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Estasi culinarie
Estasi culinarie | Muriel Barbery
Nel signorile palazzo di rue de Grenelle, gi reso celebre dallEleganza del riccio, monsieur Arthens, il pi grande critico gastronomico del mondo, il genio della degustazione, in punto di morte. Il despota cinico e tremendamente egocentrico, che dallalto del suo potere smisurato decide le sorti degli chef pi prestigiosi nelle ultime ore di vita cerca affannosamente di recuperare un sapore primordiale e sublime, un sapore provato e che ora gli sfugge, il Sapore per eccellenza, quello che vorrebbe assaggiare di nuovo, prima del trapasso. Ha cos inizio un viaggio gustoso e ironico che ripercorre la carriera di Arthens dallinfanzia ai fasti della maturit, attraverso la celebrazione di piatti poveri e prelibatezze haute cuisine. A fare da contrappunto alla voce dellarrogante critico c la nutrita galleria delle sue vittime (i familiari, lamante, lallievo, il gatto e anche la portinaia Rene... ), ciascuna delle quali prende la parola per esprimere il suo punto di vista su un uomo che, tra grandezze pubbliche e miserie private, sembra ispirare solo sentimenti estremi, dallammirazione incondizionata al terrore, dallamore cieco allodio feroce. Anche in questo romanzo desordio Muriel Barbery racconta, assieme ai piaceri e alle tenerezze della vita, larroganza e la volgarit del potere (in un ambiente spietato dove cronaca di questi anni un cuoco si uccide perch ha perso una stella Michelin). Estasi culinarie un percorso che si snoda attraverso vivide evocazioni sensoriali, impreziosite da una scrittura raffinata e sinuosa, al servizio di una corrosiva satira delle manie alto borghesi.
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review
lauraisntwilder
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Mehso-so

The sections narrated by Arthens, which contain the titular rhapsodic descriptions of food, were beautiful (with the exception of a few ill-advised metaphors, such as comparing a ripe tomato to "plumpish" woman in a party dress). The alternating chapters were often too short for me to get invested. It felt like the book was arguing with itself over how much plot was needed.

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lauraisntwilder
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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The tomato sat "crimson in its taut silken finery, undulating with the occasional more tender hollow, with a communicable cheerfulness about it like a plumpish woman in her party dress hoping to compensate for the inconvenience of her extra pounds by means of a disarming chubbiness evoking an irresistible desire to bite into her flesh."

Yikes. I'm beyond "plumpish," but my goodness, I'm not a tomato! Definitely not trying to evoke that desire.

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PhyllisH
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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I‘m about halfway through this book and honestly I‘m not feeling the love.🙁. It‘s definitely not as good as Elegance of the Hedgehog.

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vlwelser
Une gourmandise | Muriel Barbery
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Mehso-so

I didn't love this. It's a companion novel to the Elegance of the Hedgehog. The English title is Gourmet Rhapsody. It's about a food critic that lives in the same apartment building as the setting for the other book. Some of it is very good but I just don't think it was what I was looking for.

#BookSpinBingo square 5
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
PhyllisH I agree. I just finished this book. 3y
31 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MEGR
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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“....every day he would take great pains to cook himself a little mouthful of paradise, unaware of how refined his everyday fare was, a true gourmet; he lived every day as an authentic aesthete, where absolutely nothing was staged.”

Crazeedi Yum!💗 4y
13 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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MEGR
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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I know they are all unhappy because nobody loves the right person the way they should and because they don‘t understand that it‘s really their own self that they are mad at.

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MEGR
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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How many old women in the countryside are gifted in this way with an extraordinary sensory intuition which they applied to their gardening, or to making herbal potions, or to cooking rabbit stew with time, old women who then die as unknown geniuses, their gift ignored by all....

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MEGR
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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“The real ordeal is not leaving those you love, but learning to live without those who don‘t love you.”

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Bookwormjillk
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

This book about a dying food critic haunted by a craving for something he can't quite place suited my shelter in place reading tastes well. I can really relate to being trapped and not being able to eat what you want!

