Personally, I thought this has been one of the best books I’ve read all year. I picked this book because the title intrigued me, but when I heard it was a cooking book I was scared of what I got myself into. This novel is actually very interesting and I was pleased and amused the whole time reading it. The characters in the novel are entertaining and relatable. Even though one may hate Ruth’s mother or her friends, they are still a very important aspect to her childhood.
I loved all the recipes and thought they were the most unique piece of the novel. Not only does most of the recipes sound delicious, but also they all come with a sentimental story behind them, which makes it more personal to cook them. She also did a fantastical job at describing the food. Even though half of the times I was reading this book I was already starving, this only added on to my hunger. I actually really want to try to make the “Artpark Brownies”(244), since they sound so delicious.
The only negative aspect that I can find about this book is that it was a bit long. But beside the length of it, each chapter seemed as if it was a new chapter in her life. I also loved the way each title was significant and would foreshadow something important that would happen in that chapter.
For upcoming AP Lang classes that will have to read Era six, I would recommend them to pick this book because it was captivating and the imagery throughout the novel kept the reader connected to the characters and felt a personal connection with Ruth Reichl.
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I really enjoyed this story as well. I found it to be very relatable also, even though I thought the tale end of the book was a tad boring. I was skeptical at first as well because I assumed it would not be appealing to a guy and would just be all about cooking and food. However it turned out to be nothing like I had expected and was surprisingly entertaining like you said. However, I did not like her mother very much because found her annoying, naive, and an obstacle in Ruth's life. Although i can agree about the food. The recipe I am most anxious to try is the homemade fried chicken.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Connor in the urge to cook the Homemade Fried Chicken. I also agree with your interpretation of the book. Flipping through the pages was something I did not realize I was doing so fast because I really enjoyed the read. It was enticing to read and learn about food's role in the novel, as you said, and I also would recommend it to future AP Lang students. Surprisingly, I thought it would be about something different than what it really was based on the title, but either way I still found joy in reading about Ruth's interesting life and her somewhat neurotic family. One thing is certain, I noticed--the author does a great job in encouraging an appetite.
ReplyDeleteI thought the recipes were an excellent way of including the reader in Ruth's life. These recipes allow the reader to cook the same foods that Ruth grew up on and therefore reflect on her experiences. I think the dynamic nature of Ruth made her character memorable and enjoyable to read about. If she was stagnant and unchanging I would have dreaded reading this memoir. However, it was the opposite. I found Ruth to be one of the most interesting characters I have encountered.
ReplyDeleteThat Homemade Fried Chicken does sound delicious yet the brownies do sound fantastic also. Ryan i do agree that do to Ruth's dynamic nature, she was very admirable to her readers. And yes, her recipes were not only mouth watering, but a way for her to conclude each small stories that was she was discussing throughout her novel. It seem as each recipe had a past and a poignant story behind, making the food more favorable. Taylor, I did too find myself flipping through the pages and enjoying every words on that page. Yet this book is a perfect example of "never judging a book based on its cover", since most of us thought this would be a boring cooking book, yet it held many surprises and fulfilled our needs of a very interesting novel.
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