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elysareadsitall's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"My Fine Fellow" is a historical novel inspired by "My Fair Lady" and the idea that Princess Charlotte never died and ushered in the Victorian Era. I liked the characters and the idea of Culinaria.
One of the major themes of the novel is feeling othered. One of our heroines is of mixed race (white father, Filipino mother), and the "fine fellow" Elijah is Jewish. Both characters are all too aware of their place in society and how people view their respective heritages. Cohen did a great job with these themes.
The story also focuses on food, so if you're interested in foodie stories, alternate history, and books exploring the problems of antisemitism and racism, you'll enjoy this novel.
One of the major themes of the novel is feeling othered. One of our heroines is of mixed race (white father, Filipino mother), and the "fine fellow" Elijah is Jewish. Both characters are all too aware of their place in society and how people view their respective heritages. Cohen did a great job with these themes.
The story also focuses on food, so if you're interested in foodie stories, alternate history, and books exploring the problems of antisemitism and racism, you'll enjoy this novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism and Racism
saurahsaurus's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Racism, Sexism, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol and Violence
missreaderaddict's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
jessaboohoo's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Xenophobia
shreka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Antisemitism, and Racial slurs
lastblossom's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr: A fun retelling of Pygmalion with a great culinary backdrop and a genuinely empathetic core. Great for people who like descriptions of food, and an empathetic look at living in the diaspora. Romance felt secondary, and might be disappointing.
About:
Henrietta Higgins is on her way to becoming a top Culinarian, with only her class's final project between her and stardom. When she and her best friend Penelope Pickering come across pasty chef Elijah Little, Henrietta knows she has the project that will catapult her to the top: turn a kid from the street into a respected gentleman chef. A gender-swapped version of Pygmalion/My Fair Lady.
What I Liked:
The three leads were all well-written with distinct personalities and ambitions. Penelope Pickering was bright, kind, and really a delightful character all-around. I liked the frank discussion about being mixed race, and would have loved to see even more time dedicated to her Filipino heritage. Elijah Little likewise was a delightful character - bold, determined, and very easy to cheer for. Another very frank discussion about his Jewish heritage, which build perfectly into his own journey. An interesting alternate reality England, although there wasn't a lot of time spent on world-building. A lot of food descriptions.
What Wasn't For Me:
Henrietta Higgins is going to be a sticking point for a lot of readers. She's not a very kind person, and being capable has only made her colder. The author gave her enough layers that it's possible to sympathize with her, and I mostly came around by the end. There was a pretty rough "I'm not racist, but-" moment from her that was truly hard to get through.The biggest plot change from the original inspiration shifts the romance from Higgins x Doolittle, to Pickering x Little. I understand why the change was made, as a Higgins x Little romance feels super weird. But without the tension of the original pairing, the romance wound up falling a little flat to me. A romantic rival was introduced, but he never really stood a chance. And one of my least favorite tropes - lack of communication - played into some drama at the end.
About:
Henrietta Higgins is on her way to becoming a top Culinarian, with only her class's final project between her and stardom. When she and her best friend Penelope Pickering come across pasty chef Elijah Little, Henrietta knows she has the project that will catapult her to the top: turn a kid from the street into a respected gentleman chef. A gender-swapped version of Pygmalion/My Fair Lady.
What I Liked:
The three leads were all well-written with distinct personalities and ambitions. Penelope Pickering was bright, kind, and really a delightful character all-around. I liked the frank discussion about being mixed race, and would have loved to see even more time dedicated to her Filipino heritage. Elijah Little likewise was a delightful character - bold, determined, and very easy to cheer for. Another very frank discussion about his Jewish heritage, which build perfectly into his own journey. An interesting alternate reality England, although there wasn't a lot of time spent on world-building. A lot of food descriptions.
What Wasn't For Me:
Henrietta Higgins is going to be a sticking point for a lot of readers. She's not a very kind person, and being capable has only made her colder. The author gave her enough layers that it's possible to sympathize with her, and I mostly came around by the end. There was a pretty rough "I'm not racist, but-" moment from her that was truly hard to get through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Antisemitism
Minor: Colonisation
abookandaspotoftea's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Racism
bookforthought's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's no secret by now that I adore retellings and I will read almost any of them, and the less overdone the original material, the better. So, I was really excited to hear that My Fair Lady was getting a retelling, especially since I loved the film version!
My Fine Fellow is a charming gender-flipped loose version of My Fair Lady, with a focus on cooking rather than language, in an alternate 1830s England where Culinarians are at the top of the social pyramid. I found the premise really intriguing, and this alternate version of society was fascinating and definitely reminded me of Netflix's Bridgerton in many ways.
This was a quick and easy read that definitely had a lot of sweet moments. At the same time though, I was left feeling like I wanted more of everything. The premise and setting were interesting, but I felt like I didn't get enough of them to really, properly understand the society, its structures and how these affected the characters. There were nonetheless some interesting reflections and representations (Elijah is Jewish and Penelope is of Filipina heritage) and I appreciated how these themes were inserted in the narrative.
Despite that, I just couldn't grow to care about the characters, which for me is a major issue when reading a book. They all felt quite flat and superficial, with no real depth and very limited growth arcs. The romance was cute, but all other relationships felt quite bland. The cooking and the trio's passion for it were interesting, but at times I was a bit confused by what was happening and I wasn't too sure of what the final dish was.
Overall, it's an easy, fun and charming read that's great if you're looking for a simple, entertaining read without much depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Classism and Racism
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
If you like Victorian England, cooking, and subtle romance, you'll probably thoroughly enjoy this book! It's a fun read, especially if you like things like baking shows and books like Pride and Prejudice. The characters are fully developed and there are just some marvelous descriptions of food throughout this book.
I would definitely recommend reading/listening to the author's note at the end, as it brings into the context the gender-swapped nature of history that the author is reimagining. I think it's a fun way to reimagine history, especially since women were so restricted at this partciular time. The emphasis on the fact that these women could do what they wanted was honestly a great take for this kind of book.
While some of the character swapping was difficult to follow (at least for me, listening to the book), I had fun reading this book and would defnitely recommend to those looking for a fun, light historical read.
I would definitely recommend reading/listening to the author's note at the end, as it brings into the context the gender-swapped nature of history that the author is reimagining. I think it's a fun way to reimagine history, especially since women were so restricted at this partciular time. The emphasis on the fact that these women could do what they wanted was honestly a great take for this kind of book.
While some of the character swapping was difficult to follow (at least for me, listening to the book), I had fun reading this book and would defnitely recommend to those looking for a fun, light historical read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Classism
Minor: Racism
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