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sophieborchart 's review for:
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
by Allison Pataki
3.6/5
I enjoyed this book more than expected - I'm not always the biggest fan of historical fiction, but I learned a lot of history I didn't know at all. It was very interesting learning the history behind how Kraft (bought General Foods) came to be, and it is undeniable how much this once small-owned cereal company changed the food business forever. Marjorie seemed to be a very smart business woman, great mother, friend, and maintainer of art. Art comes in many forms, and learning about the architecture behind her many homes, paintings and decor, and jewelry sometimes came off in a privileged manner, but it stuck with me how she said these are investments that will be passed down for generations and appreciated forever, which is the case.
I enjoyed learning how much she gave back and supported the community and country. I felt this wasn't a perfect 5 for me because I felt she was written as if everything came very easily to her. I understand she was a smart and intuitive woman and made many important decisions, but it was written almost as if it was common sense. When the war started and Pataki wrote her response to simply just be "come up with new recipes! problem solved" it felt like diminishing the actuality of the intensity of the situation. So overall I felt she was written as if things were handed to her, rather than showing how hard she worked to achieve the successes herself.
I also felt some of the writing was a bit excessive. I understand Pataki was trying to demonstrate the beauty, luxury, and magnitude of what Marjorie was witnessing, but sometimes it was annoying (for lack of a better word) to read and seemed a bit out of touch.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable historical fiction read. It did read a bit like a biography, but I thought Pataki did a good job of giving Marjorie personality and the dialogue was dramatic and captivating. It showed the many emotions she went through over the course of her 4 husbands and emphasized her independence and what she learned throughout each of them. She seemed to be very progressive and ahead of her time, doing what was right regardless of scandal.
I do think it would have been nice to have a snippet at the end saying what happened to General Foods after her death, showing how it's now Kraft, but I know the book was about her life and not necessarily the company.
Also, small marks off because the book was divided in 4 parts based off each husband - while I see the logic behind this and how it helps the flow of the book, it makes her life seem dictated by men a bit, making each section about the man she's with instead of her. I understand your partner is a big part of who you are, especially because her husbands often dictated how she spent her time (i.e in the USSR when she didn't want to be there). Just a thought. Overall I'm glad I read it and would recommend to historical fiction fans.
I enjoyed this book more than expected - I'm not always the biggest fan of historical fiction, but I learned a lot of history I didn't know at all. It was very interesting learning the history behind how Kraft (bought General Foods) came to be, and it is undeniable how much this once small-owned cereal company changed the food business forever. Marjorie seemed to be a very smart business woman, great mother, friend, and maintainer of art. Art comes in many forms, and learning about the architecture behind her many homes, paintings and decor, and jewelry sometimes came off in a privileged manner, but it stuck with me how she said these are investments that will be passed down for generations and appreciated forever, which is the case.
I enjoyed learning how much she gave back and supported the community and country. I felt this wasn't a perfect 5 for me because I felt she was written as if everything came very easily to her. I understand she was a smart and intuitive woman and made many important decisions, but it was written almost as if it was common sense. When the war started and Pataki wrote her response to simply just be "come up with new recipes! problem solved" it felt like diminishing the actuality of the intensity of the situation. So overall I felt she was written as if things were handed to her, rather than showing how hard she worked to achieve the successes herself.
I also felt some of the writing was a bit excessive. I understand Pataki was trying to demonstrate the beauty, luxury, and magnitude of what Marjorie was witnessing, but sometimes it was annoying (for lack of a better word) to read and seemed a bit out of touch.
Overall, this book was an enjoyable historical fiction read. It did read a bit like a biography, but I thought Pataki did a good job of giving Marjorie personality and the dialogue was dramatic and captivating. It showed the many emotions she went through over the course of her 4 husbands and emphasized her independence and what she learned throughout each of them. She seemed to be very progressive and ahead of her time, doing what was right regardless of scandal.
I do think it would have been nice to have a snippet at the end saying what happened to General Foods after her death, showing how it's now Kraft, but I know the book was about her life and not necessarily the company.
Also, small marks off because the book was divided in 4 parts based off each husband - while I see the logic behind this and how it helps the flow of the book, it makes her life seem dictated by men a bit, making each section about the man she's with instead of her. I understand your partner is a big part of who you are, especially because her husbands often dictated how she spent her time (i.e in the USSR when she didn't want to be there). Just a thought. Overall I'm glad I read it and would recommend to historical fiction fans.