Eat, Memory: Great Writers At The Table: A Collection Of Essays From The New York Times (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
This book was a breeze to read through because of the fact that each essay was so unique and just brief enough. I wondered how this collection could be cohesive without being too scatter-brained, but it it was somehow put together with a perfect balance of diversity and commonality. There are some essays enjoyed far more than others, but all were worth reading and gave it's own valuable perspective on food from different cultures, economic castes, ages, and personal circumstances. (With apologies to my dad, who generously gifted me this promising book!) Some of these essays stand nicely on their own but many are forgettable, and as a collection this is a waste of paper. A transparent attempt to milk some extra money out of a perfectly nice column in the NYT. It barely cracks 200 pages, and has literally an extra inch of right margin space. Every essay is followed by one of those frivolous tie-in recipes no one ever makes. One of these "essays" is just a reprinted excerpt from a Julia Child's My Life in France! And several others I'd already read in other collections. AND FINALLY these essays claim to avoid the sentimental, but if I have to suffer through another reference to Proust or his godforsaken cookies in foodwriting, I won't be held accountable for my actions.
What do You think about Eat, Memory: Great Writers At The Table: A Collection Of Essays From The New York Times (2008)?
OK, no outstanding essay, but interesting to see how "food" has effected others lives.
—thepurplejely
Nothing special. Apart from a short essey by Ann Patchett not really worth reading.
—rinky
