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How to Cook a Tart
Cookbook author Jasmine March's life is like a perfectly prepared béchamel-rich, satisfying, and drenched in butter. But even a great béchamel curdles sometimes. Her husband, Daniel, has taken up with one of his Zone-dieting drama students; Careme, her daughter, is bent on starving herself to death; and Jasmine's fellow foodies have had just about enough of her astronomically caloric recipes. To make matters worse, her publisher is threatening to cancel her contract. And then there's the small matter of the dead body she finds one morning on her kitchen floor.
Filled with mouth-watering descriptions of Jasmine's creations-venison stew with Madeira and juniper berries, crispy chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and mint-Nina Killham's smart and spirited first novel is good enough to eat.
Filled with mouth-watering descriptions of Jasmine's creations-venison stew with Madeira and juniper berries, crispy chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and mint-Nina Killham's smart and spirited first novel is good enough to eat.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2002
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448 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
January 28, 2008
I can't believe I read this. I blame it on review blurbs like "smart, sexy, hilarious, and not to be missed." Thanks for nothing, Washington Post. Sometimes a book with a pink cover is just what a girl needs. I can't ever imagine that need being fulfilled by this particular pink-covered disappointment. The descriptions of cuisine are laudable, but the plot, characters, and surprise ending weren't enough to redeem the food writing. Booo.
February 11, 2008
Everything about How to Cook a Tart, the debut novel from Washington Post food writer Nina Killham, is too much. Its heroine, cookbook author Jasmine March, is a rotund creation, a lover of cream and butter and pork and all manner of excess. Food governs her. She's given to ruminations along these lines: "of all the herbs, Jasmine thought, basil was her soul mate. Basil was sensuous, liking to stretch out green and silky under a hot sun with its feet covered in cool soil." Her husband Daniel is having an affair with a woman of the opposite extreme: an actress named Tina who's a skinny-limbed disciple of the Zone diet. Jasmine's daughter Careme is--what else?--an anorexic. Killham pushes these characters off the precipice of probability when Tina is found dead in Jasmine's kitchen, a brownie stuffed in her mouth. --Claire Dederer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
I must warn, I was very disappointed in the ending; Renee.
I must warn, I was very disappointed in the ending; Renee.
June 9, 2008
I really enjoyed "How to Cook a Tart." I truly did. I do agree, however, after reading other reviews, that EVERYTHING in this book was stretched, however. One only needs to know the basis of the novel to laugh at the far-fetched-ness: Jasmine, the protagonist, is a cookbook author and an avid lover of foods fatty and healthy alike (more on the fatty side). Her husband is having an affair with a stick-thin actress on the Zone diet. AND their daughter, Careme? She's an anorexic.
Careme isn't really a believable anorexic, however. Instead of being an obsession, her anorexia comes off as more of a habit, or a game. The difficulty and the inner struggle aren't portrayed at all in here, instead she is somehow able to focus on other things, such as losing her virginity???
And the ending was stunning. I'm not really giving anything away here, because it gives this away on the synopsis on the back of the book, but the story ends with a murder? And eating the human meat? I wasn't geared up for this kind of change. Suddenly a cute, lighthearted book was turned into a murder mystery in the last 20 pages. Whoa!
In conclusion, "How to Cook a Tart" was a fun read. Jasmine was a lovable character, and we even come to like Daniel, her cheating husband. Despite it's flaws, it will remain on my bookshelf for a rainy day.
Careme isn't really a believable anorexic, however. Instead of being an obsession, her anorexia comes off as more of a habit, or a game. The difficulty and the inner struggle aren't portrayed at all in here, instead she is somehow able to focus on other things, such as losing her virginity???
And the ending was stunning. I'm not really giving anything away here, because it gives this away on the synopsis on the back of the book, but the story ends with a murder? And eating the human meat? I wasn't geared up for this kind of change. Suddenly a cute, lighthearted book was turned into a murder mystery in the last 20 pages. Whoa!
In conclusion, "How to Cook a Tart" was a fun read. Jasmine was a lovable character, and we even come to like Daniel, her cheating husband. Despite it's flaws, it will remain on my bookshelf for a rainy day.
