Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler defines the
crucial transition from girl to woman, from living in a place that feels like
nowhere to living in a place that feels like the center of the universe.
(cover blurb)
Our heroine, Tess, is a flawed slightly naïve young lady who
gets a job at a known Manhattan restaurant. There she learns the art of eating
– a celebration of palate, sweet, bitter, salt and the textures involved in
food. Simone the all-knowing connoisseur senior server teaches Tess about the
fine art of service. Jake, the elusive bartender, is a mystery and teaches her
heartbreak.
Champagne, oysters, cocaine, lust, love, and dive bars
- Tess runs in a nonstop world. The book covers a year and the pace
is fast and tantalizing. Danler’s writing is wry, descriptive, and rich. She
immerses you in the restaurant world. I wanted to visit her fictionalized
places – eat, drink wine, and enjoy New York nightlife or lowlife.
p.6 Salt: your mouth waters itself. Flakes
from Brittany, liquescent on contact. Blocks of pink salt from the Himalayas,
matte gray clumps from Japan. An endless stream of kosher salt, falling from
Chef’s hand. Salting, the most nuanced of enterprises, the food always requesting
more, but the tipping point fatal. Now if I eat something that’s too
salty I think about that fatal terminology. Danler captures food, the process,
and the insanity of the restaurant world.
Sweetbitter is ultimately about the power
of what remains after disillusionment, and the transformation and wisdom
that come from our experiences, sweet and bitter. (cover blurb)
An excellent title for what promises to be a best seller. Good review Beverly.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Stephanie and good luck to her.
Yvonne.
PS: SORRY JOANNE I GOT YOUR NAME WRONG.
ReplyDeleteYVONNE.
no problem. It's a different book
DeleteSounds interesting but weeding through all my books still with resolve not to add to the list.
ReplyDeleteBetty
oh I like throwing out temptation
DeleteLeaving the reader wanting to go really says something about the writing indeed
ReplyDeletewell, and I"m biased because I do like NYC
DeleteThis sounds good! I like books that take me into another world.
ReplyDeleteReally good writing
DeleteVery interesting plot. I'll be honest, NYC scares me. It's so frenetic. I can't imagine being a chef in a prestigious Manhattan restaurant. Talk about stress.
ReplyDeleteI love the energy. I always have a blast and such good food!!
DeleteWhy does it seem like men named Jake are always heartbreakers? Sounds like an exciting read. Thank you, Joanne.
ReplyDeleteJake or Nick. Always trouble
ReplyDeleteSounds like a terrific book. I just finished an older book (written in the '80s) called "Hot Flashes." (No cold lemonade, though. Although I couldn't entirely relate to the strong feminist nature of most of the women, the writing is absolutely stellar.
ReplyDelete(Enjoy your trip! Woo HOOOOO!)
Thanks. Stellar writing counts for a lot
DeleteI've never heard of this one. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteIt had good buzz in the summer release reviews
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