Tracey S. (Aerlinn) reviewed Tomato Rhapsody: A Novel of Love, Lust, and Forbidden Fruit on + 8 more book reviews
Wow. Just wow. I really wasnt sure when I started but I loved it.
Ill never look at tomato sauce the same way again.
It was an extraordinary book. Its a fable about how the tomato came to Europe, and how it overcame the strange, popular prejudice that it was extremely and immediately poisonous, to become inseparable from Italian cuisine. Its also about a wicked stepfather, the oppression of Jews in early Renaissance Europe, the curing of olives, Christopher Columbus, Catholic missionaries in Africa, sanitation, copulation, and celebration. Its a romance (not a love story), basically Romeo and Juliet if the lovers had been older and there had been someone sensible in Fair Verona. Everything in the story has meaning and significance: a donkeys bray, a shaft of sunlight, a drop of holy water. The story is earthy sometimes downright crude as well as golden, rapturous, euphoric and yes, rhapsodic. It is both sprawling and intimate, with a good-sized cast of characters who do not come across as characters; these are people, wildly individual and altogether real.
Some might find the rhyming dialogue cloying, or indeed find it no better than annoying. But I find that the couplets to my inner ear became as natural and simple as, dare I say, Shakespeare. (I was tempted to write an entire review in rhyme, but it would take forever; I just dont have the time.)
Read this book. But first make sure your pantry is well stocked with good olive oil, good bread, eggplant (try the Good Padres idea in Chapter 3 its wonderful), fresh herbs and tomatoes. Definitely tomatoes. Lots of them.
Ill never look at tomato sauce the same way again.
It was an extraordinary book. Its a fable about how the tomato came to Europe, and how it overcame the strange, popular prejudice that it was extremely and immediately poisonous, to become inseparable from Italian cuisine. Its also about a wicked stepfather, the oppression of Jews in early Renaissance Europe, the curing of olives, Christopher Columbus, Catholic missionaries in Africa, sanitation, copulation, and celebration. Its a romance (not a love story), basically Romeo and Juliet if the lovers had been older and there had been someone sensible in Fair Verona. Everything in the story has meaning and significance: a donkeys bray, a shaft of sunlight, a drop of holy water. The story is earthy sometimes downright crude as well as golden, rapturous, euphoric and yes, rhapsodic. It is both sprawling and intimate, with a good-sized cast of characters who do not come across as characters; these are people, wildly individual and altogether real.
Some might find the rhyming dialogue cloying, or indeed find it no better than annoying. But I find that the couplets to my inner ear became as natural and simple as, dare I say, Shakespeare. (I was tempted to write an entire review in rhyme, but it would take forever; I just dont have the time.)
Read this book. But first make sure your pantry is well stocked with good olive oil, good bread, eggplant (try the Good Padres idea in Chapter 3 its wonderful), fresh herbs and tomatoes. Definitely tomatoes. Lots of them.
When I first started the book, I wasn't sure what to think. It has lots of flowery and wordy descriptive passages. There is a narrator who appears regularly throughout the book to explain why some things are the way they are and what is going on in the story. It also includes footnotes to explain many historical facts. These are all things that are not usually in the books I read. I began to wonder if I would really like this book.
I am so glad I got this book. It is a truly romantic book--not in the sense of a man and woman, but in the sense of the time, place, and food. The book description speaks of the romance between Davido and Mari, but that is only a small part of the book. The story is about love, greed, secrets, prejudices, and so much more.
Now, there are some things about this book that can turn readers off. The first of those are what I previously mentioned--a narrator and footnotes. In addition, the book is crude and a bit vulgar. There are quite a few references to the male genitalia and sexual innuendo. For some, this can be a real turn-off to continuing the read. For me, it wasn't...it added to the depth of the characters. They were vulgar and crude. Be forewarned, though, if you don't like vulgar characters, this isn't the book for you.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It took about a third of the way through the book to really get into it and understand all that was going on in the story. Though it is not a book I would normally pick up, it was definitely worth my time. At some point it gets a little over the top (the sobbing and laughing seemed extreme), but still enjoyable.
I am so glad I got this book. It is a truly romantic book--not in the sense of a man and woman, but in the sense of the time, place, and food. The book description speaks of the romance between Davido and Mari, but that is only a small part of the book. The story is about love, greed, secrets, prejudices, and so much more.
Now, there are some things about this book that can turn readers off. The first of those are what I previously mentioned--a narrator and footnotes. In addition, the book is crude and a bit vulgar. There are quite a few references to the male genitalia and sexual innuendo. For some, this can be a real turn-off to continuing the read. For me, it wasn't...it added to the depth of the characters. They were vulgar and crude. Be forewarned, though, if you don't like vulgar characters, this isn't the book for you.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It took about a third of the way through the book to really get into it and understand all that was going on in the story. Though it is not a book I would normally pick up, it was definitely worth my time. At some point it gets a little over the top (the sobbing and laughing seemed extreme), but still enjoyable.
