd’hui.
Sa manière d’écrire insolite, et qu’elle qualifie elle-même de désordonnée, ne lui fait pas penser qu’elle se lancerait un jour dans la fabuleuse aventure qu'est la sienne.
Pourtant, en 2000, Stéphane, son époux qui a été pour beaucoup dans sa réussite, l’encourage à écrire et à publier son premier roman, qu’elle intitule Une Gourmandise (éditions Gallimard). Le succès est énorme, et la surprend elle-même. Traduit en 12 langues et vendu à 200 000 exemplaires, ce livre raconte l’histoire du plus grand des critiques gastronomiques, qui, ayant appris qu’il vivait ses derniers jours, part à la recherche d’une saveur bien particulière mais insaisissable qui le replonge dans son enfance.
Mais c’est en 2006 que Muriel Barbery vit ses plus grands moments de gloire. En effet, c’est l’année où Gallimard publie L'élégance du Hérisson, qui la propulse littéralement parmi les meilleurs auteurs populaires. Elle se retrouve notamment classée dans les 10 romanciers les plus vendus en 2007. L’Élégance du Hérisson relate la vie de trois personnages. Renée, une concierge d’immeuble, avec tous les attributs que l’on prête habituellement aux concierges, qui est secrètement passionnée de philosophie. Paloma est une adolescente bourgeoise. Et le troisième est un riche amateur d’art japonais. Cette satire sociale sera vendue à plus d’un million d’exemplaires.
Suite à la parution de ce roman, Muriel Barbery reçoit deux belles distinctions : le Prix des Librairies et le Prix des Bibliothèques pour tous. Elle est aussi couronnée du Prix Georges Brassens et du Prix Rotary International.
Ce succès commercial lui permet de réaliser son rêve et d’assouvir sa passion pour le Japon, puisqu’elle décide de mettre sa vie de professeur de philosophie entre parenthèses pour s’installer à Kyoto pendant quelques temps.
http://www.elle.fr/Personnalites/Muri...
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La timide et très discrète Muriel Barbery ne s’imaginait sans doute pas faire l’objet de l’engouement qu’elle suscite aujourd’hui, bien malgré elle.
Ce succès, elle le connaît grâce à ses deux livres : Une Gourmandise et surtout L'élégance du hérisson.
Née au Maroc, à Casablanca en 1969, Muriel Barbery regagne la France, le Calvados plus précisément, pour se consacrer à ses études. Elle s’inscrit à l’Ecole Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud et y fait des études en philosophie. Elle obtient alors un DEA, qui lui permet de devenir professeur.
Habitant les environs de Bayeux, toujours en Basse Normandie, elle enseigne d’abord dans un lycée, à Saint-Lô.
Muriel Barbery plonge dans bon nombre d’ouvrages, mais confie volontiers que, plus que tous les autres, Guerre et Paix du romancier russe Léon Tolstoï , la fascine encore aujourd’hui.
Sa manière d’écrire insolite, et qu’elle qualifie elle-même de désordonnée, ne lui fait pas penser qu’elle se lancerait un jour dans la fabuleuse aventure qu'est la sienne.
Pourtant, en 2000, Stéphane, son époux qui a été pour beaucoup dans sa réussite, l’encourage à écrire et à publier son premier roman, qu’elle intitule Une Gourmandise (éditions Gallimard). Le succès est énorme, et la surprend elle-même. Traduit en 12 langues et vendu à 200 000 exemplaires, ce livre raconte l’histoire du plus grand des critiques gastronomiques, qui, ayant appris qu’il vivait ses derniers jours, part à la recherche d’une saveur bien particulière mais insaisissable qui le replonge dans son enfance.
Mais c’est en 2006 que Muriel Barbery vit ses plus grands moments de gloire. En effet, c’est l’année où Gallimard publie L'élégance du Hérisson, qui la propulse littéralement parmi les meilleurs auteurs populaires. Elle se retrouve notamment classée dans les 10 romanciers les plus vendus en 2007. L’Élégance du Hérisson relate la vie de trois personnages. Renée, une concierge d’immeuble, avec tous les attributs que l’on prête habituellement aux concierges, qui est secrètement passionnée de philosophie. Paloma est une adolescente bourgeoise. Et le troisième est un riche amateur d’art japonais. Cette satire sociale sera vendue à plus d’un million d’exemplaires.
Suite à la parution de ce roman, Muriel Barbery reçoit deux belles distinctions : le Prix des Librairies et le Prix des Bibliothèques pour tous. Elle est aussi couronnée du Prix Georges Brassens et du Prix Rotary International.
Ce succès commercial lui permet de réaliser son rêve et d’assouvir sa passion pour le Japon, puisqu’elle décide de mettre sa vie de professeur de philosophie entre parenthèses pour s’installer à Kyoto pendant quelques temps.
http://www.elle.fr/Personnalites/Muri...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,422 reviews
October 29, 2010
I loved Elegance of the Hedgehog, primarily because Barbery created two characters who, although deeply flawed and often annoying, were so obviously vulnerable and sad that one (I) couldn't help but feel deeply for them. That story unfolded as carefully and precisely as an origami swan, revealing deeper nuance of character with each alternating chapter, bringing two very isolated and lonely characters together (through plot, character and symbolically). It also took broad and very funny swipes at the bourgeois conventions of the society in which they lived; offered a tantalizing and shocking revelation about one of the main characters in the penultimate chapter which cemented our compassion for her, and matched that with a very clever stylistic twist involving POV that let us know that Barbery was in complete control of her story all the way along.
For everything that Hedgehog did right, this one does wrong. An unpleasant (and worse, uninteresting) main character who never becomes sympathetic; a central quest that is absolutely nonsensical and insignificant; secondary characters (too many; a new one in every alternating chapter) who neither reveal much about themselves, nor about M. Athens; no redeeming social satire whatsoever; and a formulaic style within each of M. Athens' chapters that becomes mind-numbingly repetitive as the bloody thing piles on chapter after chapter with no point or purpose.
Bleh. If I hadn't been led to believe (by Hedgehog) that Barbery had the capacity to pull a braised rabbit from her stewpot at the last minute, I would have tossed it at the wall after the requisite 50 pages. As it was, I consumed a bunch of empty and over-sauced calories and am now seeking more robust and satisfying fare elsewhere.
For everything that Hedgehog did right, this one does wrong. An unpleasant (and worse, uninteresting) main character who never becomes sympathetic; a central quest that is absolutely nonsensical and insignificant; secondary characters (too many; a new one in every alternating chapter) who neither reveal much about themselves, nor about M. Athens; no redeeming social satire whatsoever; and a formulaic style within each of M. Athens' chapters that becomes mind-numbingly repetitive as the bloody thing piles on chapter after chapter with no point or purpose.
Bleh. If I hadn't been led to believe (by Hedgehog) that Barbery had the capacity to pull a braised rabbit from her stewpot at the last minute, I would have tossed it at the wall after the requisite 50 pages. As it was, I consumed a bunch of empty and over-sauced calories and am now seeking more robust and satisfying fare elsewhere.
February 16, 2010
I know this is my pre-teen, Nancy-Drew-loving self that is saying this, but I will say it anyway: I hope Muriel Barbery writes a book about EVERY SINGLE PERSON at 17 Rue de Grenelle. I loved _The Elegance of the Hedgehog_, and was enchanted to find this new novel by Barbery. This one which concerns Pierre Arthens, who makes one supremely unpleasant visit to the heroine of _Hedgehog_ before dying and leaving his flat vacant. Let me say upfront: He is unpleasant in this one too. But this time we spend a few days in his mind and memory, and it is distressing, but fascinating too.
Pierre is a food critic - THE premier food critic of France - and his memories and longings are couched in the same lush, sensuous prose that he has used to describe food in his long career. But as the novel proceeds, the reader comes to see that Pierre's undoubted verbal skills have been used not to reveal the truth, but to hide it; his words create exquisite cages that confine, conceal, and perhaps ultimately smother the simple truth at the core.
Hm, pretty fancy words I'm using there. I don't want to be nasty Pierre Arthens, so I will just say: I liked this idea. And I liked the way Barbery never had to state it, because her characters acted it out for her. Skillful. I like that. And the marvelous descriptions of foods both complex and simple were quite mouthwatering.
Pierre is a food critic - THE premier food critic of France - and his memories and longings are couched in the same lush, sensuous prose that he has used to describe food in his long career. But as the novel proceeds, the reader comes to see that Pierre's undoubted verbal skills have been used not to reveal the truth, but to hide it; his words create exquisite cages that confine, conceal, and perhaps ultimately smother the simple truth at the core.
Hm, pretty fancy words I'm using there. I don't want to be nasty Pierre Arthens, so I will just say: I liked this idea. And I liked the way Barbery never had to state it, because her characters acted it out for her. Skillful. I like that. And the marvelous descriptions of foods both complex and simple were quite mouthwatering.
September 22, 2013
Where I got the book: from The Book Depository.
After my tear-soaked, ecstatic reaction to The Elegance of the Hedgehog , I was eager to read Une Gourmandise (I had it in its original French) or Gourmet Rhapsody if you're reading the translation. It's Barbery's first novel (Elegance is the second and last to date, the first to be published) and deals with the same apartment building in Paris. This time it's about the penthouse tenant, the food critic Pierre Arthens, who is dying and searching through his memories for an elusive taste he feels compelled to recall before he dies.