July 16, 2013
No.
I think that says it best.
I think that says it best.
February 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this peculiar book. In spite of its many bad reviews, I found it to be smart and witty. I loved the way the author mixes cooking technique with life philosophy. For example:
“It was all about absorption, Jasmine thought. In cooking as in life, the more you absorbed of life and the world and flavors around you, the richer you would be. The better tasting you would be philosophically. But Jasmine had been careless. At the last minute, unsure of herself, she had sprinkled in too much salt. Maybe in life she had been careless too. Maybe she had not absorbed enough of what was going on in her own household. Maybe someone close to her was simmering with troubles and she had tossed in too much salt. Instead of testing and tasting and finding out what was really going on.�
Also, the ties between eating and sex were kinda fun.
Three stars because it took a while for the story to click, and even longer for the characters to matter to me.
“It was all about absorption, Jasmine thought. In cooking as in life, the more you absorbed of life and the world and flavors around you, the richer you would be. The better tasting you would be philosophically. But Jasmine had been careless. At the last minute, unsure of herself, she had sprinkled in too much salt. Maybe in life she had been careless too. Maybe she had not absorbed enough of what was going on in her own household. Maybe someone close to her was simmering with troubles and she had tossed in too much salt. Instead of testing and tasting and finding out what was really going on.�
Also, the ties between eating and sex were kinda fun.
Three stars because it took a while for the story to click, and even longer for the characters to matter to me.
August 19, 2019
I enjoyed the majority of this novel, but the ending was so absurd that it was completely ruined for me. I enjoyed the rich food and cooking descriptions, as well as the rich characters, even if they were almost too rich. I was wondering where the murder mystery part came into the storyline, only to find it stuck in the last twenty pages like an afterthought. The author would have done better to leave it out, as it was poorly thought out and distasteful. If the story had concluded a different way it would have been much more enjoyable.
January 14, 2014
OK, I bought the book because the independent booksellers recommended it on their Booksense list. I also was impressed by the food angle. Well, there's not much food writing herein. OK, I can deal with that. The plot was a bit over the top. But I can deal with that, too. But the ending, excuse me. It was so stupid, it was insulting. Did the Booksense seller really read the whole book??
October 21, 2019
This started out as a light, fun read, but I was unprepared for the gruesome conclusion. I can't recommend this book. In fact, it's the first time I threw away a book rather than passing it on to another reader.
May 18, 2010
Delicious! A fast, fun read - not deep by any stretch, but a great "summer book." And I want that pumpkin ravioli recipe!
January 12, 2024
Couldn’t get through it
April 7, 2020
Eredetileg:
Jasmine March tinédzserként fedezte fel a szakácskönyveket és úgy olvasta őket, mintha regények lennének, hogy aztán az életben is kipróbálgassa a recepteket. Sőt ő ennél tovább ment és csodás dolgokat kreált, imádta az ételeket, a főzést, úgyhogy evidens, szakácskönyvíró lett belőle. Csakhogy korunkban eljárt felette az idő, hisz a szakácskönyv-írás kegyetlen egy pálya, rengetegen vannak és mindenki minél finomabb, könnyebb, zsír és kalóriaszegény bűntetlen és egzotikus kreálmányt igyekszik rátukmálni az olvasójára, vagy éppen a főzőműsor nézőjére. Jasmine életének célja pedig, hogy az amerikai konyhába visszacsempéssze az ízeket, a vajat és a zsírt. Mert az evés és a főzés igazi élvezet, ennek ő maga élő példája.
