translated into English by Adriana Hunter
I read this book in a weekend, this weekend to be precise, and last night I only went to sleep at about 12am because I did not want to put it down.
The writing is lyrical, sentences flow from one to another like linking thoughts. It is philosophical without being over the top and explores adult themes of adultery, not loving your child, success and the anxiety and fear that can cripple one if not dealt with.
At times you can feel the exhaustion, the joy, the claustrophobia, the fear. The food tantalises and teases as you read and the words are like soft caramel melting in the mouth.
So, whats it about:
Forty-three years old, trailing secrets and extravagant lies, Myriam has just convinced a bank to give her a loan to open a small restaurant in the Eleventh Arrondissement of Paris. Too poor to rent an apartment, Myriam must live in the restaurant, her Paris flat after being in self imposed exile for 6 years. In exile from her reserved husband and son she has found herself unable to love. But little by little the people start arriving, eating and finding solace in her restaurant and slowly as the restaurant sizzles towards success,figures and feelings from her past begin to emerge, re-awakening her appetite for life, both the bitter and the sweet.
I thought this book was quirky but still very real, dealing with issues that are common though some would hate to admit it. In a way, it sort of made me think of ‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog’ but better. Much better.
Read it, go on, do!
Leave a Reply