As Arthens shuffles through a number of memorable occasions in which food has played an important part, he reveals the essence of himself; his appreciation of the simplicity and honesty of authentic meals and authentic lives, but also his cruelty toward his wife and children who fail to understand who he really is. Without ever having it explicitly laid out, you get the impression that he hates his own success for pulling him ever farther away from what he sees as his real self, and hates the Parisian trappings of success; hence he has nothing but coldness and contempt for those around him, who are all given their own voices as they wait--some eagerly--for him to die.
As others have pointed out, the great artist who's a failure as a human being is nothing new. But Barbery's language is luminous, and if this book doesn't have nearly as much punch and pathos as Elegance, it also doesn't have nearly as much of the philosophizing that some readers find hard to stomach (pun intended). I'd give it a 3.5 for being a short, elegant read.
After my tear-soaked, ecstatic reaction to The Elegance of the Hedgehog , I was eager to read Une Gourmandise (I had it in its original French) or Gourmet Rhapsody if you're reading the translation. It's Barbery's first novel (Elegance is the second and last to date, the first to be published) and deals with the same apartment building in Paris. This time it's about the penthouse tenant, the food critic Pierre Arthens, who is dying and searching through his memories for an elusive taste he feels compelled to recall before he dies.
As Arthens shuffles through a number of memorable occasions in which food has played an important part, he reveals the essence of himself; his appreciation of the simplicity and honesty of authentic meals and authentic lives, but also his cruelty toward his wife and children who fail to understand who he really is. Without ever having it explicitly laid out, you get the impression that he hates his own success for pulling him ever farther away from what he sees as his real self, and hates the Parisian trappings of success; hence he has nothing but coldness and contempt for those around him, who are all given their own voices as they wait--some eagerly--for him to die.
As others have pointed out, the great artist who's a failure as a human being is nothing new. But Barbery's language is luminous, and if this book doesn't have nearly as much punch and pathos as Elegance, it also doesn't have nearly as much of the philosophizing that some readers find hard to stomach (pun intended). I'd give it a 3.5 for being a short, elegant read.
February 2, 2018
I read this with excitement, (okay, listened on audio....) because Elegance of The Hedgehog was a book that I loved on so many levels. I was nervous as this book gets a wide range of mixed reviews, and some of them are pretty harsh.
Right off the bat I was intrigued by the lyrical nature of this book. It is descriptive, poetic, sensual and erotic but it is all about food. Note the following....
"No one was the least bit hungry anymore, but that is precisely what is so good about the moment devoted to pastries: they can only be appreciated to the full extent of their subtlety when they are not eaten assuage our hunger, when the orgy of their sugary sweetness is not destined to fill some primary need but to coat our palate with all the benevolence of the world."
See what I mean? It's poetry. It's as if Shakespeare had the desire to fill a book with odes to food. On his death bed, a well known French food critic lies reflecting on the many tastes of his life. He is at a loss for one last thing he feels he simply must taste before he dies, and he knows he has only hours left to find this needed food.
Then, the perspective shifts from all sorts of things and people around him. The cat, the statue, the cook, the wife, a lover, a nephew..... oddly we hear these characters give all sorts of monologues (and this would be brilliant on stage with the series of characters expressively reading their lines) that sometimes with regret reminisce on their life with this harsh critic, and the places where their lives, their feelings, and food intersect.
Unfortunately, there is not much of a story here. I really enjoyed the audio version because all the characters had different narrators, making their words literally come to life, and made this very entertaining for me. That being said, had I been reading my paper copy (I do have one) I would of highlighted it to death- there are just so many places where the words dazzled me or left me laughing with their surprise and humor. If you tire of descriptive phrases and really crave a well driven plot you will not enjoy this book.
However, if you want to read something quite different than you have read, if you sometimes see yourself as a foodie of sorts, and if you love to see the work of a truly creative wordsmith this little novel packs a punch. It is one I will read again, now that I fully understand the premise I want to go back and absorb the language. I found myself yearning for a little more emotional flow and resolution- and that is the only reason this sits at 4 stars. Writing like this does not come around often, and to give it average rating would absolutely cause me pain. Be warned.... I definitely made more than one or two impromptu stops for my favorite cookie, brownie or sandwich while listening to this in the car. And I praised the heavens for my taste buds with every bite.
Right off the bat I was intrigued by the lyrical nature of this book. It is descriptive, poetic, sensual and erotic but it is all about food. Note the following....
"No one was the least bit hungry anymore, but that is precisely what is so good about the moment devoted to pastries: they can only be appreciated to the full extent of their subtlety when they are not eaten assuage our hunger, when the orgy of their sugary sweetness is not destined to fill some primary need but to coat our palate with all the benevolence of the world."
See what I mean? It's poetry. It's as if Shakespeare had the desire to fill a book with odes to food. On his death bed, a well known French food critic lies reflecting on the many tastes of his life. He is at a loss for one last thing he feels he simply must taste before he dies, and he knows he has only hours left to find this needed food.
Then, the perspective shifts from all sorts of things and people around him. The cat, the statue, the cook, the wife, a lover, a nephew..... oddly we hear these characters give all sorts of monologues (and this would be brilliant on stage with the series of characters expressively reading their lines) that sometimes with regret reminisce on their life with this harsh critic, and the places where their lives, their feelings, and food intersect.
Unfortunately, there is not much of a story here. I really enjoyed the audio version because all the characters had different narrators, making their words literally come to life, and made this very entertaining for me. That being said, had I been reading my paper copy (I do have one) I would of highlighted it to death- there are just so many places where the words dazzled me or left me laughing with their surprise and humor. If you tire of descriptive phrases and really crave a well driven plot you will not enjoy this book.
However, if you want to read something quite different than you have read, if you sometimes see yourself as a foodie of sorts, and if you love to see the work of a truly creative wordsmith this little novel packs a punch. It is one I will read again, now that I fully understand the premise I want to go back and absorb the language. I found myself yearning for a little more emotional flow and resolution- and that is the only reason this sits at 4 stars. Writing like this does not come around often, and to give it average rating would absolutely cause me pain. Be warned.... I definitely made more than one or two impromptu stops for my favorite cookie, brownie or sandwich while listening to this in the car. And I praised the heavens for my taste buds with every bite.
Read
June 4, 2015After the joy, wonder and affirmation of life that I found in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Gourmet Rhapsody was a disappointment. There is no plot here, no real story, just a collection of rhapsodic culinary memories by a food critic who lay dying in the his Parisian apartment building. There is also commentary by his family, neighbors and Rick, the cat. Pierre Arthens, this critic of enormous appetite and reputation, is feared and loathed by most (except Rick); he is a cold and distant father, a cheating husband, and a scornful son. It's not apparent that he has any friends nor merits any.
Any joy he derives from life is centered around food. In his final days, he relives the most rapturous moments of his eating history: the sensual pleasure of eating a just-picked-from-the-vine tomato from his aunt's garden, the melt-in-the-mouth divinity of fresh brioche, the toe-tingling joy of ice cream, the singular wonder of fresh oysters. Arthens is searching for that one flavor that rises above all in his experience- the last thing he wants to eat before he dies.
These food memories alone might be enough to sustain me, as Barbery's descriptions are seductive and sensual, but still the book was empty of any real satisfaction. Her prose is stuffy and overworked, the antithesis of the beauty of the simple but sublime foods she describes.
Any joy he derives from life is centered around food. In his final days, he relives the most rapturous moments of his eating history: the sensual pleasure of eating a just-picked-from-the-vine tomato from his aunt's garden, the melt-in-the-mouth divinity of fresh brioche, the toe-tingling joy of ice cream, the singular wonder of fresh oysters. Arthens is searching for that one flavor that rises above all in his experience- the last thing he wants to eat before he dies.
These food memories alone might be enough to sustain me, as Barbery's descriptions are seductive and sensual, but still the book was empty of any real satisfaction. Her prose is stuffy and overworked, the antithesis of the beauty of the simple but sublime foods she describes.
November 17, 2017
Pierre Arthens, France’s most formidable food critic, is on his deathbed reliving his most memorable meals and searching for one flavor to experience again before he dies. He’s proud of his accomplishments – “I have covered the entire range of culinary art, for I am an encyclopedic esthete who is always one dish ahead of the game” – and expresses no remorse for his affairs and his coldness as a father. This takes place in the same apartment building as The Elegance of the Hedgehog and is in short first-person chapters narrated by various figures from Arthens’ life. His wife, his children and his doctor are expected, but we also hear from the building’s concierge, a homeless man he passed every day for ten years, and even a sculpture in his study. I liked Arthens’ grandiose style and the descriptions of over-the-top meals but, unlike the somewhat similar
The Debt to Pleasure
by John Lanchester, this doesn’t have much of a payoff.
A favorite passage:
A favorite passage:
“After decades of grub, deluges of wine and alcohol of every sort, after a life spent in butter, cream, sauce, and oil in constant, knowingly orchestrated and meticulously cajoled excess, my trustiest right-hand men, Sir Liver and his associate Stomach, are doing marvelously well and it is my heart that is giving out.”
April 10, 2017
Încă de când eram mică mi-a plăcut să citesc despre mâncare. În casa mătuşii unde îmi petreceam, an de an, vacanţa de vară nu existau cărţi pentru copii, dar exista o carte de bucate de-a Sandei Marin. Am petrecut deci multe seri citind reţetă după reţetă şi imaginându-mi, din ingrediente şi mod de preparare, gustul final. Nu vă mai spun cât salivam :).
Apoi am descoperit cărţile lui Vlad Muşatescu, în care simpaticul lui detectiv Conan Doi, pe lângă rezolvarea cazurilor, se preocupa intens cu gătitul şi cu mâncatul. Din nou, reţete savuroase, imaginaţia culinară la cote maxime, apă în gură etc.