A regény azonban úgy indul mint egy igazi krimi: Ez a nap is jól kezdődik, gondolta magában Jasmine March, amint lenézett férje ifjú szeretőjére, aki élettelenül hevert a konyhapadlón�
S miközben megtudjuk az előzményeket, a pech sorozatot, ami a hullához vezet felvonulnak a szereplőnk. Főhősnőnk finom ételek receptkönyvét visszadobta a kiadója, ezért elhatározza, hogy Gasztrofeminista lesz.Daniel, a férje rákattant a rostgazdag étrendre, mert a tiszta beleket tartja a legfontosabbnak és rábeszéli magát egy szeretőre is, hisz mindjárt 40 éves és csak a középosztálybeli veszteseknek nincs. Választottja az egyik tanítványa, a csontsovány Tina, aki félállásban titkárnő, színésziskolába jár és még nem döntötte el, hogy mi akar lenni (híres színésznő, gazdag, gazdag ember felesége, vagy sokat szerepel a Jó reggelt Amerikában!). A lány életének irányítója dr. Zóna, aki rávezette a fehérje imádatára. Jasmine lánya, Careme pedig ételgerilla, nem eszik, lenézi az anyját, sznob barátnői vannak és még aeroánius is lesz, azaz csak levegőn él, na és persze kamasz, 16 éves és szeretné végre elveszíteni a szüzességét is. És akkor ott van a szomszéd, aki állandóan diétázik, ugyanakkor mindig csal egy kicsit, ezért aztán állandóan nagyobb méretű melegítőket kell vennie.
Igazából nem sikerül rokonszenvezni senkivel a könyv lapjain, vannak pillanatok, amikor Jasmine és a megszállottsága egyszerűen undorító. Ám amikor a szerző újból visszatér a hullához és a megoldáshoz, fergeteges fekete komédia kerekedik.
A karaktereknek nem is személyiségük, hanem gasztronómiai profiljuk van. A könyv kíméletlen szatíra étel és diéta megszállott korunknak. Az étel egyszerre a megoldás és a fenyegetés is, mindenre a válasz és minden konfliktus alapja, oka, a probléma veleje. A szerző valamikor a Washington Post receptírója volt, tehát nem csoda, hogy tud kíméletlen
és igaz képet festeni erről az iparágról.
Egy könnyed ponyva szerű regény, aminek van mondanivalója. Korrekt
Jasmine March tinédzserként fedezte fel a szakácskönyveket és úgy olvasta őket, mintha regények lennének, hogy aztán az életben is kipróbálgassa a recepteket. Sőt ő ennél tovább ment és csodás dolgokat kreált, imádta az ételeket, a főzést, úgyhogy evidens, szakácskönyvíró lett belőle. Csakhogy korunkban eljárt felette az idő, hisz a szakácskönyv-írás kegyetlen egy pálya, rengetegen vannak és mindenki minél finomabb, könnyebb, zsír és kalóriaszegény bűntetlen és egzotikus kreálmányt igyekszik rátukmálni az olvasójára, vagy éppen a főzőműsor nézőjére. Jasmine életének célja pedig, hogy az amerikai konyhába visszacsempéssze az ízeket, a vajat és a zsírt. Mert az evés és a főzés igazi élvezet, ennek ő maga élő példája.
A regény azonban úgy indul mint egy igazi krimi: Ez a nap is jól kezdődik, gondolta magában Jasmine March, amint lenézett férje ifjú szeretőjére, aki élettelenül hevert a konyhapadlón�
S miközben megtudjuk az előzményeket, a pech sorozatot, ami a hullához vezet felvonulnak a szereplőnk. Főhősnőnk finom ételek receptkönyvét visszadobta a kiadója, ezért elhatározza, hogy Gasztrofeminista lesz.Daniel, a férje rákattant a rostgazdag étrendre, mert a tiszta beleket tartja a legfontosabbnak és rábeszéli magát egy szeretőre is, hisz mindjárt 40 éves és csak a középosztálybeli veszteseknek nincs. Választottja az egyik tanítványa, a csontsovány Tina, aki félállásban titkárnő, színésziskolába jár és még nem döntötte el, hogy mi akar lenni (híres színésznő, gazdag, gazdag ember felesége, vagy sokat szerepel a Jó reggelt Amerikában!). A lány életének irányítója dr. Zóna, aki rávezette a fehérje imádatára. Jasmine lánya, Careme pedig ételgerilla, nem eszik, lenézi az anyját, sznob barátnői vannak és még aeroánius is lesz, azaz csak levegőn él, na és persze kamasz, 16 éves és szeretné végre elveszíteni a szüzességét is. És akkor ott van a szomszéd, aki állandóan diétázik, ugyanakkor mindig csal egy kicsit, ezért aztán állandóan nagyobb méretű melegítőket kell vennie.
