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Anyone who loves food, fiction and clever dialogue will enjoy this smart little novel and it’s salty hero, Hugo Whittier. Aside from the unexpected references to items such as a Dodge Dart, garum and a mitzvah, this book is chock-full of witty food references and even recipes. Christensen’s diary-style story takes us into the life of man who wants to be left alone but isn’t, who finds himself transformed against his will, and in the end makes us cheer for him. References to food, food writers (especially M.F.K Fisher & Michel de Montaigne), recipes and lore are sprinkled throughout the book. Certainly, this must have been a fun book to write, as it is a fun book to read. It would be hard to create a character better suited to the food commentary found within these pages.
(My only critique is that Christensen attributes garum (stinky fish sauce) to the Romans, when it is in fact a western Phoenician product highly sought after by Greeks and Romans, and was an essential part of western Phoenician economy is Spain and North Africa. But that is just a pedantic note from a classics nerd.)
Tags:
epicure, garum, kate christensen, recipes, the epicures lament
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Posted on 10/29/2005
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