Cu aşa trecut, e clar că mi-a plăcut cartea lui Muriel Barbery. Cum să nu-mi placă o carte (nu-i pot spune roman, pentru că nu are structura specifică) împănată cu mâncăruri şi băuturi fine, toate garnisite cu senzaţii orale dintre cele mai complexe şi copleşitoare? Subiectul (sau pretextul) poate părea banal: în ultimele sale ore de viaţă, "cel mai mare critic gastronomic din lume" îşi scormoneşte amintirile în căutarea gustului perfect. Interesantă e, mai degrabă, maniera de realizare a portretului lui Pierre Arthens. Autoarea s-a folosit de personajele din jurul eroului ca de nişte oglinzi care au reflectat, fiecare, altă faţetă: maestru venerat, soţ absent, tată despotic, prieten valoros, amant pasional, stăpân respectuos... Până la urmă, om.
Îi mulţumesc traducătorului pentru notele de subsol care m-au învăţat multe despre mâncărurile şi băuturile franţuzeşti. Şi îi mulţumesc autoarei pentru că mi-a adus aminte un adevăr ignorat: gustul nu e important în sine, ci numai asociat cu momentul şi/sau compania în care e experimentat.
Vă invit, aşadar, să savuraţi această carte şi să o lăsaţi să vă încânte şi – de ce nu? – să vă surprindă. Poftă bună :)
Apoi am descoperit cărţile lui Vlad Muşatescu, în care simpaticul lui detectiv Conan Doi, pe lângă rezolvarea cazurilor, se preocupa intens cu gătitul şi cu mâncatul. Din nou, reţete savuroase, imaginaţia culinară la cote maxime, apă în gură etc.
Cu aşa trecut, e clar că mi-a plăcut cartea lui Muriel Barbery. Cum să nu-mi placă o carte (nu-i pot spune roman, pentru că nu are structura specifică) împănată cu mâncăruri şi băuturi fine, toate garnisite cu senzaţii orale dintre cele mai complexe şi copleşitoare? Subiectul (sau pretextul) poate părea banal: în ultimele sale ore de viaţă, "cel mai mare critic gastronomic din lume" îşi scormoneşte amintirile în căutarea gustului perfect. Interesantă e, mai degrabă, maniera de realizare a portretului lui Pierre Arthens. Autoarea s-a folosit de personajele din jurul eroului ca de nişte oglinzi care au reflectat, fiecare, altă faţetă: maestru venerat, soţ absent, tată despotic, prieten valoros, amant pasional, stăpân respectuos... Până la urmă, om.
Îi mulţumesc traducătorului pentru notele de subsol care m-au învăţat multe despre mâncărurile şi băuturile franţuzeşti. Şi îi mulţumesc autoarei pentru că mi-a adus aminte un adevăr ignorat: gustul nu e important în sine, ci numai asociat cu momentul şi/sau compania în care e experimentat.
Vă invit, aşadar, să savuraţi această carte şi să o lăsaţi să vă încânte şi – de ce nu? – să vă surprindă. Poftă bună :)
January 13, 2018
Este libro de nombre tan sonoro es un derroche de sabores y experiencias culinarias a través de las palabras que posiblemente sería disfrutado en su totalidad por alguien que ame y disfrute la cocina o que tenga otro tipo de gustos literarios.
No fue para mi una lectura cien por ciento satisfactoria porque no logré sentirme motivada por la historia, sin embargo gocé con algunos fragmentos porque creo que está muy bien escrito y combina humor, sátira y la realidad de la vida de una manera amena y digerible a través de las voces de muchos personajes, incluido un gato.
Es la historia de un reconocido crítico de cocina riguroso, inflexible, tajante, temido y frío hasta con sus propios hijos, que en su última agonía solo busca en su memoria el gusto de un bocado que para él resulta ser “el sabor de la felicidad” y que no logra distinguir entre tantos aromas y sabores conocidos a través de su vida.
Me encantó el final por dos cosas: la primera…es uno de los finales más cómicos que he encontrado en un libro, la segunda porque finalmente Monsieur Arthens tan odioso, distinguido y burgués encuentra el objeto de su anhelo en algo sencillo y posiblemente vulgar para un paladar tan exquisito…lo que para mi es una evidencia más de las ironías de la vida.
Como siempre les digo, no se dejen llevar por la opinión de otros para decidir leer o no un libro, es mejor conocer las historias para decidir si son de nuestro agrado o no.
No fue para mi una lectura cien por ciento satisfactoria porque no logré sentirme motivada por la historia, sin embargo gocé con algunos fragmentos porque creo que está muy bien escrito y combina humor, sátira y la realidad de la vida de una manera amena y digerible a través de las voces de muchos personajes, incluido un gato.
Es la historia de un reconocido crítico de cocina riguroso, inflexible, tajante, temido y frío hasta con sus propios hijos, que en su última agonía solo busca en su memoria el gusto de un bocado que para él resulta ser “el sabor de la felicidad” y que no logra distinguir entre tantos aromas y sabores conocidos a través de su vida.
Me encantó el final por dos cosas: la primera…es uno de los finales más cómicos que he encontrado en un libro, la segunda porque finalmente Monsieur Arthens tan odioso, distinguido y burgués encuentra el objeto de su anhelo en algo sencillo y posiblemente vulgar para un paladar tan exquisito…lo que para mi es una evidencia más de las ironías de la vida.
Como siempre les digo, no se dejen llevar por la opinión de otros para decidir leer o no un libro, es mejor conocer las historias para decidir si son de nuestro agrado o no.
February 26, 2010
"How ironic! After decades of grub, deluges of wine and alcohol of every sort, after a life spent in butter, cream, rich sauces, and oil in constant, knowingly orchestrated and meticulously cajoled excess, my trustiest right-hand men, Sir Liver and his associate Stomach, are doing marvelously well and it is my heart that is giving out. I am dying of cardiac insufficiency. What a bitter pill to swallow."
As soon as I read those words (which can be found on page two), I was hooked. Barbery, you lady trickster. Rich descriptions of food ranging from the most scrumptious entree to the simplest pleasure (after all, what does make bread so damn good?!).
All food-related talk aside, the story is pretty good. Renown food critic -- and really nasty prick Pierre Arthens is dying, and it is up to those closest to him to explain to us who he was outside of the world of destroying restauranteurs. (Hint: his family hated him.)
I wrote a great recommendation, didn't I? Trust me, the book is better than this review.
As soon as I read those words (which can be found on page two), I was hooked. Barbery, you lady trickster. Rich descriptions of food ranging from the most scrumptious entree to the simplest pleasure (after all, what does make bread so damn good?!).
All food-related talk aside, the story is pretty good. Renown food critic -- and really nasty prick Pierre Arthens is dying, and it is up to those closest to him to explain to us who he was outside of the world of destroying restauranteurs. (Hint: his family hated him.)
I wrote a great recommendation, didn't I? Trust me, the book is better than this review.
February 26, 2010
Food has become a very controversial subject, many arguing that education levels, income, and race unfairly dictate the availability of fresh foods and vegetables in low-income American neighborhoods. Though Muriel Barbery (The Elegance of the Hedgehog) does not focus specifically on these issues in her recent novel Gourmet Rhapsody, the division between the working class and the wealthy as it pertains to food and quality of life is often glaringly apparent in the story.
The premise of the novel is simple: The world’s greatest fictional food critic, Pierre Arthens, is dying and wants one last bite, but what that bite is, he does not know. Barbery uses beautiful, sumptuous language to describe the critic’s most fond food memories as he attempts to pinpoint a single flavor that constitutes “the first and ultimate truth” of his life.
Gourmet Rhapsody mostly takes place in Arthens’ bed, where he’s been confined since receiving word that he is dying. Every other chapter is narrated by the food critic and focuses on a specific food from his past such as tomatoes, mayonnaise, and bread. Be warned: Arthens is not a likable character; he is self-important, condescending, and rude. Think Vogue/New York Times food writer Jeffrey Steingarten, but with more clout, French flair, and venom. Arthens is a man who repeatedly cheats on his wife, drives countless chef’s aspirations to hell with glee, and who refers to his children as “monstrous excrescences.”
Thankfully, the chapters of Barbery’s book that aren’t focused on Arthens' quest for the mystery flavor are narrated by others who have known the critic in some capacity. Here the concierge, who has spent his life dutifully tending to Arthens' children and guests and catering to his every whim gets to weigh in, as does the housekeeper who’s looked over the critic’s home for the past thirty years. It is with these characters that the class divisions are perfectly illustrated; they are simple, hard-working people who don’t understand their boss’ cruelty or his quest for one more bite, despite a life filled with the best food imaginable. To them, it seems a hell of a lot like gluttony and in many ways, it is.
We also hear from Arthens' family members, such as his daughter Laura, who has grown cold and hateful of the father who's been more concerned with stuffing his face and chasing after women than with being a loving parental figure. We also hear from his wife, who is aware of his indiscretions but who’s stayed by his side for whatever reasons women in similar situations do. She is pained and frantic, desperate to keep her husband alive and eager to help him find that last, elusive taste.
It would be incredibly easy to hate Arthens, but what saves him from being completely unlikeable is his overwhelming love and passion for food. I have to believe that a man who can describe a rustic meal as “two thin slices of raw, smoked ham, silky and supple along languid folds, some salted butter, and a hunk of bread” has to have some redeeming qualities.
