Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
by Julie Powell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Julie PowellReader: Author
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Format: Abridged, Audiobook
Published: 2005-09-28
ISBN: 1594831068
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Book Reviews of Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
Book Review: Author starts out abrasive, but becomes more likable towards the end
Summary: 2 Stars
Like many of the other reviewers here, I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but the author's attitude and descriptions of her life make it tough going at times. Perhaps she's exaggerating for comic effect, but as is, she initially comes across as the worst caricature of a Gen-X, would-be New York hipster: mean-spirited, self-absorbed, foul-mouthed, rude, whiny, and intolerant of anyone she suspects of not sharing her self-consciously outre (i.e., monogamous married life is "bourgeois", but the woman operating an S&M dungeon in mid-town Manhattan is "awesome!") values. Most of the way through the book, I almost felt sorry for Julie Powell, because she didn't seem to really get much enjoyment out of anything in her life, in spite of having a loving, supportive husband and family.
On reflection, though, I felt that my earlier review was too harsh, because Powell does actually grow up a little and mellow out towards the end, and becomes much more endearing as a result. She can be very amusing at times, and I respect her willingness to let people see her struggles and failings and foibles (although I could have done without the blaspheming, and with fewer descriptions of her strident political biases and her friends' sexual escapades, which in my opinion didn't really add much to the book). Overall, it's not a bad way to pass the time.
Summary of Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
Julie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalizeher marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, VolumeI, in a period of 365 days.The result is a masterful medley of BridgetJones' Diary meets Like Water for Chocolate, mixed with a healthy dose oforiginal wit, warmth, and inspiration that sets this memoir apart from mosttales of personal redemption.When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary whoslaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizingapartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging ofEric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blogthat will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows isa year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of anunbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well asthe realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not asimpossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and yourpipes are frozen.Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which isprobably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and mediaalike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolveinto whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose.Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and endingthe evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats andBuffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Juliachortling alongside us...."Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity tojoin one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, alongthe way. --Gisele TouegJulie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalize her marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days. The result is a masterful medley of Bridget Jones' Diary meets Like Water for Chocolate, mixed with a healthy dose of original wit, warmth, and inspiration that sets this memoir apart from most tales of personal redemption.
When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary who slaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizing apartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging of Eric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blog that will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows is a year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of an unbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well as the realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not as impossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and your pipes are frozen.
Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which is probably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and media alike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolve into whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose. Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and ending the evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats and Buffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Julia chortling alongside us...."
Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity to join one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, along the way. --Gisele Toueg
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