Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerouslyby Julie Powell
Little, Brown and Company, 2005
307 pages
Barney's Online Book Club Selection -- August 2009
Summary: Julie is unhappy with her life. So she decides to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking over the course of one year.
Review: This book was not what I anticipated. I thought it would be Julie's account of cooking through Mastering the Art of French Cooking and all the crazy kitchen mishaps that happened along the way. It is that and so much more. Julie feels stuck in a dead-end job, is nearing thirty, and is concerned about her ability to have children. So she decides to take on a project to help her feel more fulfilled. The project ends up changing her life. Julie Powell's account of her year of cooking is entertaining, revealing, and down right funny. There were times when I was reading and unsure of the point she was trying to make (such as connections between cooking and The Joy of Sex or Buffy The Vampire Slayer), but eventually she makes her point. Through these analogies you feel like she is a friend telling you an interesting yet complex part of her views on life. This book is an interesting memoir, filled with funny stories of Julie's family and friends and the year in which she completed the impossible. I only wish there was more then a glimpse of Julia Child's life, although you do feel the connection that Julie has with her. Rating: **** out of 5.
**** On Sunday, August 30th, there will be a discussion of Julie and Julia on Barney's Book Blog. All are invited. Click here for more information!
4 comments:
I wonder if it was edited quite a bit before they took it from blog entries and made it into a book. I think not, by your comments about not always being sure what her point was.
Hi, Jess -
I just reviewed Julie & Julia also. You can read my review at:
www.bookbybook.blogspot.com
I included a link to Julie's original blog.
I'm looking forward to the discussion on Sunday - I'll have to remember to find time for it!
Sue
I loved the movie, and am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the book!
Ia gree that the book left out a lot about Julia Child that the movie filled in. Personally, I thought the movie was much better than the book. I couldn't finish it after about 100 pages. I just wrote a review on the book on my blog. Other reviews are mostly negative, but I'm glad that you got more out of it than most people!
Post a Comment