In the end, Arthens does get his last bite and it’s quite unexpected, though fitting. At one time or another, all of us come to long for the simple things of our youth, things we thought we’d forgotten until one day we get a whiff of them or a glance at them while walking down the street. This unique form of human longing and emotion is what ties us together, despite wealth, class, or race, and Barbery does a beautiful job of making this apparent through the use of food, all the way down to the last page.
Review by Tina Vasquez
The premise of the novel is simple: The world’s greatest fictional food critic, Pierre Arthens, is dying and wants one last bite, but what that bite is, he does not know. Barbery uses beautiful, sumptuous language to describe the critic’s most fond food memories as he attempts to pinpoint a single flavor that constitutes “the first and ultimate truth” of his life.
Gourmet Rhapsody mostly takes place in Arthens’ bed, where he’s been confined since receiving word that he is dying. Every other chapter is narrated by the food critic and focuses on a specific food from his past such as tomatoes, mayonnaise, and bread. Be warned: Arthens is not a likable character; he is self-important, condescending, and rude. Think Vogue/New York Times food writer Jeffrey Steingarten, but with more clout, French flair, and venom. Arthens is a man who repeatedly cheats on his wife, drives countless chef’s aspirations to hell with glee, and who refers to his children as “monstrous excrescences.”
Thankfully, the chapters of Barbery’s book that aren’t focused on Arthens' quest for the mystery flavor are narrated by others who have known the critic in some capacity. Here the concierge, who has spent his life dutifully tending to Arthens' children and guests and catering to his every whim gets to weigh in, as does the housekeeper who’s looked over the critic’s home for the past thirty years. It is with these characters that the class divisions are perfectly illustrated; they are simple, hard-working people who don’t understand their boss’ cruelty or his quest for one more bite, despite a life filled with the best food imaginable. To them, it seems a hell of a lot like gluttony and in many ways, it is.
We also hear from Arthens' family members, such as his daughter Laura, who has grown cold and hateful of the father who's been more concerned with stuffing his face and chasing after women than with being a loving parental figure. We also hear from his wife, who is aware of his indiscretions but who’s stayed by his side for whatever reasons women in similar situations do. She is pained and frantic, desperate to keep her husband alive and eager to help him find that last, elusive taste.
It would be incredibly easy to hate Arthens, but what saves him from being completely unlikeable is his overwhelming love and passion for food. I have to believe that a man who can describe a rustic meal as “two thin slices of raw, smoked ham, silky and supple along languid folds, some salted butter, and a hunk of bread” has to have some redeeming qualities.
In the end, Arthens does get his last bite and it’s quite unexpected, though fitting. At one time or another, all of us come to long for the simple things of our youth, things we thought we’d forgotten until one day we get a whiff of them or a glance at them while walking down the street. This unique form of human longing and emotion is what ties us together, despite wealth, class, or race, and Barbery does a beautiful job of making this apparent through the use of food, all the way down to the last page.
Review by Tina Vasquez
Read
February 23, 2016Keşke bu kitabı da Işık Ergüden çevirseymiş. Çevirmen cümlelerin içinde kaybolmuş sanki. Okunmuyor. Yoruyor.
Fransızca biliyorsanız ya da Fransızca cümle yapılarına aşinaysanız sorunun nereden kaynaklandığını çok net bir biçimde görebilirsiniz. Sözcükler Türkçe ama cümleler Fransızca gibi. İlk fırsatta orijinalini edinip tekrar okuyacağım, puanlamayı da o zamana bırakıyorum.
Fransızca biliyorsanız ya da Fransızca cümle yapılarına aşinaysanız sorunun nereden kaynaklandığını çok net bir biçimde görebilirsiniz. Sözcükler Türkçe ama cümleler Fransızca gibi. İlk fırsatta orijinalini edinip tekrar okuyacağım, puanlamayı da o zamana bırakıyorum.
September 22, 2016
Having read The Elegance of the Hedgehog I was interested to read this parallel story of a gourmet food critic who lived in the same apartment as Renee. This story describes the final hours of the critics life as he tries to recall a forgotten taste. I didn't enjoy this and became bored with the descriptions of food.
November 19, 2017
Romanul scriitoarei franceze Muriel Barbery '' O delicatesă'' a apărut la editura Nemira în anul 2015 în colecția Babel. Traducerea îi aparține lui Adrian Pătrușcă.
Muriel Barbery s-a născut la Casablanca în Maroc la 28 mai 1969. ''O delicatesă'' ( Une gourmandise) este primul său roman apărut în anul 2000 la editura Gallimard. Cartea s-a bucurat de mult succes și a fost tradusă în 12 limbi. Până la publicarea acestui prim roman de succes Muriel Barbery a lucrat ca profesoară. Al doilea roman al scriitoarei franceze este '' Eleganța ariciului '' publicat în anul 2006. Și acesta a fost un deosebit succes, romanul fiind și ecranizat. Scriitoarea are două lucruri pe care le admiră total: romanul '' Război și pace'' al scriitorului rus Lev Tolstoi și de aceea are mereu un exemplar la ea din care citește și Japonia pe care o admiră atât de mult încât trăiește la Kyoto.
Romanul '' O delicatesă'' oferă în pagini puține o lectură densă și foarte atractivă. Pe strada Grenelle din Paris, în dormitorul său dintr-un apartament luxos, criticul gastronomic '' cel mai mare din lume'' după cum îi plăcea să se considere și după cum îl numea presa, al cărui nume era cunoscut de la Paris la Rio, de la Moscova la Brazaville, de la Saigon la Melbourne, trage să moară.Știe că va muri, că orele îi sunt numărate și că nu mai are nici o scăpare. Are doar 68 de ani dar doctorul și prietenul său Chabrot l-a anunțat fără ezitare că mai are de trăit doar 48 de ore. Inima lui este gata să se oprească din cauza unei insuficiențe cardiace. Dar nu moartea iminentă este cea care îl frământă în aceste ultime ore de viață ci amintirea unui gust, o savoare care îl obsedează și despre care nu-și poate aduce aminte ce anume i-a provocat-o.'' Știu că este un deliciu din copilăria sau adolescența, un preparat original și minunat, dinainte de apariția oricărei vocații critice, dinainte de orice dorință sau pretenție de a vorbi despre plăcerea mea de a mânca.'' p.8 Căutând cu înfrigurare și teamă că nu va găsi în termenul limită de 48 de ore ceea ce căuta, celebrul gastronom deapănă amintirile a nenumăratelor preparate savuroase pe care le-a mâncat în copilărie, adolescență și maturitate. Și astfel îl face pe cititor tot mai curios să-l cunoască, să-i cunoască familia, părinții, bunicii, soția, copiii și mai ales relațiile lui cu toți aceștia. Nu voi dezvălui ce anume produs îi lăsase amintirea de neuitat a gustului său special pentru că răspunsul este însuși sensul cărții. Dar sigur pot preciza că ceea ce i-a lipsit toată viața celebrului critic culinar, a fost tocmai inima care acum îl lăsa. I-a lipsit capacitatea de a iubi pe altcineva în afară de sine însuși. Cartea este împărțită pe capitole scurte în care se prezintă amintirea unei persoane și a felurilor de mâncare pe care le prepara. Un loc special îl ocupă la capitolul 2 Renee portăreasa care este un fel de ușă deschisă spre următorul său roman '' Eleganța ariciului'' ceea ce mie personal mi s-a părut extraordinar, ca un joc între scriitor și cititor.
Muriel Barbery s-a născut la Casablanca în Maroc la 28 mai 1969. ''O delicatesă'' ( Une gourmandise) este primul său roman apărut în anul 2000 la editura Gallimard. Cartea s-a bucurat de mult succes și a fost tradusă în 12 limbi. Până la publicarea acestui prim roman de succes Muriel Barbery a lucrat ca profesoară. Al doilea roman al scriitoarei franceze este '' Eleganța ariciului '' publicat în anul 2006. Și acesta a fost un deosebit succes, romanul fiind și ecranizat. Scriitoarea are două lucruri pe care le admiră total: romanul '' Război și pace'' al scriitorului rus Lev Tolstoi și de aceea are mereu un exemplar la ea din care citește și Japonia pe care o admiră atât de mult încât trăiește la Kyoto.
Romanul '' O delicatesă'' oferă în pagini puține o lectură densă și foarte atractivă. Pe strada Grenelle din Paris, în dormitorul său dintr-un apartament luxos, criticul gastronomic '' cel mai mare din lume'' după cum îi plăcea să se considere și după cum îl numea presa, al cărui nume era cunoscut de la Paris la Rio, de la Moscova la Brazaville, de la Saigon la Melbourne, trage să moară.Știe că va muri, că orele îi sunt numărate și că nu mai are nici o scăpare. Are doar 68 de ani dar doctorul și prietenul său Chabrot l-a anunțat fără ezitare că mai are de trăit doar 48 de ore. Inima lui este gata să se oprească din cauza unei insuficiențe cardiace. Dar nu moartea iminentă este cea care îl frământă în aceste ultime ore de viață ci amintirea unui gust, o savoare care îl obsedează și despre care nu-și poate aduce aminte ce anume i-a provocat-o.'' Știu că este un deliciu din copilăria sau adolescența, un preparat original și minunat, dinainte de apariția oricărei vocații critice, dinainte de orice dorință sau pretenție de a vorbi despre plăcerea mea de a mânca.'' p.8 Căutând cu înfrigurare și teamă că nu va găsi în termenul limită de 48 de ore ceea ce căuta, celebrul gastronom deapănă amintirile a nenumăratelor preparate savuroase pe care le-a mâncat în copilărie, adolescență și maturitate. Și astfel îl face pe cititor tot mai curios să-l cunoască, să-i cunoască familia, părinții, bunicii, soția, copiii și mai ales relațiile lui cu toți aceștia. Nu voi dezvălui ce anume produs îi lăsase amintirea de neuitat a gustului său special pentru că răspunsul este însuși sensul cărții. Dar sigur pot preciza că ceea ce i-a lipsit toată viața celebrului critic culinar, a fost tocmai inima care acum îl lăsa. I-a lipsit capacitatea de a iubi pe altcineva în afară de sine însuși. Cartea este împărțită pe capitole scurte în care se prezintă amintirea unei persoane și a felurilor de mâncare pe care le prepara. Un loc special îl ocupă la capitolul 2 Renee portăreasa care este un fel de ușă deschisă spre următorul său roman '' Eleganța ariciului'' ceea ce mie personal mi s-a părut extraordinar, ca un joc între scriitor și cititor.