Igazából nem sikerül rokonszenvezni senkivel a könyv lapjain, vannak pillanatok, amikor Jasmine és a megszállottsága egyszerűen undorító. Ám amikor a szerző újból visszatér a hullához és a megoldáshoz, fergeteges fekete komédia kerekedik.
A karaktereknek nem is személyiségük, hanem gasztronómiai profiljuk van. A könyv kíméletlen szatíra étel és diéta megszállott korunknak. Az étel egyszerre a megoldás és a fenyegetés is, mindenre a válasz és minden konfliktus alapja, oka, a probléma veleje. A szerző valamikor a Washington Post receptírója volt, tehát nem csoda, hogy tud kíméletlen
és igaz képet festeni erről az iparágról.
Egy könnyed ponyva szerű regény, aminek van mondanivalója. Korrekt
February 15, 2023
Wat moet ik hier nou over zeggen. Leuke karakters, bij vlagen grappig maar vooral heel absurdistisch en onrealistisch. Absoluut niet mijn smaak.
November 8, 2012
Being one of those people who lives to eat, I just knew I was going to love this book from the start. The little review of it I saw said not to read it if you were either dieting or even slightly hungry! Oh yes, a book right up my street. When I found out that Jasmine, the slightly ditsy but very lovable main character was plump, sweet-natured, open-hearted and passionate about real food, that is full-cream, high-calorie, un-emasculated full-on stick-to-your-hips heaven, I was disposed to love the book from page one, and I did.
So, here we have a woman with a nice husband, a happy family, a job she loves and everything going for her, only then, like her figure, it all goes a bit pear-shaped. This story might seem to some as light and fluffy as a well-baked Victoria sponge, but every slice of cake has a sting in its tail, so to speak, and so does this book.
I found the book brilliantly funny, very sad in places and extremely thought-provoking, as well as loving all the descriptions of the mouthwatering food! Read it and see for yourself, except not if you're dieting or even slightly hungry, the cookie jar will suffer a terrible fate!
So, here we have a woman with a nice husband, a happy family, a job she loves and everything going for her, only then, like her figure, it all goes a bit pear-shaped. This story might seem to some as light and fluffy as a well-baked Victoria sponge, but every slice of cake has a sting in its tail, so to speak, and so does this book.
I found the book brilliantly funny, very sad in places and extremely thought-provoking, as well as loving all the descriptions of the mouthwatering food! Read it and see for yourself, except not if you're dieting or even slightly hungry, the cookie jar will suffer a terrible fate!
September 12, 2011
This book is probably one of the strangest books I have ever read. Don't even get me started on the terribly gross ending (hint: there is a double entendre in that title), but the writing itself was so uneven. On one hand, it sets out to be a book promoting eating for pleasure's sake, and not worrying about calories and fat content-- but on the other hand, it has lots of decidedly fat-phobic descriptions of the characters. One time, the main character bemoans cookbooks that promote unrealistic recipes-- then it lays out the highly gourmet recipes she writes. It's really for the ending that I gave this the lowest rating, but it was also just poorly written. Very sad that it's the only book I read in a week's time.
April 13, 2008
I picked this up because Anthony Bourdain had a favorable review blurb on it, and he hates everything, so I figured "how bad could it be?" Note to self: that question should never be a reason to purchase a book. I couldn't push myself beyond the first 50 pages of this one, so I'm putting it down for a day when I'm simply desperate for something to read and there is nothing else in the house - not even a cereal box. Got it at a used book store, and am very glad I didn't pay full price. Vapid, uninteresting people, and I don't really care what happens to any of them. I can't really recommend this one to anyone.
August 5, 2021
This was freaking garbage. I picked this up because there was a blurb from Anthony Bourdain on the back. Either someone paid him royally for a quote or caught him doing something really illegal or he owed someone a favor.
It started off boring. Got a little more interesting about 25% through it and I was ok (though not very engaged in the story) until the last few chapters. Then it just went to complete, trite, forced, stupidity.
