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A review by left_coast_justin
On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome, with Love and Pasta by Jen Lin-Liu
4.0
I'm inclined to like this book, because:
1) It has recipes; and
2) I made one of the recipes (Pork Belly Sauce) for a couple of Chinese friends, and the wife of the couple got all dreamy-eyed and said it reminded her of her childhood.
What the book isn't is one of those insufferable tales of going to Provence or Tuscany or New Zealand and reinventing a blissful life over a plate of heavenly food and glass of perfect wine, surrounded by your new perfect, colorful friends. Although, actually, it kinda got that way at the end, when she finally fetched up in Naples and Bologna, Italy.
The author wrestled with many dilemmas, out loud and right there on the page, and this turned a lot of readers off. In fairness, though, how does one write a lighthearted and fun travel saga about a country in which women are not allowed out of doors without a male chaperone, or where they cannot choose their spouse, or cannot go to school? A good part of the middle of this book takes place in the highly repressive nations of Turkmenistan and Iran, and while she seeks out positive experiences there, it's hard to fault her for finding them oppressive.
Did we need quite so many reminders that marriage forces uncomfortable compromises? Probably not, but while some reviewers reference her 'constant whining,' I doubt if these introspective passages made up more than 5% to 10% of the text.
Not as fun as her first book, but I attribute that to the fact that growing up is less fun than being young, unattached and able to enjoy a high degree of freedom. Four stars is perhaps generous, but given the claptrap that this genre generally produces, this is still a cut above average.
1) It has recipes; and
2) I made one of the recipes (Pork Belly Sauce) for a couple of Chinese friends, and the wife of the couple got all dreamy-eyed and said it reminded her of her childhood.
What the book isn't is one of those insufferable tales of going to Provence or Tuscany or New Zealand and reinventing a blissful life over a plate of heavenly food and glass of perfect wine, surrounded by your new perfect, colorful friends. Although, actually, it kinda got that way at the end, when she finally fetched up in Naples and Bologna, Italy.
The author wrestled with many dilemmas, out loud and right there on the page, and this turned a lot of readers off. In fairness, though, how does one write a lighthearted and fun travel saga about a country in which women are not allowed out of doors without a male chaperone, or where they cannot choose their spouse, or cannot go to school? A good part of the middle of this book takes place in the highly repressive nations of Turkmenistan and Iran, and while she seeks out positive experiences there, it's hard to fault her for finding them oppressive.
Did we need quite so many reminders that marriage forces uncomfortable compromises? Probably not, but while some reviewers reference her 'constant whining,' I doubt if these introspective passages made up more than 5% to 10% of the text.
Not as fun as her first book, but I attribute that to the fact that growing up is less fun than being young, unattached and able to enjoy a high degree of freedom. Four stars is perhaps generous, but given the claptrap that this genre generally produces, this is still a cut above average.