62 likes1 stack add
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goodbyefrancie
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Long day at work, peanut butter & jelly sandwich and a glass of wine for dinner. Living the dream! 🍷😊🙋‍♀️

CouronneDhiver 🤘🏽 killing it. lol 5y
TheBookgeekFrau Dinner of champions! 5y
120 likes2 comments
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Felice1
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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A complete contradiction between the stunning career as culinary critic and the failure in his personal life is the last taste he experiences before death

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Cathy_J
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Mehso-so

I loved The Elegance of the Hedgehog so my expectations may have been a bit high. I liked the idea of the book and the structure of it with all the different perspectives. There were some excellent passages. Overall it was good but I didn't love it. The main character also discussed at length his love of raw tomatoes. I just can't relate 🚫🍅😂

Reviewsbylola This just couldn‘t compare to Hedgehog, sadly! 5y
mcipher I just got Hedgehog from a little free library today -excited to read it (someday) soon! 5y
67 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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IuliaC
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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A delicious two-hour read. The memories of tastes and the tastes of memories heat up the pages. Do not read when hungry

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Reviewsbylola
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Who could be bigger #championsofredwine more than gourmet food critics?

I‘ll be honest, this one did nothing for me compared to The Elegance of the Hedgehog. My expectations were sky high and that led to disappointment.

#timbittunes

Adventures-of-a-French-Reader I think just the same. This book was a huge disappointment for me too. 5y
saresmoore Ha! I just picked this up in a Little Free Library today. I guess it didn‘t meet the expectations of whoever donated it, either. 5y
Cinfhen So weird....I saw your post earlier today @saresmoore and thought I‘d want to try this book but now I‘m removing the thought entirely 😂😂 5y
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saresmoore @Cinfhen Right?! I don‘t blame you! 😅 5y
Reviewsbylola It‘s not a bad book, but it‘s no Hedgehog! @saresmoore @Cinfhen 5y
Mdargusch 🍷🍷🍷 5y
103 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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saresmoore
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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New day, new park, new Little Free Library find.

AmyG Winning! 5y
Soubhiville Yay! This book is a love affair with food! If you enjoy it I also recommend 5y
saresmoore @Soubhiville Excellent! I really liked Elegance of the Hedgehog when I read it, years ago. 5y
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batsy This picture makes me imagine crisp, cold air...and curiosity just made me look up the temperature in your parts :) Also, excellent find! I love those Europa Editions. 5y
saresmoore @batsy There is definitely a chill in the air, but when the clouds move away, it‘s a gorgeous day! 5y
Linsy Looks perfect! 💕 5y
MicheleinPhilly I have this! Can‘t wait to hear what you think! 5y
91 likes7 comments
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Purrsistently
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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#riotgrams June 23, Pink

These are the only pink books I own, clearly, I need more! Also, fun fact, Hermione here was my weddingcake topper. My husband‘s was Stitch. We thought that was more fun than the traditional kind. 😅

Liatrek Pretty picture ❤️ 6y
tammysue Beautiful pic! 🌺 6y
tracey38 Beautiful picture!🏵🌺🌸 6y
Purrsistently @Liatrek @whatshesreadingnow @tracey38 thanks! Someone gave me leftover flowers from an event that were beginning to wilt already so I lopped the blooms off and made pretty book pictures😻 6y
rather_be_reading haha love tht fun fact! 6y
92 likes5 comments
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CoffeeAndABook
The Gourmet | Muriel Barbery
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⚡️These are some of my favorite covers ⚡️

#readingresolutions #coverlove

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LapReader
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

#57sGiveaway Head to @Soubhiville for the details and make a new friend. Good luck everyone.

Soubhiville Thanks for entering! Good luck! 6y
8 likes1 comment
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Soubhiville
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Mehso-so

I finished this audiobook yesterday on my way to my yoga class.

There is really no plot to speak of, but the writing is decadent. It‘s a love letter to food, as well as a story of a dying food critic and his estranged family. It‘s short, a French novel in translation.

If you love words, long, descriptive, rambling sentences, and amazing diverse food, and don‘t mind a story in which nothing really happens, this might be for you.