I got this at a thrift store for either fifty cents or a dollar. I want my money back.
Zero stars if I could.
It started off boring. Got a little more interesting about 25% through it and I was ok (though not very engaged in the story) until the last few chapters. Then it just went to complete, trite, forced, stupidity.
I got this at a thrift store for either fifty cents or a dollar. I want my money back.
Zero stars if I could.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2023
Bien que je n’aie pas dévoré ce petit roman à la même vitesse qu’un best-seller, j’ai apprécié le divertissement qu’il m’a offert. L’héroïne, Jasmine, nous offre des répliques délicieuses, et la description que fait l’autrice des plats qu’elle prépare avec amour, avec sensualité, avec tendresse, nous donne envie de humer les effluves dégagés par ses mets. Personnellement, j’ai hâte de respirer les fines herbes de mon potager!
May 19, 2008
This one was interesting. When I was reading it mostly I didn't think much about what was going on but when I was telling a friend about it, I realized that what happens is really crazy and kind of creepy. It didn't seem creepy at the time though.
October 13, 2008
The women's issue is weight - to have it or reject it. This is a super light romp through food styles with lots of yummy ingredient lists. Definitely not recommended for vegetarians. Views of the teenage daughter ring too true. Main plot and ending were weak.
March 20, 2008
This book was ok; it was funny at times, and it was pretty engaging. It wasn't an epic or anything, but it was enjoyable enough.
May 25, 2008
it was ok. i admit it - i bought this book solely for the title! (and that fact that was on the clearance rack)
March 16, 2016
Sorry. I hated this book
the more I read it. Mean
spirited humor just hits
me the wrong way.
the more I read it. Mean
spirited humor just hits
me the wrong way.
February 2, 2024
I am still looking for someone to discuss this book with irl because more than a year after reading, I am still SHOOK. About 90% of the book was honestly a slog to read through. The husband? A narcissistic ass who deals with his failed professional life and fading looks by having the most predictable, joyless affair ever put on paper. The daughter? A self-obsessed A-hole who looks down on her mother's every life decision and develops an eating disorder out of sheer desire to rebel against her mother. The only parts that intrigued me were the mother's, and moreso for the lush descriptions of the foods she cooks than anything else. Otherwise, she's lazy and gluttonous, and passive rather than active throughout most of the book. Somehow, I motivated myself to keep reading... only to be rewarded by the most insane conclusion to any book I've ever read! It's like a movie that had Martin Scorsese as the director suddenly swapped him out in the finale for Mel Brooks. It's insane, it's weird as hell, it probably takes someone equally as weird to enjoy the juxtaposition of both styles in one book, but here I am more than a year later writing this review. In a world full of forgettable books, this one stands out. If that's not worthy of 4 stars, then what is?
June 17, 2017
HOW TO COOK A TART is the perfect recipe--especially if they love all things culinary. It's the perfect blend of humor (self-deprecating--as if there's any other kind?), varied points of view (which all cleverly come together at the end), romance, family dysfunction, and mystery. The result is a dizzying concoction with an ending I didn't see coming.
I'm a teacher with a classroom library, and I'm still not sure where to fit this book, genre-wise. It's largely realistic fiction, which is where I had it stowed, but its shocking ending--that comes out of nowhere--enables it to sit comfortably among mystery/thrillers.
I loved that I didn't have any expectations about this read. I wanted something lighter--after reading a few intense books, and I wanted something shorter. I went into this story without a single expectation, which I think makes for the best reading experience. I started it and was immediately hooked by Killham's intriguing opener. So, after a few dates, I decided to commit to this one, and it was a quick, fun ride.
Killham does a great job at making our mouths water. Until she doesn't. At the end.
I'm a teacher with a classroom library, and I'm still not sure where to fit this book, genre-wise. It's largely realistic fiction, which is where I had it stowed, but its shocking ending--that comes out of nowhere--enables it to sit comfortably among mystery/thrillers.
I loved that I didn't have any expectations about this read. I wanted something lighter--after reading a few intense books, and I wanted something shorter. I went into this story without a single expectation, which I think makes for the best reading experience. I started it and was immediately hooked by Killham's intriguing opener. So, after a few dates, I decided to commit to this one, and it was a quick, fun ride.