December 13, 2020
I initially wrote 3.5, not worth rounding up, but the more I reflect on it and talk about the book with others, the more I think it's a 2.5, rounded up to 3.
I loved the structure of the novel, alternating chapters between the perspective of a dying man and those who were in his circle. I loved the premise - the man has spent his life as a food critic and is trying to recapture the experience of one particular flavor before he dies, but he is not sure which flavor that is, so he must go on a journey through his food memories in search of that elusive bite of perfection. As someone who lives with two amateur chefs whose family movie night preferences stretch from Ratatouille to Babette's Feast, who have watched every episode of every Anthony Bourdain show, Food Truck Nation, The Chef Show, and other culinarily-inspired shows, this book should have been absolutely perfect for me.
And yet, it wasn't. The protagonist was simply too arrogant, the food a too sublime. There was nothing redeemable about him, nothing less than perfect about the food, and so the novel failed to touch the human. When the chapters that come closest to making you relate to the protagonist are narrated by an inanimate object and a cat, that might be a sign that you haven't quite captured the people.
I loved the structure of the novel, alternating chapters between the perspective of a dying man and those who were in his circle. I loved the premise - the man has spent his life as a food critic and is trying to recapture the experience of one particular flavor before he dies, but he is not sure which flavor that is, so he must go on a journey through his food memories in search of that elusive bite of perfection. As someone who lives with two amateur chefs whose family movie night preferences stretch from Ratatouille to Babette's Feast, who have watched every episode of every Anthony Bourdain show, Food Truck Nation, The Chef Show, and other culinarily-inspired shows, this book should have been absolutely perfect for me.
And yet, it wasn't. The protagonist was simply too arrogant, the food a too sublime. There was nothing redeemable about him, nothing less than perfect about the food, and so the novel failed to touch the human. When the chapters that come closest to making you relate to the protagonist are narrated by an inanimate object and a cat, that might be a sign that you haven't quite captured the people.
November 30, 2018
Zavrsile smo nas dve.
Kao i Otmenost jeza, prazno, pretenciozno, akademski snobizam. ' Poslastica' se cak ni ne trudi.
Jedno veliko nista umotano u kaligrafski isaran ukrasni papir.
Ako Vam se citaju stilske vezbe, uzmite radije Rejmona Kenoa. Covek je makar duhovit.
Kao i Otmenost jeza, prazno, pretenciozno, akademski snobizam. ' Poslastica' se cak ni ne trudi.
Jedno veliko nista umotano u kaligrafski isaran ukrasni papir.
Ako Vam se citaju stilske vezbe, uzmite radije Rejmona Kenoa. Covek je makar duhovit.
January 8, 2024
Let me start by saying Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery stayed on my shelves for many years, I think around 5.
This year I'm moving and I want to focus more on the books I own already.
Unfortunately, this was not it.
Even if it's a short one (140 pages) and has short chapters as well, it's not worth the time.
This year I want to dnf books more often when they really drag and are hard to read (for me).
I'll get back to you with a proper review (sorry, I know I'm really behind with book reviews).
DNFed at page 56/140.
This year I'm moving and I want to focus more on the books I own already.
Unfortunately, this was not it.
Even if it's a short one (140 pages) and has short chapters as well, it's not worth the time.
This year I want to dnf books more often when they really drag and are hard to read (for me).
I'll get back to you with a proper review (sorry, I know I'm really behind with book reviews).
DNFed at page 56/140.
October 10, 2015
Gourmet Rhapsody is a series of vignettes centering around revered, revolutionary food critic Pierre Arthens, on his deathbed, searching his memory for a singular, life-defining flavor. Alternating with Arthens' memories are the musings of a host of other entities, including family, friends (as much as he can be said to have any), his pet cat, and even a sculpture sitting in his apartment, on their relationship with this incredibly polarizing man. The critic is in turns crucified and admired, an external tidal wave of opinions that crash futilely against the unyielding face of his own ego. He recognizes he is loathed as readily as he is aware of his own brilliance; he simply does not care. He himself scorns most people, viewing them as things to be either collected (his wife, whom he loves as one of "the beautiful objects in [his] life") or ignored (his children, whom he had no desire for and views as disappointments). If ever a man were an island unto himself, that man would be Pierre Arthens, and he is the most arrogant, unlikable fellow you could ever hope to avoid meeting.
The language itself is a delight to read. Each narrator carries a distinct voice and tone, despite some having less than a page to air their grievances. The memories narrated by Arthens combine the weight of his arrogance with the sparkling passion he feels toward food and his craft. Meanwhile, Jean, his son, is filled with vitriolic resentment and desperation. Marquet, his favorite chef and one of his lovers, offers indifference tinged with wistfulness, while the beggar Gegene balances coarse colloquialism with begrudging respect. However, the imbalance of power between Arthens and his critics avoids the dramatic friction consumers of narrative are familiar with. There is no tug-of-war between two forces; rather, Gourmet Rhapsody places those forces, the internal and the external, side by side without judgment or response, treating the reader to both Arthens' rich internal world and the external responses he elicits.
Ultimately, Gourmet Rhapsody is a combination of literary food porn and a discussion on the purpose of life. While it's easy to fall in love with the language, however, the characters, even Arthens, lack the emotional depth that really made The Elegance of the Hedgehog special, at least for me.
Full review: http://wp.me/p4cWoC-7s
The language itself is a delight to read. Each narrator carries a distinct voice and tone, despite some having less than a page to air their grievances. The memories narrated by Arthens combine the weight of his arrogance with the sparkling passion he feels toward food and his craft. Meanwhile, Jean, his son, is filled with vitriolic resentment and desperation. Marquet, his favorite chef and one of his lovers, offers indifference tinged with wistfulness, while the beggar Gegene balances coarse colloquialism with begrudging respect. However, the imbalance of power between Arthens and his critics avoids the dramatic friction consumers of narrative are familiar with. There is no tug-of-war between two forces; rather, Gourmet Rhapsody places those forces, the internal and the external, side by side without judgment or response, treating the reader to both Arthens' rich internal world and the external responses he elicits.
Ultimately, Gourmet Rhapsody is a combination of literary food porn and a discussion on the purpose of life. While it's easy to fall in love with the language, however, the characters, even Arthens, lack the emotional depth that really made The Elegance of the Hedgehog special, at least for me.
Full review: http://wp.me/p4cWoC-7s
January 19, 2018
Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a tough act to follow, but I think she almost manages to do just that with this one. Terrifically reminiscent of the other book, the story takes place in the same building, and there is a fleeting glimpse of Renee the reticent concierge who was the protagonist of The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
Monsieur Arthens, a much-feared and revered food critic in equal measure, lays dying in his posh Paris apartment. Pierre Arthens has good reason for his repugnant reputation. He has behaved mostly appallingly with world’s most esteemed chefs, passing judgments, comments, and criticisms on the fruit of their labour. Condemning many to a life of ignominy with his words, he destroys (and sometimes creates) lifelong reputations in minutes. But as he lies on his deathbed, during these final hours, his mind seeks desperately for that elusive, sublime flavour, that he once experienced and never forgot. It is not his family, his lovers, or his possessions he looks to. The man who seemingly has it all, doesn't. And this becomes his final pursuit.
That's the story. Pithy. But this is no ordinary book. None of Barbery's books are. The writing is extraordinary. It's tight yet, generous in its descriptive power. It is erudite, yet convivial. It is a gossamer-light, endearing story that evokes empathy and compassion - but sharp as a tack and brusque when it no longer feels the need to explain itself to you further.
Here is a book so evocative, you can almost taste its flamboyance, its piquant sensuality, its succulence. Barbery is a seasoned gastronome of the literary arts and her story is not so much written as it is told. Because even as you read, you have the distinct feeling you are listening to someone. The accurate rendering of the tale is no mean feat for a translator, and in this case, you do not miss a beat. It is rare to read works that do not feel like translations; you do not have the sense that this is a story once removed. Such is the deftness and sheer skill at work - seamless.
I read in a review of the book, "Here, as in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery’s story celebrates life’s simple pleasures and sublime moments while condemning the arrogance and vulgarity of power."
You are richer for having read Muriel Barbery. Let's just leave it at that.
Monsieur Arthens, a much-feared and revered food critic in equal measure, lays dying in his posh Paris apartment. Pierre Arthens has good reason for his repugnant reputation. He has behaved mostly appallingly with world’s most esteemed chefs, passing judgments, comments, and criticisms on the fruit of their labour. Condemning many to a life of ignominy with his words, he destroys (and sometimes creates) lifelong reputations in minutes. But as he lies on his deathbed, during these final hours, his mind seeks desperately for that elusive, sublime flavour, that he once experienced and never forgot. It is not his family, his lovers, or his possessions he looks to. The man who seemingly has it all, doesn't. And this becomes his final pursuit.
