Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession
by Julie Powell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Julie PowellEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-12-01
ISBN: 0316003360
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession
Book Review: Did I fall asleep and wake up in the wrong century?
Summary: 5 Stars
I would have thought that a woman writing an honest and gutsy memoir about, among other things, her extramarital affairs would at least get a fair hearing. I find all this hate fest stuff very strange, and quite unnerving. (pitchforks, anyone?) Is there anyone out there who hasn't been engulfed by groupthink? If so, this book is quite worthwhile: frank (perhaps she does overshare a bit), well written, and even insightful. Her descriptions of our irrational behavior when we convince ourselves that we need some particular thing in order to be happy, and the crazy things we'll do as a result, the lies we'll tell ourselves - well, it's quite well done. So why is this book making people so nuts? I would have thought that couples have some right, nowadays, to decide what they want out of their own marriage, but apparently not - they need a marriage that conforms to the standards of random book reviewers.
I hope that all this bile is some kind of weird outgrowth of the juxtaposition of women and cooking, and isn't reflective of the level of sexism in our society (still!!). I notice that someone in the comments section wrote that she wanted to read more about Julia Child (as opposed to the wicked Julie Powell), because Julia Child had a good marriage. Imagine! Julia Child was a fascinating woman, with all kinds of accomplishments, and she's to be valued for being lucky enough to have a good marriage. Sheesh. And Powell is not worth reading, because she isn't (in the eyes of the all-knowing wise ones who post reviews here) a good enough wife. Sheesh, again.
Anyway, Julie Powell, we may forgive you if you get back in the kitchen (and stay there). Preferably barefoot. Sackcloth and ashes would help. Don't think for a moment that it's OK for you to be gallivanting around the world, because you have your marriage to think of, and even if your husband doesn't mind, it's our opinion that counts. And be sure, in the future, to write cheery upbeat stuff. Cutesy, you know. We, the reading public, aren't ready for anything bearing the remotest resemblance to real life, so don't even try that stuff with us. We're not exactly grownups, you may have noticed, and we don't want any challenges to our world view. And good writing doesn't cut any ice with us. We know it's `drivil' (i.e., we wouldn't know good writing if it bit us in the ankle). It's `dissapointing'. And you wouldn't want to disappoint mature discriminating people like us.
P.S. As far as I know, writing is a `real job'. As is working as a butcher.
Summary of Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession
Julie Powell thought cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the craziest thing she'd ever do--until she embarked on the voyage recounted in her new memoir, CLEAVING.Her marriage challenged by an insane, irresistible love affair, Julie decides to leave town and immerse herself in a new obsession: butchery. She finds her way to Fleischer's, a butcher shop where she buries herself in the details of food. She learns how to break down a side of beef and French a rack of ribs--tough, physical work that only sometimes distracts her from thoughts of afternoon trysts.
The camaraderie at Fleischer's leads Julie to search out fellow butchers around the world--from South America to Europe to
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