Killham does a great job at making our mouths water. Until she doesn't. At the end.
November 4, 2021
Maria Isabel Merino ha hecho bien con su obra de traduccion. Ha preservado cada chiste de esta comedia poco creible. Fue interesante y segui leendolo rapidamente.
El problema es que la autora original, Nina Killham, no podria salir de su rol como periodista de comida. Intentaba escribir algo distinta en su primer libro, pero eso no logro ella.
Ademas, los platos que ofrece la chef (la protagonista) no me apetecen. La comida alta quiere decir comida frances, no? Resulta que Señora Killman pasaba todo su niñez afuera de nuestro pais. Ella niega mencionar platos estadounidenses. Torta de manzana? No. Bistek casi crudo? No. Pan de maiz? Ni pensarlo. Y que tal el pescado frito, los camerones con maiz molido y hervido?
Parece que Killman estaba harta de las modas de comida. Entonces, porque escribir tanto sobre el corriente de pagar una fortuna por comida frances?
Sin embargo, me interesa saber mas de los viajes de la autora, quien ha recorrido el mundo. Quisas se convirtira en periodista de viajes.
El problema es que la autora original, Nina Killham, no podria salir de su rol como periodista de comida. Intentaba escribir algo distinta en su primer libro, pero eso no logro ella.
Ademas, los platos que ofrece la chef (la protagonista) no me apetecen. La comida alta quiere decir comida frances, no? Resulta que Señora Killman pasaba todo su niñez afuera de nuestro pais. Ella niega mencionar platos estadounidenses. Torta de manzana? No. Bistek casi crudo? No. Pan de maiz? Ni pensarlo. Y que tal el pescado frito, los camerones con maiz molido y hervido?
Parece que Killman estaba harta de las modas de comida. Entonces, porque escribir tanto sobre el corriente de pagar una fortuna por comida frances?
Sin embargo, me interesa saber mas de los viajes de la autora, quien ha recorrido el mundo. Quisas se convirtira en periodista de viajes.
July 3, 2017
I want to start out by saying though I did not enjoy this book, I think the author is immensely talented. In the beginning, it was hard for me to read this book. I could not relate to any of the characters and did not particularly like any of them. I hated their choices and decided I would give this book one star. As I continued, this book turned into quite the page turner. I was shocked at who the killer was and admired how clever the turns were. I'm glad I decided to finish the book! I look forward to future works by this author (as long as they focus on different characters). 2.5 stars
April 7, 2020
This book was a very different kind of read. You have a wife who definitely plus size and loves to cook and prepares way over te top calorie laden dishes. Then you have the husband who is a drama teacher who's having an affair with one of his adult drama students. This situation of course went to heck in a handbasket once the the wife discovered it. This book ends in a really weird and gross way (the wife got her own back), but the writing was good. The title should give you a hint of how it played out.
June 4, 2020
This is not for the faint of heart. I picked it up because of the pink cover with the chef's knife. But that's a bit misleading. I liked the book but it was not the light, cozy mystery read I was expecting. It is a dark comedy about a woman whose husband has taken up with a young tart and, well, it does not end well. It is a clever story line with a twist of an ending, one not easily guessed. Enjoyable read!
October 16, 2022
I wanted to love this book based on the reviews and the blurb; the writing is really sensory heavy--extremely descriptive food porn and sensual. I can see how it could go either way for readers--those who see themselves in the main character and revel in it, and those who see themselves in any of the characters and cannot bear it. This was a DNF for me, because I fell into the latter category.
September 21, 2011
'"Handled well," Jasmine thought, "a good sharp knife was more useful than beauty"' (41).
How can I not keep reading a book with such a great observation?
August 16, 2011:
Finished up this book, and I'm going to leave it at a four. It's not for everyone for sure, and not my usual fare. I'd call it real-world chic lit. It has absolutely none of the grating shallowness of Sex in the City or the Devil Wears Prada or those other trivial anthems to the inane.
Killham created a likable, decent, intelligent and real protagonist. She completely nailed what marriage is like. Jasmine's marraige is tender at times, sad at times, ridiculous at times. She wants to leave a lot of times, she wants to stay a lot of days.