That's the story. Pithy. But this is no ordinary book. None of Barbery's books are. The writing is extraordinary. It's tight yet, generous in its descriptive power. It is erudite, yet convivial. It is a gossamer-light, endearing story that evokes empathy and compassion - but sharp as a tack and brusque when it no longer feels the need to explain itself to you further.
Here is a book so evocative, you can almost taste its flamboyance, its piquant sensuality, its succulence. Barbery is a seasoned gastronome of the literary arts and her story is not so much written as it is told. Because even as you read, you have the distinct feeling you are listening to someone. The accurate rendering of the tale is no mean feat for a translator, and in this case, you do not miss a beat. It is rare to read works that do not feel like translations; you do not have the sense that this is a story once removed. Such is the deftness and sheer skill at work - seamless.
I read in a review of the book, "Here, as in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery’s story celebrates life’s simple pleasures and sublime moments while condemning the arrogance and vulgarity of power."
You are richer for having read Muriel Barbery. Let's just leave it at that.
May 30, 2022
A very predictable plot is redeemed by very good writing.
August 16, 2013
Do you know how hard it is to write an engaging book of a life, based on taste? Yet, Muriel Barbery does it extremely well in this short, tasty morsel of a book.
This one expands on the life of the despicable food critic Monsieur Arthens who makes a brief but interesting entrance and exit in The Elegance of the Hedgehog. In this book, it is Arthens last 48 hours on Earth and through his voice and the voices of his family, friends, coworkers, and pets the reader gets his whole life described in various ways from various perspectives; as he searches for one last taste before he passes. However, the parts I liked the most are the glorious descriptions of all kinds of food that have impacted the life of Arthens.
My most favorite one was about the tomato, where on page 63 it is written The raw tomato, devoured in the garden when freshly picked, is a horn of abundance of simple sensations, a radiating rush in one's mouth that brings with it every pleasure. The resistance of the skin - slightly taut, just enough; the luscious yield of the tissues, their seed-filled liqueur oozing to the corners of one's lips, and that one wipes away without any fear of staining one's fingers; this plump little globe unleashing a flood of nature inside us: a tomato, an adventure
This book certainly spoke to my inner foodie, made me think of my own gastronomic attachments, and got me thinking how would I describe my own life through taste? I'm going to have to try and write it.
This one expands on the life of the despicable food critic Monsieur Arthens who makes a brief but interesting entrance and exit in The Elegance of the Hedgehog. In this book, it is Arthens last 48 hours on Earth and through his voice and the voices of his family, friends, coworkers, and pets the reader gets his whole life described in various ways from various perspectives; as he searches for one last taste before he passes. However, the parts I liked the most are the glorious descriptions of all kinds of food that have impacted the life of Arthens.
My most favorite one was about the tomato, where on page 63 it is written The raw tomato, devoured in the garden when freshly picked, is a horn of abundance of simple sensations, a radiating rush in one's mouth that brings with it every pleasure. The resistance of the skin - slightly taut, just enough; the luscious yield of the tissues, their seed-filled liqueur oozing to the corners of one's lips, and that one wipes away without any fear of staining one's fingers; this plump little globe unleashing a flood of nature inside us: a tomato, an adventure
This book certainly spoke to my inner foodie, made me think of my own gastronomic attachments, and got me thinking how would I describe my own life through taste? I'm going to have to try and write it.
May 4, 2018
Pametno i vešto pisana, filozofska sa merom, urečeničena s pažnjom, komponovana kao jelovnik od muzike, ali naposletku na jeziku ostavlja jedno mnjah stilske vežbe.
August 21, 2020
ناامید کننده بود. قابل مقایسه با ظرافت جوجه تیغی نبود. نه داستان جذاب بود نه تلاش نویسنده برای توصیف و رنگ و لعاب دادن و داستان پردازی در باب طعم غذاها.
January 8, 2022
Just an amazing start to the year. God I love great food writing! Loved the format, loved the exploration of different formative gastronomical moments - it made me want to think of my own.
November 17, 2019
This short novel is a little gem, perfect in its cut, its inner glow, its tints that change depending on the light and the way you look at it.
It is totally brilliant in the set up: a genial restaurant critic lying on his deathbed, ruminating on the various culinary delights he has experienced in his life, and in doing so we discover how he thinks and feels, memories that are dear to him, and how he grew up. Then in subsequent chapters, we get to see him from the point of view of his wife, his lover, his children, the concierge in the building, even his cat. There is ambivilence here: love mixed with regret, bitterness, fear, and oh, so much truth. And yet it is all so sweet. Bittersweet.
What truly makes this little gem particularly special is the the language. Although it was originally written in French, and although I normally insist on reading in the original language, I can hardly imagine that the French version is better than this English translation. Every sentence is an explosion of colorful, hilarious and almost outrageously finely-depicted sensations. For ex. "Thus I set upon the orange sorbert, tasted it as a man in the know, certain of what I was about to discover but attentive all the same to what were ever-changing sensations. And then something stopped me. I had tasted the other iced waters with the peace of mind of one who knows his stuff. But this sorbet, this orange one, was a cut above all the others, with its extravagant texture, its excessive aquaeousneess, as if someone had just filled a little bowl with a bit of water and a squeezed orange which had then been placed in the freezer for the regulation amount of time, producing these fragrant icy chunks, lumpy just as any impure liquid one tries to freeze can be, and which reminds us strongly of the taste of crumbly crushed snow we ate as chiden, with our hands, on days when the sky was a deep cold and we were playing outdoors."
This isn' t a book for everyone. Certainly if you do not appreciate the finer aspects of food, or if you have never swooned while eating a tomato plucked directly off the vine in a little garden on a warm summer day, this book may not be for you. But I adored it and will read it again, and Barberry's other books as well.
It is totally brilliant in the set up: a genial restaurant critic lying on his deathbed, ruminating on the various culinary delights he has experienced in his life, and in doing so we discover how he thinks and feels, memories that are dear to him, and how he grew up. Then in subsequent chapters, we get to see him from the point of view of his wife, his lover, his children, the concierge in the building, even his cat. There is ambivilence here: love mixed with regret, bitterness, fear, and oh, so much truth. And yet it is all so sweet. Bittersweet.
What truly makes this little gem particularly special is the the language. Although it was originally written in French, and although I normally insist on reading in the original language, I can hardly imagine that the French version is better than this English translation. Every sentence is an explosion of colorful, hilarious and almost outrageously finely-depicted sensations. For ex. "Thus I set upon the orange sorbert, tasted it as a man in the know, certain of what I was about to discover but attentive all the same to what were ever-changing sensations. And then something stopped me. I had tasted the other iced waters with the peace of mind of one who knows his stuff. But this sorbet, this orange one, was a cut above all the others, with its extravagant texture, its excessive aquaeousneess, as if someone had just filled a little bowl with a bit of water and a squeezed orange which had then been placed in the freezer for the regulation amount of time, producing these fragrant icy chunks, lumpy just as any impure liquid one tries to freeze can be, and which reminds us strongly of the taste of crumbly crushed snow we ate as chiden, with our hands, on days when the sky was a deep cold and we were playing outdoors."
This isn' t a book for everyone. Certainly if you do not appreciate the finer aspects of food, or if you have never swooned while eating a tomato plucked directly off the vine in a little garden on a warm summer day, this book may not be for you. But I adored it and will read it again, and Barberry's other books as well.
April 9, 2024
Gastronomija + Citizen Kane + prelepi opisi.
Mesje Artens je proslavljeni kritičar hrane. Na samrti je i u poslednjim momentima svog uzbudljivog života pokušava da se seti... Ne osobe, ne događaja, već jednog jedinog - ukusa.
Dok leži u krevetu i priseća se najukusnije hrane, njegova poglavlja su isprekidana poglavljima drugih osoba. Počevši od njegove uže i dalje porodice, pa sve do poznanika, poslovnih saradnika, pa čak i beskućnika ispred njegove zgrade, svi ovi ljudi imaju nešto da kažu o Artensu.
Ovo nije roman radnje, već roman sećanja. Iako nisam veliki ljubitelj tako statičnih romana, ovo mi se dopalo jer je o jednoj od mojih velikih pasija, hrani. Mjuriel je vešta s rečima, ali je na momente čak i meni njen kulinarski rečnik bio previše. Rečenice lepo teku i vrlo su poetične, ali i gusto zbijene i na momente imate utisak da čitate prave memoare jednog kritičara.
Ako bih nešto ozbiljnije zamerila ovoj priči, to je što mi se nisu dopala poglavlja iz ugla drugih likova. Bilo ih je previše i nisu puno toga doprineli. Svi su uglavnom mrzeli Artensa, tako da mi ni svrha toga nije bila baš najjasnija. Da li je to trebalo da nam pokaže da je on bio čovek od krvi i mesa? Da nije svetac? To je bilo vrlo jasno i iz njegove perspektive, i stvarno me nije interesovalo šta je imala da kaže o njemu čuvarkuća i žena s kojom je proveo dve lude nedelje. Jedino simpatično poglavlje mi je bilo iz ugla njegovog mačka Rika (nazvanom po Riku iz Kazablanke).
A dramatičan kraj kada Artens shvati da je ukus koji ga proganja zapravo nešto iz supermarketa... Priceless.
Mesje Artens je proslavljeni kritičar hrane. Na samrti je i u poslednjim momentima svog uzbudljivog života pokušava da se seti... Ne osobe, ne događaja, već jednog jedinog - ukusa.
