Scan barcode
scarlxtc's review against another edition
4.0
so unsettling i couldn’t put it down !!! also perfect timing reading it after i visited vienna
sleepymare's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Vomit, Body shaming, and Bullying
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Racism
kate_in_a_book's review against another edition
3.0
The narrator is walking past a cake shop in Vienna when an old lady asks her to share a Gugelhupf (a yeasted cake common in Austria), because the shop only sells them whole. This turns into an invitation to the home of Frau Hohenembs, where she is quite forcefully encouraged to help eat the cake. At first the narrator’s unwillingness to partake seems like the usual misgivings of a woman watching her figure. Then she goes home and eats her half of the cake then makes herself throw up.
Yes, it’s a story about bulimia. And it doesn’t romanticise or shy away from the details. It turns out that the narrator has been keeping her illness at bay for years, but now that she has been triggered, she spirals downward. Soon, the only other thing in her life is her growing relationship with Frau Hohenembs and her housekeeper Ida. And it’s a weird relationship, with some weird people.
Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2017/08/25/like-a-poisonous-vine-a-complicated-network-of-lies-wound-its-way/
Yes, it’s a story about bulimia. And it doesn’t romanticise or shy away from the details. It turns out that the narrator has been keeping her illness at bay for years, but now that she has been triggered, she spirals downward. Soon, the only other thing in her life is her growing relationship with Frau Hohenembs and her housekeeper Ida. And it’s a weird relationship, with some weird people.
Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2017/08/25/like-a-poisonous-vine-a-complicated-network-of-lies-wound-its-way/
lan's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
beagrace's review against another edition
4.0
TW: eating disorders and bulimia
What an unbelievably odd book. I feel like I shouldn’t have enjoyed it because it was so disgusting and weird, but it was also hilarious and ridiculous and very fun to read.
I will never read it again though. I will also be very careful with who I recommend it to.
What an unbelievably odd book. I feel like I shouldn’t have enjoyed it because it was so disgusting and weird, but it was also hilarious and ridiculous and very fun to read.
I will never read it again though. I will also be very careful with who I recommend it to.
myeonghopabo's review
1.0
couldn't appreciate it. frankly quite triggering for people with EDs and too elusive in its main message that i completely doubted if there was any intelligent point to it.
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
3.0
I am at that stage in my reading life where I purchase Peirene books without even reading their blurbs, almost certain as I am that I will enjoy them, and find them striking and thought-provoking. I have only been disappointed with one of their titles to date, and they firmly remain one of my favourite publishing houses. When I spotted a deal on the Kindle store for Linda Stift's The Empress and the Cake then, I jumped at the chance of buying it, and read it the very next day.
The Empress and the Cake has been translated from its original German by Jamie Bulloch, and is set in Vienna. Its Austrian author has won many awards for her writing. The novella is part of Peirene's Fairy Tale: End of Innocence series. Of it, Meike Ziervogel, the founder of Peirene Press, writes: 'On the surface this is a clever thriller-cum-horror story of three women and their descent into addiction, crime and madness. And at times it's very funny. But don't be fooled. The book also offers an exploration of the way the mind creates its own realities and - quite often - deludes us into believing that we control what is actually controlling us.'
The Empress and the Cake is split into two distinct parts, and opens with our narrator standing in a cake shop, where she sees a woman acting rather strangely: 'She had no intention, so it appeared, of buying anything; she simply seemed to enjoy gazing at the layers of light and dark chocolate, the white cream toppings and the colourful sugar decorations'. This woman, who later introduces herself as Frau Hohenembs, asks the narrator to share a splendidly named Gugelhupf with her. Without explanation, the narrator then follows Frau Hohenembs to her apartment, under the pretence of eating cake and drinking coffee: 'And I really didn't have a clue what I was going to do with half a Gugelhupf after stuffing myself with cake at this woman's place. Even contemplating what might happen with my share was giving me a headache.'
A distinct contrast to Frau Hohenembs is her housekeeper, Ida: Frau Hohenembs 'definitely fell into the category of thin, if not emaciated. [Overweight] Ida rapidly ate four pieces of cake, one after the other...'. We find, rather soon, that our narrator suffered with bulimia when she was younger, and the gluttony of eating of the cake - something which she would ordinarily avoid - brings on a relapse: 'The grotesque face of my abnormality, which had lain dormant within me, resurfaced. It was the first time in fifteen years. I had always known that there was no safety net. But I hadn't suspected that it would arrive so unspectacularly, that it would not be preceded by a disaster such as heartbreak or dismissal or a death.'
The present-day story is interspersed with extracts from a fairytale-like text, which allows the reader to muse somewhat upon whose story it is, and who is doing the telling of it. These sections render the whole peculiar, yet beguiling; there is almost a compulsion to keep reading. Stift has cleverly, in such a restricted space as a novella, presented an almost impossible plot to correctly guess at. The Empress and the Cake is rather unsettling, particularly toward the end, but if you like quirky and unusual books, it is one which is well worth picking up.
The Empress and the Cake has been translated from its original German by Jamie Bulloch, and is set in Vienna. Its Austrian author has won many awards for her writing. The novella is part of Peirene's Fairy Tale: End of Innocence series. Of it, Meike Ziervogel, the founder of Peirene Press, writes: 'On the surface this is a clever thriller-cum-horror story of three women and their descent into addiction, crime and madness. And at times it's very funny. But don't be fooled. The book also offers an exploration of the way the mind creates its own realities and - quite often - deludes us into believing that we control what is actually controlling us.'
The Empress and the Cake is split into two distinct parts, and opens with our narrator standing in a cake shop, where she sees a woman acting rather strangely: 'She had no intention, so it appeared, of buying anything; she simply seemed to enjoy gazing at the layers of light and dark chocolate, the white cream toppings and the colourful sugar decorations'. This woman, who later introduces herself as Frau Hohenembs, asks the narrator to share a splendidly named Gugelhupf with her. Without explanation, the narrator then follows Frau Hohenembs to her apartment, under the pretence of eating cake and drinking coffee: 'And I really didn't have a clue what I was going to do with half a Gugelhupf after stuffing myself with cake at this woman's place. Even contemplating what might happen with my share was giving me a headache.'
A distinct contrast to Frau Hohenembs is her housekeeper, Ida: Frau Hohenembs 'definitely fell into the category of thin, if not emaciated. [Overweight] Ida rapidly ate four pieces of cake, one after the other...'. We find, rather soon, that our narrator suffered with bulimia when she was younger, and the gluttony of eating of the cake - something which she would ordinarily avoid - brings on a relapse: 'The grotesque face of my abnormality, which had lain dormant within me, resurfaced. It was the first time in fifteen years. I had always known that there was no safety net. But I hadn't suspected that it would arrive so unspectacularly, that it would not be preceded by a disaster such as heartbreak or dismissal or a death.'
The present-day story is interspersed with extracts from a fairytale-like text, which allows the reader to muse somewhat upon whose story it is, and who is doing the telling of it. These sections render the whole peculiar, yet beguiling; there is almost a compulsion to keep reading. Stift has cleverly, in such a restricted space as a novella, presented an almost impossible plot to correctly guess at. The Empress and the Cake is rather unsettling, particularly toward the end, but if you like quirky and unusual books, it is one which is well worth picking up.
jackielaw's review against another edition
5.0
The Empress and the Cake, by Linda Stift (translated by Jamie Bolloch), is the third and final book in the 2016 Peirene series, Fairy Tale: End of Innocence. These exquisite short works of fiction are the treasure discerning readers seek.
Set in Vienna, this latest tale centres around Frau Hohenembs, an elderly countess now living in a city apartment cluttered with objects from her past. She is cared for by a rotund housekeeper, Ida, who puts up with her mistress’s temper and quirks due to an oft repeated promise of a house in Corfu. The story is told from the point of view of a young women Frau Hohenembs meets at a local bakery. The countess offers a share of the cake she is buying and persuades the young woman to accompany her home, taking advantage of perceived weakness and a compliant nature.
Eating the cake triggers the young woman’s food addiction and she descends into a dangerous spiral of binge followed by purge. Meanwhile, Frau Hohenembs plans raids on city museums to reclaim items once owned by her icon, the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, referred to as Sissi.
Throughout the narrative are scattered anecdotes written by an unknown source who was close to the assassinated Empress, detailing episodes in her life. Sissi was obsessed with her looks, particularly her hair and weight. She observed a rigorous exercise regime and strictly controlled her diet. She would be sewn into her clothes and spend up to three hours a day having her exceptionally long hair styled and dressed.
Frau Hehenembs emulates this way of living, regularly berating Ida for lack of control in her consumption. When she notes that the young women, whose life she is now manipulating, has lost weight, she congratulates her even though the means by which this has occurred is evident.
The museum raids offer Frau Hehenembs a hold over her acolytes which she abuses dispassionately. When the young woman realises how she is being used she determines to escape.
There is a sinister undercurrent. The vagueness of the timeframe and the similarities between characters’ habits and foibles add shadows but also depth. The denouement is perfect.
The story is told with an elegant succinctness. The author understands that her readers will possess sufficient intelligence to read between the lines. The quality of the prose is a joy in itself, the spine tingling unfolding of the tale a pleasure to satisfy any literary palate.
There has been a trend recently for publishing big books. This offering proves that size is no indicator of value. I finished the story in a day but the pleasure lingers. You will feel no regrets indulging in this tale.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Peirene Press.
Set in Vienna, this latest tale centres around Frau Hohenembs, an elderly countess now living in a city apartment cluttered with objects from her past. She is cared for by a rotund housekeeper, Ida, who puts up with her mistress’s temper and quirks due to an oft repeated promise of a house in Corfu. The story is told from the point of view of a young women Frau Hohenembs meets at a local bakery. The countess offers a share of the cake she is buying and persuades the young woman to accompany her home, taking advantage of perceived weakness and a compliant nature.
Eating the cake triggers the young woman’s food addiction and she descends into a dangerous spiral of binge followed by purge. Meanwhile, Frau Hohenembs plans raids on city museums to reclaim items once owned by her icon, the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, referred to as Sissi.
Throughout the narrative are scattered anecdotes written by an unknown source who was close to the assassinated Empress, detailing episodes in her life. Sissi was obsessed with her looks, particularly her hair and weight. She observed a rigorous exercise regime and strictly controlled her diet. She would be sewn into her clothes and spend up to three hours a day having her exceptionally long hair styled and dressed.
Frau Hehenembs emulates this way of living, regularly berating Ida for lack of control in her consumption. When she notes that the young women, whose life she is now manipulating, has lost weight, she congratulates her even though the means by which this has occurred is evident.
The museum raids offer Frau Hehenembs a hold over her acolytes which she abuses dispassionately. When the young woman realises how she is being used she determines to escape.
There is a sinister undercurrent. The vagueness of the timeframe and the similarities between characters’ habits and foibles add shadows but also depth. The denouement is perfect.
The story is told with an elegant succinctness. The author understands that her readers will possess sufficient intelligence to read between the lines. The quality of the prose is a joy in itself, the spine tingling unfolding of the tale a pleasure to satisfy any literary palate.
There has been a trend recently for publishing big books. This offering proves that size is no indicator of value. I finished the story in a day but the pleasure lingers. You will feel no regrets indulging in this tale.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Peirene Press.
More...