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heatherp23's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
natalie_rosemary's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
samstillreading's review
4.0
The Language of Food takes a real-life historical figure in Eliza Acton and fictionalises her story of creating a cookbook. You may think that is nothing out of the ordinary, but in 1830s London, it was a big deal. Cookbooks were few and far between, and rarely gave set quantities or even a list of ingredients. (No wonder that the cooking was done by only a few women, and fancy French chefs). Eliza hadn’t even cooked before beginning work on her cookbook – as a lady, it wasn’t the done thing to go to the kitchens. But Eliza’s family has come upon hard times, and even though she dreams of have more of her poetry published, she’s realistic. So she sets up in her family’s boarding house where she will do all the cooking with the aid of her maid and assistant Ann Kirby.
Ann is new to being a servant and mourning the forced separation of her own family. But with Eliza, her senses come alive, tasting new flavours and learning how to perfect a range of dishes. Soon Ann’s skills rival Eliza’s, but the pair get along very well. During their time testing and refining recipes, there are various events, both big and small affecting their lives. Ann finds out the truth about her family, while Eliza is pressured to marry to save the family fortunes. Overall, it’s a gentle novel without huge conflicts or drama, just two women making their way through life as best they can. Perhaps some more drama would have made the story the edge of your seat material, but you can’t really fake history when the characters are real people too.
The story is easy to read, told in alternate first-person chapters between Eliza and Ann. Their differences but more so their similarities are highlighted as the story goes on. They are both smart women, whom society will not allow to reach to their full potential. Labelled as a spinster, or poor, or mad, it is near impossible for them to make their presence known. Luckily, they both love cooking and even though Ann is not mentioned in Eliza’s eventual cookbook, their legacy lies on the page, right down to the recipe format we know today. It’s a well-researched novel that is both informative about history and entertaining too.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Ann is new to being a servant and mourning the forced separation of her own family. But with Eliza, her senses come alive, tasting new flavours and learning how to perfect a range of dishes. Soon Ann’s skills rival Eliza’s, but the pair get along very well. During their time testing and refining recipes, there are various events, both big and small affecting their lives. Ann finds out the truth about her family, while Eliza is pressured to marry to save the family fortunes. Overall, it’s a gentle novel without huge conflicts or drama, just two women making their way through life as best they can. Perhaps some more drama would have made the story the edge of your seat material, but you can’t really fake history when the characters are real people too.
The story is easy to read, told in alternate first-person chapters between Eliza and Ann. Their differences but more so their similarities are highlighted as the story goes on. They are both smart women, whom society will not allow to reach to their full potential. Labelled as a spinster, or poor, or mad, it is near impossible for them to make their presence known. Luckily, they both love cooking and even though Ann is not mentioned in Eliza’s eventual cookbook, their legacy lies on the page, right down to the recipe format we know today. It’s a well-researched novel that is both informative about history and entertaining too.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
isobelo's review
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
redheadreading's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Loved the focus on poetry and food! It felt like we danced a bit around the fundamental class differences between Eliza and Ann but that's probably a good thing to be doing subtly and not hitting you over the head. I found this immensely readable, although it did lose a little steam for me as it went, perhaps just due to the quiet and domestic nature of the narrative. Quite an abrupt ending!
maus652's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
It's difficult to decide whether to give it a 4 star or a 3 and a bit. I enjoyed it while I was reading it. I enjoyed the language used around the food and cooking. I like the characterisation of Anne.
There are some scenes which... I don't know if they actually added to the story. There is some unnecessary drama around Ann's employment early on for example.
It's nice prose but I think that unfortunately for Eliza, Ann is the more interesting character - perhaps from the fact she has had to have her life entirely fictionalised! Which is a shame because Eliza Acton absolutely should be interesting. And in some ways she is, but her personal development is quite stunted. The author cites some past history and family legend around the mystery of her life and embellished which works for the story, but on reading around it, there isn't much historical evidence to back up the plot point.
If I keep thinking back on it I will probably raise it to a four but right now I am unsure whether I would read it again, which lowers the rating for me.
I read it for a bookclub, so shall be interested to see what others think.
There are some scenes which... I don't know if they actually added to the story. There is some unnecessary drama around Ann's employment early on for example.
It's nice prose but I think that unfortunately for Eliza, Ann is the more interesting character - perhaps from the fact she has had to have her life entirely fictionalised! Which is a shame because Eliza Acton absolutely should be interesting. And in some ways she is, but her personal development is quite stunted. The author cites some past history and family legend around the mystery of her life and embellished which works for the story, but on reading around it, there isn't much historical evidence to back up the plot point.