I love it that Jasmine is absolutely secure in herself. She knows what she values and her conflict is reconiciling herself to the fact that everyone else has a problem with her passions --- and her weight. But she holds the course and works it out for herself. Her self-respect never wavers nor should it.
This is a farce, though. The plot, the mistress, the teenage daughter, and yes, the marble rolling pin scene and murder of the mistress are over the top (I'm giving nothing away. The story starts here.) It's kind of impressive the way Killham was able to marry realism and absurdity. I'm not sure I've come across this sort of very real character and very real mother and a very real relationship with in the genre of either chic lit or absurdity. And the farcical nature of it is not at odds with the realism. It's lightens it up. You're getting two books in one in Tart.
Killman's writing is, as others on this site have pointed out, over-done. She lays the description on too thick. They're great descriptions, but a little would have gone a long way. That being said, some of Killham's lines are fabulous and insightful.
All I can say is that during the editing process she should have noticed too much is too much and chosen more judiciously.
I'd probably read something else by Killham if I come across it; though, I doubt I'll seek anything out.
August 14, 2011:
Picked up this book this afternoon. It was a hand-me-down, and I've been saving it for one of those days when I'd like to read that kind of book that is like watching very entertaining, yet trival tv. I don't indulge in decorating make-overs or run-way cat fights because I haven't got cable. Instead, I keep a pile of these books handy.
It's a lot of fun. Quick. I'm on page 57. It might end up with three stars. We'll have to see how Ms. Killham handles the ending.
Killham tends to be as heavy on the description as her protagonist (a plump kitchen goddess) is on her sauces. Jasmine is shamelessly decadent and doesn't care. She licks the butter, chocolate, bechamel off her thickly coated spoon in ectasy. Here is a truly hedonistic woman. Killham describes food with the same unabashed opulance that A.N. Roquelaure uses to describe fetish, gadgets, and release. I find myself blushing. A half-dozen of Jasmine's amuse bouche would send me into a food coma.
Oh, and I have to mention she's as crazy about wine as food and her descriptions of a Sauterne are worth committing to memory to uncork the next time you find yourself annoyed by a pretensious wine prick. Her descriptions are of that honest provencial kind that immediately shame the pretensious.
People hate Jasmine because she happily makes them fat, and then they make her the scape-goat for their lack of will. Her cookbook publisher has dropped her because butter doesn't sell in these post Julia days (except for Paula Dean). Her daughter hates her most of all for having made her plump as a kid, so now said kid (weighing in at about 92 pounds) is nursing an eating disorder as determindly as her mom nurses a roasting, fig-stuffed quail. This sixteen year old is such a brat it's a delight. You will know a kid or two just like her. The kind you might one end up slapping the living snot out of: screw the jail term.
As the back-cover explains, Jasmine's bechamel has curdled. Her husband has apparently cheated on her. There's a murder involved as the first paragraph involves Jasmine finding his scrawny lover on her kitchen floor with a triple chocolate browning stuffed in her mouth. Then the narrative shifts right into back story, so I'm assuming I'll be in store for the marble-rolling pin, head cracking scene near the end.
Most of all, I really like Jasmine. She's completely self-assured. She's doing what she loves: cooking and eating. Being heavy is the price, and she pays it gladly. She's fat and happy.
Jasmine is a totally sympathic character: she's a kind women who used to be the Earth Mother to everyone she loves; now she's reviled. You feel bad for her as she struggles to process it all after this rug-pulling.
Delicious, decadent stuff this book.
If you're in the market for harmless fun and you can find it cheap, this is the book for you. Definately a one-time read, but then you can gift it. It's that kind of book that gets gifted down several hands until it ends up in Goodwill. Here's an idea: take it to your next dinner party as a hostess gift so long as the lady of the house is thin; you don't want to send the wrong message.
How can I not keep reading a book with such a great observation?
August 16, 2011:
Finished up this book, and I'm going to leave it at a four. It's not for everyone for sure, and not my usual fare. I'd call it real-world chic lit. It has absolutely none of the grating shallowness of Sex in the City or the Devil Wears Prada or those other trivial anthems to the inane.