Lindy Yup. The food writing is what made this a pick for me. 6y
Blaire I loved elegance of the hedgehog - so think I might like this as well and I don‘t mind stories where not much happens. Good review! 6y
Soubhiville @Blaire that‘s why I picked it up. It‘s not quite as good, I thought, but still enjoyable. 6y
ApoptyGina69 I liked both Elegance and this one. I haven‘t yet read 6y
59 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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lynneamch
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Add these #foodie #litsycooks gems to your #TBR #ReindeerReads @jess7
In The Kitchen Daughter, Ginny focuses on cooking as a coping mechanism. Mouth-watering descriptions & recipes will draw you into this sensitive story of sisters, relationships, & a family secret. Check out the list
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/5-mouthwatering-books-joys-cooking/

http://americareads.blogspot.com/2017/11/five-top-books-about-joys-of-cooking.ht...

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AnneCecilie
The Gourmet | Muriel Barbery
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BookswithTea
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

Beautiful writing for food lovers! Not as much of a fully developed story as her other books, but a lovely read overall.

Lcsmcat I liked The Elegance of the Hedgehog better, but this was nice too. 7y
15 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BookswithTea
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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This book is making me drool! Such beautiful writing too... what an eloquent way to capture the joy of eating a pastry even when one is too full to do so! 😍🥐

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BookswithTea
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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I've had this one on my #TBR list ever since reading Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I loved! Hoping this one is equally good.

16 likes1 stack add
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MicheleinPhilly
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Another one from the #TBR mountain for #ReadJanuary. I have a feeling I'll be picturing the food critic from Ratatouille as I read this. #foodiefiction

TriniCapini Loved her other one and heard this one is great too. 7y
MicheleinPhilly I also have Elegance of the Hedgehog on my TBR mountain. 😬 7y
61 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Simona
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

The Gourmet Rhapsody is debut novel and story focuses on another resident of the Rue de Grenellle apartment (the same building as in Elegance of the Hedgehog).Pierre Arthhens is a food critic, very articulate, unpleasant man on the deathbed and he is in search through his memories to find the ultimate flavor, taste that gives him the most pleasure. He describes his own life through taste with reach and lush descriptions of food, aromas and smells.

Cinfhen Pretty photo 🎀 7y
Simona @Cinfhen Thank you 🙏 7y
See All 6 Comments
LeahBergen Beautiful pic! 7y
Simona @LeahBergen Thank you 🙏 7y
Simona Vanilla French toast and honey with cranberries, grated apple with cinnamon and fruits tea with dried cherries. 7y
82 likes11 stack adds6 comments
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CoffeeAndABook
The Gourmet | Muriel Barbery
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A new morning- a new month - a new book! This slim beauty has been sitting on my shelf literally for years! I got it after I enjoyed THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG so much & then simply never felt it's the right moment for this book. Sometimes I like to keep books around to savor the anticipation of a special delight 💎
And now after a kind of flat reading spell I think I'm ready for an exquisite treat 🎈📚🍁🍾
#mostanticipatedreads #booktober

Laalaleighh I did this with the secret history. 7y
Tav My partner will love this book! Adding to the list of xmas presents to buy him! 7y
27 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Little_Reader
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

If you love food writing, you'll love this novella. A food critic suddenly learn he has a short time before he dies. Will he regret the choices he's made regarding friends and family or the foods he's chosen to eat?

13 likes2 stack adds
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szainabwilliams
The Gourmet | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

A sumptuous quick read. I want to eat this book thanks to the descriptions of the delicacies food critic Pierre Arthens recalls on his deathbed, searching for the one flavor that would bring meaning to his fleeting life. He's a horrid person, a philanderer and worse. But I don't hate this book.

14 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
Gourmet Rhapsody | Muriel Barbery
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Pickpick

This short novel about a restaurant critic longing for just the right taste before he dies is all about food. Since I've already used that square, I'll count this for "protagonist over 50." If there was a square for "made you salivate while reading" this would be perfect. #translation

10 likes1 stack add