Although labeled a novel, Kitchens more closely
resembles a set of linked stories, in the first half of which Eva
Thorvald, the protagonist, is a child.
Eva is gifted with an exceptional palate and through the course of the
book's twenty years becomes the most celebrated chef in America, one
whose exquisite dishes are available only through highly-sought-after,
ticketed dinners at venues across the U.S. The second half of the book
circles around Eva more distantly, through the exquisitely-portrayed
(and sometimes skewered) lives of a large cast of secondary characters. Although there were a couple times early on when I considered dropping the book altogether (one chapter in particular just seemed too dark and too mean), I soldiered on and I'm so glad I did. I soon found myself laughing out loud, recognizing fictional characters that matched (to a T) individuals I'd known in Wisconsin, and marveling at the heartfelt poignance of some of the scenes. Originally from Minnesota, Stradal is a confident debut writer, maybe because writing is just one thing he does well (he's also a TV producer who knows a bit about food and a whole lot more about wine -- food and wine pairings feature prominently in the novel).
In the funniest
parts, Stradal pokes gentle fun at Midwestern county-fair-bake-sale participants (who apparently haven't changed much since the fifties), but also at those
hyper-fastidious eaters within the new food culture who are more obsessed with
what they can't or won't eat than with what they can or will. A New
York Times reviewer points
out in a positive review that describes Kitchens as
"a gastronomic portrait of a region," that "Stradal reserves his
most gleeful satire for the overwrought foodies who rock back and forth in
their chairs, weeping and licking their dishes, in response to a $5,000-a-plate
dinner for which they’ve spent four years on the waiting list."
So, set aside
any pre-conceived notions of what a novel should be and hop aboard for this
fun, fast-moving ride. You may even decide to read the book twice, as the large
cast of characters who re-appear only after the passage of many pages and years can be tricky
to keep track of first time 'round (the book ought to come with a schematic). I wouldn't
want to read book after book structured this way, but like the occasional gooey dessert, this book was pretty delicious.
~Ann, Adult Services
~Ann, Adult Services
