Scan barcode
casspro's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first of Bourdain's fiction that I've read and in all honesty, it isn't too far from his travel and food writing. The main character is a tall, skinny, tough-guy sous chef working in a restaurant who just wants to get out of his current situation. Not so different from Tony himself in Kitchen Confidential. The humor and flow of the novel reads like it sounds coming from Bourdain's mouth. It's very definitively his novel.
capellini's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
I received a copy of this book as a gift.
"Bone in the Throat" is the debut novel from Anthony Bourdain. Tommy Pagana wants nothing more than to make a name for himself as a chef, and with his passion and talent he thinks he should be able to. Unfortunately, fame will have to wait as he works his way up in the kitchens of New York City, and Tommy takes a position working in his uncle's kitchen. Shockingly, Tommy is witness to a brutal murder in the restaurant, and now he must decide if he should turn his uncle in and risk his own life or keep his mouth shut and possibly be blamed for the crime.
I thought this was a well written book that was entertaining and will appeal to those who like true crime books in the vein of "Law & Order". Although this is not my typical type of story, I can objectively appreciate its complexities and intrigue. I also did not anticipate what the characters were going to decide to do next, which made the experience more fun.
This type of story is interesting because the reader knows from the beginning who murdered who, and the reader is just waiting for the rest of the characters to catch up and reveal what they know. My heart went out to Tommy because he was truly in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he battled with himself about what to do. Crossing his uncle would mean that his life could be on the line because of his uncle's ties with the mafia. He just wants to be a chef, and that could all be at risk now because of his family. I also completely understand not wanting to tell the police, because the police can only do so much to protect you.
The other characters are a little rough around the edges and plagued with their own problems and ties to this murder. Their mannerisms and backstories made the novel feel all the grittier and high stakes.
This book has its audience, and if you enjoy violent, mafia murders, I recommend this one for you!
"Bone in the Throat" is the debut novel from Anthony Bourdain. Tommy Pagana wants nothing more than to make a name for himself as a chef, and with his passion and talent he thinks he should be able to. Unfortunately, fame will have to wait as he works his way up in the kitchens of New York City, and Tommy takes a position working in his uncle's kitchen. Shockingly, Tommy is witness to a brutal murder in the restaurant, and now he must decide if he should turn his uncle in and risk his own life or keep his mouth shut and possibly be blamed for the crime.
I thought this was a well written book that was entertaining and will appeal to those who like true crime books in the vein of "Law & Order". Although this is not my typical type of story, I can objectively appreciate its complexities and intrigue. I also did not anticipate what the characters were going to decide to do next, which made the experience more fun.
This type of story is interesting because the reader knows from the beginning who murdered who, and the reader is just waiting for the rest of the characters to catch up and reveal what they know. My heart went out to Tommy because he was truly in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he battled with himself about what to do. Crossing his uncle would mean that his life could be on the line because of his uncle's ties with the mafia. He just wants to be a chef, and that could all be at risk now because of his family. I also completely understand not wanting to tell the police, because the police can only do so much to protect you.
The other characters are a little rough around the edges and plagued with their own problems and ties to this murder. Their mannerisms and backstories made the novel feel all the grittier and high stakes.
This book has its audience, and if you enjoy violent, mafia murders, I recommend this one for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Drug use, Gun violence, Stalking, Torture, and Kidnapping
coloradocarrie's review against another edition
2.0
I am such an Anthony Bourdain fan and I was bummed that this book was not that great. It ended way to quickly.
angelh316's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
asangtani's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as his nonfictional books. It's murder without murder mystery as cops are trying to infiltrate an Italian crime family.
jeffmauch's review against another edition
3.0
While I was/am a huge fan of Bourdain the travel writer and television host, I expected this delving into fiction to be average at best. While the story itself was pretty good, the dialogue between characters was rough. The characters were stereotypical especially the cops and mobsters to the point of being caricatures with everything being embellished to the nth degree. It's clear the main chef character is largely based on Bourdain, drug problem and all. Overall there is a solid plot here with a coherent story line and pacing that keeps you interested throughout. What's not to love really, mobsters overly involved in the restaurant business in New York while police are running surveillance on them, all with a couple chefs find themselves in the midst of it all. Given some practice, I think Bourdain could have developed into a fairly good fiction writer, but I guess we'll never know now.
jezebe11e's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I had high hopes, having read and enjoyed Bourdain's nonfiction. This lacked a lot in plot and was peppered with slurs that made me cringe. Yes, I get that it's part of how the characters talk, but that doesn't make it bother me less.
You can definitely tell it was written by a chef, though. There are lots of passages that go into great and loving detail around food and its preparation.
You can definitely tell it was written by a chef, though. There are lots of passages that go into great and loving detail around food and its preparation.