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readordievirgo's review against another edition
4.0
My rating: 3.8 (rating scale at bottom of review)
The content:
Absolutely amazing (high praise considering I’m vegetarian and suffice it to say Bourdain isn’t). This book makes me want to hop on a plane, travel around the world, and meet the people and taste the food he talks about. Although - his descriptions are so vivid and rich, I feel like I already know how the food tastes.
The writing style:
I struggled with this. It felt almost too fast paced and frenzied to me, to the point where it started to get overwhelming. This works well when he’s describing driving on terrible roads and I feel a lump in my throat reading about the near-misses with terrifying drivers. It doesn’t work so well for me when I was basking in his descriptions of the majesty and peacefulness of unending sand and stars in the desert, and I’m suddenly catapulted on the next page into the very same hair-raising driving experience.
Overall:
I read to see the world through other people’s eyes. This book did exactly that for me, and did a loyal job of chronicling Anthony Bourdain’s voice and spirit.
My rating scale:
5: Loved this book, easily a favorite for me.
4: The book masterfully does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s not a forever favorite of mine, but it’s excellent.
3: It’s nice, I enjoyed reading it. Probably will forget about it tomorrow.
2: It’s alright. Probably wouldn’t mind reading it in the doctor’s waiting room.
1: Absolutely not for me.
The content:
Absolutely amazing (high praise considering I’m vegetarian and suffice it to say Bourdain isn’t). This book makes me want to hop on a plane, travel around the world, and meet the people and taste the food he talks about. Although - his descriptions are so vivid and rich, I feel like I already know how the food tastes.
The writing style:
I struggled with this. It felt almost too fast paced and frenzied to me, to the point where it started to get overwhelming. This works well when he’s describing driving on terrible roads and I feel a lump in my throat reading about the near-misses with terrifying drivers. It doesn’t work so well for me when I was basking in his descriptions of the majesty and peacefulness of unending sand and stars in the desert, and I’m suddenly catapulted on the next page into the very same hair-raising driving experience.
Overall:
I read to see the world through other people’s eyes. This book did exactly that for me, and did a loyal job of chronicling Anthony Bourdain’s voice and spirit.
My rating scale:
5: Loved this book, easily a favorite for me.
4: The book masterfully does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s not a forever favorite of mine, but it’s excellent.
3: It’s nice, I enjoyed reading it. Probably will forget about it tomorrow.
2: It’s alright. Probably wouldn’t mind reading it in the doctor’s waiting room.
1: Absolutely not for me.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Bourdain is his usual wry & frank self in "A Cook's Tour". This book is a blend of food and travel writing that's a companion to his former Food Network show of the same name. "Cook's Tour" is a series of essays where each one finds Bourdain in a different location trying a different dish.
josepht61's review against another edition
5.0
Bourdain has such a fun and brilliant writing voice. I loved each story and each one felt like it captured the time, place and country so perfectly.
adaukaus's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not the first, and won’t be the last person impacted by Tony. I am glad I lived in the same timeline as him. One day, I’ll go to Vietnam, with him echoing
casspro's review against another edition
2.0
A slow journey into Bourdain's travels. I prefer his Kitchen Confidential, which had more kick and bite to the narrative. Still an interesting read, but I missed the fire in the authors' voice.
thurman's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite things in reading is when you know the voice of the author and can read it / imagine how they'd sound narrating it. Anthony was a gem of a person and his books should be read by all.
ellie_gard_1998's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
I love to see the world (as it was, maybe, sort of, 24 years ago), through Tony's cynically tinted and rather battered rose-colored glasses.