Dok leži u krevetu i priseća se najukusnije hrane, njegova poglavlja su isprekidana poglavljima drugih osoba. Počevši od njegove uže i dalje porodice, pa sve do poznanika, poslovnih saradnika, pa čak i beskućnika ispred njegove zgrade, svi ovi ljudi imaju nešto da kažu o Artensu.
Ovo nije roman radnje, već roman sećanja. Iako nisam veliki ljubitelj tako statičnih romana, ovo mi se dopalo jer je o jednoj od mojih velikih pasija, hrani. Mjuriel je vešta s rečima, ali je na momente čak i meni njen kulinarski rečnik bio previše. Rečenice lepo teku i vrlo su poetične, ali i gusto zbijene i na momente imate utisak da čitate prave memoare jednog kritičara.
Ako bih nešto ozbiljnije zamerila ovoj priči, to je što mi se nisu dopala poglavlja iz ugla drugih likova. Bilo ih je previše i nisu puno toga doprineli. Svi su uglavnom mrzeli Artensa, tako da mi ni svrha toga nije bila baš najjasnija. Da li je to trebalo da nam pokaže da je on bio čovek od krvi i mesa? Da nije svetac? To je bilo vrlo jasno i iz njegove perspektive, i stvarno me nije interesovalo šta je imala da kaže o njemu čuvarkuća i žena s kojom je proveo dve lude nedelje. Jedino simpatično poglavlje mi je bilo iz ugla njegovog mačka Rika (nazvanom po Riku iz Kazablanke).
A dramatičan kraj kada Artens shvati da je ukus koji ga proganja zapravo nešto iz supermarketa... Priceless.
August 12, 2012
I was really hoping for the supporting characters of this book to become important or involved in some kind of twist, in some kind of big revelation.
As the blurb will tell you this is a book about a famous and powerful, but cold-hearted food critic dying. Meanwhile he is trying to remember one last vital taste that will tell him who he is before he dies. Every other chapter is him reminiscing about the food that he’s eaten throughout his life, often rustic food not served in gourmet restaurants that he has gained his fame in. The in-between chapters are told from the p.o.v. of those in his surroundings, from his children, wife, lovers, nephew, a beggar, a statue in his room and so on. Since it was such an easy read and I enjoyed the celebration of simple food I was hoping that the story was going somewhere, that all the stories told by others would tell us something about why our food critic was so mean and why people still admired him. That never happened, and even though the final revealing taste was quite funny, the end left me quite disappointed.
Not too disappointed though since I never felt that the author pretended that the book was something more than it was: a simple short story about an unpleasant man that lies dying.
As the blurb will tell you this is a book about a famous and powerful, but cold-hearted food critic dying. Meanwhile he is trying to remember one last vital taste that will tell him who he is before he dies. Every other chapter is him reminiscing about the food that he’s eaten throughout his life, often rustic food not served in gourmet restaurants that he has gained his fame in. The in-between chapters are told from the p.o.v. of those in his surroundings, from his children, wife, lovers, nephew, a beggar, a statue in his room and so on. Since it was such an easy read and I enjoyed the celebration of simple food I was hoping that the story was going somewhere, that all the stories told by others would tell us something about why our food critic was so mean and why people still admired him. That never happened, and even though the final revealing taste was quite funny, the end left me quite disappointed.
Not too disappointed though since I never felt that the author pretended that the book was something more than it was: a simple short story about an unpleasant man that lies dying.
August 3, 2025
Gourmet Rhapsody [2000/09] – ★★★★
Muriel Barbery rose to international fame with her bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog, a quirky novel that revolves around one Parisian apartment block and its concierge Renée Michel. But, before The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Barbery published her debut Gourmet Rhapsody, which is as unusual an offering, and would also delight fans of extravagant, charismatic narrators. Pierre Arthens is a world-renowned food critic, but is now on his deathbed, craving that final forgotten taste that eludes again and again. He looks back on his life full of culinary discoveries and pleasures, as people he once knew also have their say on the man and his place in their world. With the economic ingenuity of a sumptuous three-course meal in some upscale French restaurant, Barbery delivers a different perspective and much food for thought within each of her elegantly presented short chapters.
Multiple perspectives
French literature understands that, more often than not, you do not need a plot in your life – you need a soul laid bare, a feeling, a thought you can relish, and turn round in your head for days. The finest examples of modern French literature and cinema are a testament to that, including certain fiction of Mathias Énard, Patrick Modiano and Annie Ernaux, and films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie, Delicatessen). What straightforward, linear plot is there in those works? Or what ordinary characters? The feeling and ambience are everything. It is also perfectly fine to draw on caricatures or absurdities, because the core truth of a matter, especially when one’s inner life is concerned, is often outrageously absurd.
Muriel Barbery builds on those sentiments, too. Our caricatured to absurdity main character is the “greatest food critic in the world” (self-proclaimed). After the popularity of animation Ratatouille, we may picture him as someone like Anton Ego, “the Grim Eater”, the most feared, but also the most worshipped restaurant critic around, whose scathing reviews and cold demeanour are his trademarks. Pierre Arthens is “an encyclopedic esthete who is always one dish ahead of the game—but always one heart behind”. He is a genius, perhaps, but is also pompous, arrogant, egotistical, and has always been emotionally distant with his three children, Jean, Laura and Clémence. The multiple narrative voices, from Arthens’ daughter to his cat, work well in Barbery’s story. Everyone has their own truth in this world, their own history, as well as their own take on, and stake in, the events. Each perspective is perhaps written too similarly to pass for a truly different person, but it is all still convincing, and we become privy to each narrator’s hidden thought and feeling. This also makes the story intriguing from the psychological point of view, and none of the voices is louder here than that of Pierre Arthens himself.
Food
“There is no great cuisine, without evolution, without erosion and forgetting. Invention must constantly be invoked upon the countertop, and past and future, here and elsewhere, raw and cooked, savory and sweet shall all be mixed, for it is this inventiveness that has made cuisine into an art…” Muriel Barbery/Alison Anderson [2000/09: 56].
It is always thrilling to read novels that revolve around peculiar obsessions. In Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby or Perfume, obsession is taken to an extreme, and its blind pursuit hides and then reveals danger and catastrophe to come. Everything is much quieter in Gourmet Rhapsody, but the story still delves into one deep, life-long obsessive pursuit of the finest cuisine. Arthens has dedicated his whole life to finding, tasting and then writing about culinary wonders. The causes and symptoms of this obsession are being exposed to us in the course of the novel. “People don’t really know what desire is, true desire, when it hypnotizes you and takes hold of your entire soul, surrounds it utterly, in such a way that you become demented, possessed, ready to do anything for a tiny crumb, for a whiff of whatever is being concocted there beneath your nostrils, subjugated by the devil’s own perfume! “, Arthens confesses. He tells us about his first introduction to fine ingredients and food in Morocco, his mother’s native land, and what tastes from his childhood moulded him to have such heightened sensitivity and natural discernment for good food. There are his thoughts on meat, fish, bread, mayonnaise, etc. The plot is a series of realisations, supported by first-person narratives of his circle of family members and acquaintances.
Final Quest
As in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Barbery injects into her story a discomforting imbalance between the social classes, and scattered throughout are numerous evocative quotes on many things, from the nature of food and good cookery, to talent and love: “talent consists not in inventing shapes, but in causing those that were invisible to emerge” or “the real ordeal is not leaving those you love, but learning to live without those who don’t love you”. And then, there is the ending. The narrator’s final “transformation of the soul” may underwhelm, and there will be no “Scrooge’s redemption” for those interested in being served with one. Barbery does opt for a rather easy way out of her suspense into the nature of food and Pierre Arthens’ complex relationship with his family by essentially ignoring the narrators’ “satisfaction” arcs and pleasing only one – Pierre Arthens. The story may feel like a dish that has been whisked away just as you were starting to enjoy it.
Muriel Barbery offers neither a strong initial narrative hook that makes you eagerly turning the pages, nor unknown depths to uncover on multiple readings. Nevertheless, while the story lasts – it is a true delight. There is a “delicious” prose to savour, dishes and ingredients to vicariously taste, and a mammothian personality to dissect. Translated from the French by Alison Anderson, Gourmet Rhapsody is a tragicomedy of sorts packed with much wit and insight.
Muriel Barbery rose to international fame with her bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog, a quirky novel that revolves around one Parisian apartment block and its concierge Renée Michel. But, before The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Barbery published her debut Gourmet Rhapsody, which is as unusual an offering, and would also delight fans of extravagant, charismatic narrators. Pierre Arthens is a world-renowned food critic, but is now on his deathbed, craving that final forgotten taste that eludes again and again. He looks back on his life full of culinary discoveries and pleasures, as people he once knew also have their say on the man and his place in their world. With the economic ingenuity of a sumptuous three-course meal in some upscale French restaurant, Barbery delivers a different perspective and much food for thought within each of her elegantly presented short chapters.
Multiple perspectives
French literature understands that, more often than not, you do not need a plot in your life – you need a soul laid bare, a feeling, a thought you can relish, and turn round in your head for days. The finest examples of modern French literature and cinema are a testament to that, including certain fiction of Mathias Énard, Patrick Modiano and Annie Ernaux, and films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie, Delicatessen). What straightforward, linear plot is there in those works? Or what ordinary characters? The feeling and ambience are everything. It is also perfectly fine to draw on caricatures or absurdities, because the core truth of a matter, especially when one’s inner life is concerned, is often outrageously absurd.