If I keep thinking back on it I will probably raise it to a four but right now I am unsure whether I would read it again, which lowers the rating for me.
I read it for a bookclub, so shall be interested to see what others think.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, and Dementia
Minor: Alcoholism and Physical abuse
girlglitch's review
4.0
The Language of Food is a charming novel about Eliza Acton, pioneering Victorian cookery writer. The story is straightforward, narrated alternately by Eliza and her assistant Ann. But there are threads of poetry throughout - not only lines from Eliza's own poetry collection, but Abbs' descriptions of food, cooking and self-expression also hold their own lyricism.
At times the structure is a little too formulaic, and the characters can be quite trite, but The Language of Food has all the ingredients of an engaging historical novel.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
At times the structure is a little too formulaic, and the characters can be quite trite, but The Language of Food has all the ingredients of an engaging historical novel.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
hannahhacq's review
4.0
This was cute and I wanted to finish it quickly, especially at the second half. I liked it!
charlottereadshistory's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The dream of becoming a full-time poetess for Eliza Acton come to an abrupt halt when a publisher tells her to write a cookbook instead as 'poetry is not the business of a lady'. Incensed, she leaves the publishers office.
Unfortunately not long after, Eliza is forced to reconsider - her father has mismanaged the family's finances and has fled to the continent, leaving Eliza and her mother to sell the family seat and take in boarders in a rental elsewhere. Unable to afford a cook, Eliza decides to do the cooking herself and hires Ann Kirby as a general help below stairs.
I found the heartbreaking depiction of Ann and her family's destitution difficult to read at points. Coming from abject rural poverty, with a drunkard and war-wounded father and a mother quickly succumbing to serious dementia, Ann's life is bleak to the extreme.
It's therefore no wonder that Ann leaps at the chance of going into service for Eliza, and it's gratifying to see her confidence and her health grow as she works on recipes with Eliza for her cookbook. Scenes where they both find their passion for flavour and cookery are evocative and great fun to read.
Yet Ann still grapples with serious guilt about leaving her parents behind - her father seems unable to take care of himself her mother gets sent to a hospital for people with mental illnesses, but it quickly becomes clear she's being cruelly mistreated.
What struck me is how oblivious Eliza was to Ann's situation - which at the time was how it would be, I'm sure, however the juxtaposition of Eliza and her mother feeling they were 'down and out' yet still living in what seemed like heavenly luxury to Ann really stayed with me.
Flashbacks from Eliza's past also pepper the book, and family secrets are revealed which also cast Eliza as a much more complicated character than she first seems.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was fascinating to learn more about Eliza Acton and her recipes, but also sobering to be reminded of another thing Victorian England was famous for - it's brutal poverty. Abbs's inclusion of the social commentary in the novel gave it so much more depth. The subject matter could easily have made a frivolous, cutesy book but I much prefer that she spends time on the darkness of the character's lives too.
Unfortunately not long after, Eliza is forced to reconsider - her father has mismanaged the family's finances and has fled to the continent, leaving Eliza and her mother to sell the family seat and take in boarders in a rental elsewhere. Unable to afford a cook, Eliza decides to do the cooking herself and hires Ann Kirby as a general help below stairs.
I found the heartbreaking depiction of Ann and her family's destitution difficult to read at points. Coming from abject rural poverty, with a drunkard and war-wounded father and a mother quickly succumbing to serious dementia, Ann's life is bleak to the extreme.
It's therefore no wonder that Ann leaps at the chance of going into service for Eliza, and it's gratifying to see her confidence and her health grow as she works on recipes with Eliza for her cookbook. Scenes where they both find their passion for flavour and cookery are evocative and great fun to read.
Yet Ann still grapples with serious guilt about leaving her parents behind - her father seems unable to take care of himself her mother gets sent to a hospital for people with mental illnesses, but it quickly becomes clear she's being cruelly mistreated.
What struck me is how oblivious Eliza was to Ann's situation - which at the time was how it would be, I'm sure, however the juxtaposition of Eliza and her mother feeling they were 'down and out' yet still living in what seemed like heavenly luxury to Ann really stayed with me.
Flashbacks from Eliza's past also pepper the book, and family secrets are revealed which also cast Eliza as a much more complicated character than she first seems.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was fascinating to learn more about Eliza Acton and her recipes, but also sobering to be reminded of another thing Victorian England was famous for - it's brutal poverty. Abbs's inclusion of the social commentary in the novel gave it so much more depth. The subject matter could easily have made a frivolous, cutesy book but I much prefer that she spends time on the darkness of the character's lives too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent