A review by versmonesprit
Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

0.25

I get hungry from reading menus, that’s how easily triggered my appetite is. So when you consider that throughout an entire book called Gourmet Rhapsody, I did not once—NOT ONCE—feel any desire for the food written upon (which included some of my absolute favourites) that should be enough proof of just how badly written this is. It’s obvious Barbery doesn’t have a real understanding of food, because her descriptions lack the soul and precision of descriptions and critiques made by actual gourmets. There are things you cannot fake in life, and food criticism is one of them. Trying too hard to sound knowledgeable about food only sounds amateurish.

The titular gourmet’s narration is interrupted by one-off “inputs” from far too many other characters, all of which are basically the exact same thing reheated over and over again . . . and none of the narrators have an authentic voice: the bitter concierge, the sorrowful wife, the cat, the chef, the gourmet… they all sound exactly the same. Makes you wonder why Barbery chose first person narration for her book, when she clearly is not capable of writing first person.

I have nothing but profound animosity for this book that has made reading a dreaded experience for me for the past 4 days. Pure garbage.