Killham created a likable, decent, intelligent and real protagonist. She completely nailed what marriage is like. Jasmine's marraige is tender at times, sad at times, ridiculous at times. She wants to leave a lot of times, she wants to stay a lot of days.
I love it that Jasmine is absolutely secure in herself. She knows what she values and her conflict is reconiciling herself to the fact that everyone else has a problem with her passions --- and her weight. But she holds the course and works it out for herself. Her self-respect never wavers nor should it.
This is a farce, though. The plot, the mistress, the teenage daughter, and yes, the marble rolling pin scene and murder of the mistress are over the top (I'm giving nothing away. The story starts here.) It's kind of impressive the way Killham was able to marry realism and absurdity. I'm not sure I've come across this sort of very real character and very real mother and a very real relationship with in the genre of either chic lit or absurdity. And the farcical nature of it is not at odds with the realism. It's lightens it up. You're getting two books in one in Tart.
Killman's writing is, as others on this site have pointed out, over-done. She lays the description on too thick. They're great descriptions, but a little would have gone a long way. That being said, some of Killham's lines are fabulous and insightful.
All I can say is that during the editing process she should have noticed too much is too much and chosen more judiciously.
I'd probably read something else by Killham if I come across it; though, I doubt I'll seek anything out.
August 14, 2011:
Picked up this book this afternoon. It was a hand-me-down, and I've been saving it for one of those days when I'd like to read that kind of book that is like watching very entertaining, yet trival tv. I don't indulge in decorating make-overs or run-way cat fights because I haven't got cable. Instead, I keep a pile of these books handy.
It's a lot of fun. Quick. I'm on page 57. It might end up with three stars. We'll have to see how Ms. Killham handles the ending.
Killham tends to be as heavy on the description as her protagonist (a plump kitchen goddess) is on her sauces. Jasmine is shamelessly decadent and doesn't care. She licks the butter, chocolate, bechamel off her thickly coated spoon in ectasy. Here is a truly hedonistic woman. Killham describes food with the same unabashed opulance that A.N. Roquelaure uses to describe fetish, gadgets, and release. I find myself blushing. A half-dozen of Jasmine's amuse bouche would send me into a food coma.
Oh, and I have to mention she's as crazy about wine as food and her descriptions of a Sauterne are worth committing to memory to uncork the next time you find yourself annoyed by a pretensious wine prick. Her descriptions are of that honest provencial kind that immediately shame the pretensious.
People hate Jasmine because she happily makes them fat, and then they make her the scape-goat for their lack of will. Her cookbook publisher has dropped her because butter doesn't sell in these post Julia days (except for Paula Dean). Her daughter hates her most of all for having made her plump as a kid, so now said kid (weighing in at about 92 pounds) is nursing an eating disorder as determindly as her mom nurses a roasting, fig-stuffed quail. This sixteen year old is such a brat it's a delight. You will know a kid or two just like her. The kind you might one end up slapping the living snot out of: screw the jail term.
As the back-cover explains, Jasmine's bechamel has curdled. Her husband has apparently cheated on her. There's a murder involved as the first paragraph involves Jasmine finding his scrawny lover on her kitchen floor with a triple chocolate browning stuffed in her mouth. Then the narrative shifts right into back story, so I'm assuming I'll be in store for the marble-rolling pin, head cracking scene near the end.
Most of all, I really like Jasmine. She's completely self-assured. She's doing what she loves: cooking and eating. Being heavy is the price, and she pays it gladly. She's fat and happy.
Jasmine is a totally sympathic character: she's a kind women who used to be the Earth Mother to everyone she loves; now she's reviled. You feel bad for her as she struggles to process it all after this rug-pulling.
Delicious, decadent stuff this book.
If you're in the market for harmless fun and you can find it cheap, this is the book for you. Definately a one-time read, but then you can gift it. It's that kind of book that gets gifted down several hands until it ends up in Goodwill. Here's an idea: take it to your next dinner party as a hostess gift so long as the lady of the house is thin; you don't want to send the wrong message.
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