Muriel Barbery builds on those sentiments, too. Our caricatured to absurdity main character is the “greatest food critic in the world” (self-proclaimed). After the popularity of animation Ratatouille, we may picture him as someone like Anton Ego, “the Grim Eater”, the most feared, but also the most worshipped restaurant critic around, whose scathing reviews and cold demeanour are his trademarks. Pierre Arthens is “an encyclopedic esthete who is always one dish ahead of the game—but always one heart behind”. He is a genius, perhaps, but is also pompous, arrogant, egotistical, and has always been emotionally distant with his three children, Jean, Laura and Clémence. The multiple narrative voices, from Arthens’ daughter to his cat, work well in Barbery’s story. Everyone has their own truth in this world, their own history, as well as their own take on, and stake in, the events. Each perspective is perhaps written too similarly to pass for a truly different person, but it is all still convincing, and we become privy to each narrator’s hidden thought and feeling. This also makes the story intriguing from the psychological point of view, and none of the voices is louder here than that of Pierre Arthens himself.
Food
“There is no great cuisine, without evolution, without erosion and forgetting. Invention must constantly be invoked upon the countertop, and past and future, here and elsewhere, raw and cooked, savory and sweet shall all be mixed, for it is this inventiveness that has made cuisine into an art…” Muriel Barbery/Alison Anderson [2000/09: 56].
It is always thrilling to read novels that revolve around peculiar obsessions. In Moby Dick, The Great Gatsby or Perfume, obsession is taken to an extreme, and its blind pursuit hides and then reveals danger and catastrophe to come. Everything is much quieter in Gourmet Rhapsody, but the story still delves into one deep, life-long obsessive pursuit of the finest cuisine. Arthens has dedicated his whole life to finding, tasting and then writing about culinary wonders. The causes and symptoms of this obsession are being exposed to us in the course of the novel. “People don’t really know what desire is, true desire, when it hypnotizes you and takes hold of your entire soul, surrounds it utterly, in such a way that you become demented, possessed, ready to do anything for a tiny crumb, for a whiff of whatever is being concocted there beneath your nostrils, subjugated by the devil’s own perfume! “, Arthens confesses. He tells us about his first introduction to fine ingredients and food in Morocco, his mother’s native land, and what tastes from his childhood moulded him to have such heightened sensitivity and natural discernment for good food. There are his thoughts on meat, fish, bread, mayonnaise, etc. The plot is a series of realisations, supported by first-person narratives of his circle of family members and acquaintances.
Final Quest
As in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Barbery injects into her story a discomforting imbalance between the social classes, and scattered throughout are numerous evocative quotes on many things, from the nature of food and good cookery, to talent and love: “talent consists not in inventing shapes, but in causing those that were invisible to emerge” or “the real ordeal is not leaving those you love, but learning to live without those who don’t love you”. And then, there is the ending. The narrator’s final “transformation of the soul” may underwhelm, and there will be no “Scrooge’s redemption” for those interested in being served with one. Barbery does opt for a rather easy way out of her suspense into the nature of food and Pierre Arthens’ complex relationship with his family by essentially ignoring the narrators’ “satisfaction” arcs and pleasing only one – Pierre Arthens. The story may feel like a dish that has been whisked away just as you were starting to enjoy it.
Muriel Barbery offers neither a strong initial narrative hook that makes you eagerly turning the pages, nor unknown depths to uncover on multiple readings. Nevertheless, while the story lasts – it is a true delight. There is a “delicious” prose to savour, dishes and ingredients to vicariously taste, and a mammothian personality to dissect. Translated from the French by Alison Anderson, Gourmet Rhapsody is a tragicomedy of sorts packed with much wit and insight.
May 24, 2017
Der Aufbau selbst fand ich gut gemacht, leider waren die kurzen Kapitel der Anderen viel interessanter als die Erinnerungen des unsymphatischen Meisterkritikers. Und ich befürchtete schon, dass diese Delikatesse grosse Lust auf alle genannten Leckereien mache, aber dieses hochgestochene Gelaber war so fern vom Genuss.
February 8, 2019
En nydelig liten perle. Språket en fryd. Leser passasjer flere ganger; tidvis for komplisert, men så vakker og fransk. Kjøpt på Norli da de la ned i hovedgata, var posesalg. Jeg klemte den inn blant flere, 100 kroner posen. Jeg elsket tross alt Pinnsvinet av samme forfatter. Denne var ikke noe dårligere. Men kortere. En liten bokskatt. Nå flytter den inn i Kine sin bokhylle.
September 5, 2009
I am the greatest food critic in the world. It is I who has taken this minor art and raised it to a rank of utmost prestige. Everyone knows my name, from Paris to Rio, Moscow to Brazaville, Saigon o Melbourne and Acapulco. I have made, and unmade, reputations, and at sumptuous banquets I have been the knowing and merciless maitre d'oeuvre, expediting to the four corners of the globe the salt or honey of my pen, to newspapers and broadcasts and various forums, where I have been repeatedly invited to discourse upon that which previously had been reserved for a few select specialized journals or intermittent weekly chronicles. I have, for all eternity, pinned to my list of discoveries some of the most prestigious butterflies among practicing chefs. The glory and demise of Partais, or the collapse of Sangerre, or the increasingly incandescent success of Marquet can be attributed to me alone. For all eternity, indeed, I have made them what they are, for all eternity.
For those who devoured Muriel Barbery's American debut, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, you will be interested to know that you can whet your appetite once more with gourmet stylings of her follow-up, Gourmet Rhapsody. Before I use practically every culinary related adjective and wink-wink, nudge-nudge turn of phrase, know that this is not a light palette cleanser, not cocktail party fare, nor it is it a quick bag of chips one mindlessly consumes to stave off mid-afternoon hunger pangs. Nor is this in the same vein as The Elegance of the Hedgehog. If you were to compare the two novels, Elegance is the extrovert, vivacious and concerned with being a good host for the reader- Are you enjoying yourself? Have you had enough story? Have I introduced you to all the characters? Gourmet Rhapsody is the introvert, brooding and introspective, like the quiet friend with unexpected intelligent insights that always seem like the perfect thing to say.
Gourmet Rhapsody centers around Monsieur Arthens, a renowned food critic who just found out he has forty-eight hours to live. Barbery literally leads us on a journey of tastes and smells, bringing to life the spices and herbs of gardens and kitchens, through Monsieur Arthens most memorable culinary experiences. And what is striking is that most of the memories are not from the dinner at La Tour d'Argent or Les Ambassadeurs, but the rustic and rural meals with family and a few strangers. As he lies on his deathbed, trying to remember that one taste that gives him the most pleasure,we are taken back into his life and the flavors that gave him a true sense of serenity and happiness. Witness his tribute to toast:
The moment I bit into the slice of toast, utterly sated for having honored my bountiful plate up to the very last morsel, I was overcome with an inexpressible sense of well-being. Why isit that in France we obstinately refrain from buttering our toast until after it has been toasted? the reason for the two entities should be subjected together to the flickering flame is that in this intimate moment of burning they attain an unequaled complicity. The butter loses its creamy consistency, but nevertheless is not as liquid as when it is melted on its own,in a bain-marie or a saucepan. Likewise, the toast is spared a somewhat dreary dryness, and becomes a moist, warm substance, neither sponge nor bread but something in between, ready to tantalize one's taste buds with its resultant sweetness.
And yes, you will be hungry after you read this novel. Besides the rich and lush description of flavors and aromas, there are chapters, which feature different characters in Monsieur Arthens life and their reaction to him and his death. An arrogant man, he is not loved by his children, or many others for that matter. The cat, Rick, even makes an appearance as a narrator extolling his finesse with the feline breed. Although this may seem like it would render the novel light, on the contrary,the novel is like a novel deep in thought, pondering the meaning of words and exposition, human relationships, and the emotional obligations of intimacy. Barbery, a philosophy teacher for eighteen years, utilizes deftly her ability to explore an experience from many angles without judgment.. This makes for vivid passage driven by musings of our five senses and how they affect memory. Ultimately, Monsieur Arthens most intimate relationship is with food and there is a looming feeling of alienation and loneliness. His long ruminations that he remembers in search of the one taste he can't remember are interspersed with some terse and vitriolic bursts from different narrators like this on from his daughter, Laura:
He was a brutal man. Brutal in his gestures,in the dominating way he had of grabbing hold of things, his smug laugh, his raptor's gaze. I never saw him relax: everything was a pretext for tension. Already at breakfast, on those rare days when he deigned to grace us with his presence,our martyrdom began. The stage was set for psychodrama, he would splutter and expostulate, for the survival of the Empire was at stake: what were we having for lunch? Trips to the market were opportunities for hysteria. My mother submitted, as usual, as always. And then off he would go again, to other restaurants, other women, other vacations, without us,where we were not even--of this I am sure--cause for memories; perhaps,just, as he was leaving, we were like flies to him, unwanted flies that you brush away with a sweep of your hand so you needn't think about them anymore. We were his coleopterous insects.
This novel has some similar elements to Elegance - setting (Rue Grenelle) and character (Renee makes a quick appearance) - but seems to be where it ends. The style is strong in both novels, but the craft of the novel is handled much differently between the two. Gourmet Rhapsody was published first in France and The Elegance of the Hedgehog was the follow-up. In Gourmet Rhapsody,Barbery focuses on what she loves - language and creating an evocative and even, at times, a very sensual and primal tone. In Elegance, she dives much deeper into fleshing out more characters and having them interact with each other as well as developing a story. With Gourmet Rhapsody, we are given the end-of-life memories of a lonely but famous man with some dashes of narrative spice along the way. It's not another Elegance, but it is a simple meal, elegantly prepared.
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