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The Cookbook Collector

Allegra Goodman

Start date: October 1, 2010

Finish date: November 30, 2010

Discussion: Group Book Discussion

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What Members Thought

Aug 22, 2010 Bookmarks Magazine rated it really liked it

Shelves: sept-oct-2010

Many reviewers described Goodman as the Jane Austen of the modern day, and comparisons of the deftly written The Cookbook Collector to Sense and Sensibility are not without merit. Although a few critics thought that the characters merely served the plot, which at times seemed forced, the majority thoroughly enjoyed Goodman's expert exploration of Jewish theology, cooking, technology, environmental radicalism, philosophy, and rare-book collecting. Most important, however, Goodman asks the big que ...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Cherylann rated it liked it

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Eh... I'd like to really trash this book because I'm disappointed. I can't though. I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I picked it up the end of last summer. I had been hearing a lot about it. I saved it for vacation reading, but never got to it. I then placed it on my bookshelf, deciding to save it for a time when I could sit down and really enjoy it. That time was this week. Enjoy it - not so much. First, I just didn't like the plot. I expected there to be more about this myste Eh... I'd like to really trash this book because I'm disappointed. I can't though. I was really looking forward to reading this novel. I picked it up the end of last summer. I had been hearing a lot about it. I saved it for vacation reading, but never got to it. I then placed it on my bookshelf, deciding to save it for a time when I could sit down and really enjoy it. That time was this week. Enjoy it - not so much. First, I just didn't like the plot. I expected there to be more about this mysterious cookbook collector. I felt like the creation of the rare cookbook collection was simply a device to move along a romantic plotline. It seemed a bit contrived. I had trouble with the setting - I probably should have realized I would going into the book, but I didn't really think about it. As someone who watched her portfolio go way up and then way down when the dot.com bubble burst, it was a bit rough to live through it again. However, reliving the events of Sept. 11, 2001 was even more difficult. As I sit here on the eve of the 10th anniversary, I'm dreading the media coverage that will come with the remembrance. I lived a scant 20 miles from the Towers. I saw them every day. I saw the smoke billowing from the site. I heard silence and then only the sound of fighter planes over my house. I comforted those who lost loved ones that day, and I waited patiently for my neighbors who worked in the financial district to return home that evening. While I was not at Ground Zero that day, that day had a profound effect on my life, and I'm just not ready to return to those feelings. The book caused me to relive some of those moments, and I wasn't ready for that. This, of course, is my own bias and has nothing to do with the author. In fact, there were lines that were beautifully written about the attacks. Lines that made me stop because of their shear beauty and simplicity. But I digress. I also didn't care for the characters. Emily seemed so driven and hard. Jess seemed flighty. Ultimately, they appeared to be the same at the end of the novel as at the beginning - which to me seemed impossible. The time period was too long, and too many dramatic events happened to them for there to be stasis. Goodman's writing reminded me a Craftsman style home. There were some beautiful details, but it was not overly ornate. And yes, as I finished it, I found myself disappointed. Will this book be one that sticks with me? I don't know. Only time will tell. Will my opinion change about it? Perhaps. I think this could be a good discussion book. And I wonder given the opportunity to discuss the novel with others how my feelings about it might change. ...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Gayla Bassham rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010-reads

This is not the tour de force that Intuition was, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't find the tech boom/Silicon Valley milieu boring at all--I thought it was a lot of fun to read about. Since the book is set in 1999 - 2001, of course September 11 looms over everything, but I thought it was well-handled. The characters were all well drawn (particularly Emily, whom I thought to be more original than Jess, who was a Marianne Dashwood clone), and although many of the plot turns could be gues ...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2010

I savored this book. No pun intended. I really loved the character development and the writing. For those who are wondering, this is a book about relationships-- love and trust. It is not a memoir about cooking or cookbooks :) Rather it contains well-written insight into the people we "invest in", and into how we love them, trust them, and get return on our "investments". A great choice for a book club- lots of discussion here. ...more

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