My Life in France
by Alex Prud'Homme, Julia Child
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.90 You Save: $12.10 (76%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of My Life in France
Book Review: A DELICIOUS MEMOIR
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I have to say that I'm not into cooking or cookbooks, but after reading so many wonderful reviews on Amazon, I decided that I had to read it.
From all the great reviews that I had read, my expectations were pretty high, but the book actually exceeded my expectations. Where do I start? Julia Child along with her husband's grand nephew, who happens to be a good writer, Alex Prud'Homme, effectively draw the reader into a French life fully lived by Julia and her husband, Paul. The descriptions of the land, the food, the people and the way of life are beautifully described in this loving memoir. I also saw a different side of Julia, one that is playful, humorous and really down to earth, while at the same time she was very detail oriented and totally dedicated to her craft. The book also features lovely pictures of Paris and other places where she and Paul visited or lived taken by Paul, as he was a skilled artist and a photographer. There are words and phrases sprinkled throughout in French (some are translated in English, others are not) and it helped that I know some French. The story picks up right after Julia gets married and moves to Paris for her husband's job. She instantly falls in love with France especially its cuisine inspiring her to start cooking. What a wonderful life she had! A great read whether you're into cooking or not.
Book Review: Not who I thought she was
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always loved cooking, my mother was an amazing cook and I like to think I learned a thing or two from her. I bought my Mom this book and decided I wanted to read it myself. Before I picked up this book, I only had really thought of Julia Child in the past 20 years with her TV show. The dancing chicken, need I say more. I always had thought of her as a caricature of a person, more an American making fun of French cooking. I realize this is my naïveté but alas this was the impression I had from her TV show.
I am SO glad that I read this book. I know have a wonderful understanding of how she evolved into food, into a relationship later in life, into her love for France. All things that I can relate to as a woman who found love for a man and food later in life as well. I married at 38, we honeymooned in Paris and I now take great pleasure in cooking as I did previously but I appreciate the ingredients and how they go together. I felt a kinship with Julia as I read the book. I have to admit, I was envious, she lived a life I wish I had.
I want to apologize for not understanding who she really was but am eternally grateful for this book which introduced me to the real Julia Child. I am now eagerly waiting to buy both of her Mastering the Art of French Cooking books.
Enjoy, I did!
Book Review: Utterly Julia
Summary: 5 Stars
Absolutely heartfelt, charmingly candid memoir from the woman who practically single-handedly brought French cuisine to the American kitchen. It's how she became who she became, in her own words.
I read this concurrently with MFK Fisher's immortal The Gastronomical Me and Ian Kelly's biography Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Careme. Fisher was a gastronome, an appreciator and a highly sensitive writer; Careme was a showman and an innovator with a gift for the spectacular. There is no one definition for a foodie... they're as different as human beings. In this exalted company, Julia more than stands her ground.
Speaking in her own clear words, Julia stands out as a sensible, fun-loving, seriously dedicated chef, student and teacher whose passion for her subject carries over to, and is an offshoot of, her love of life in general. It's virtually impossible to read this autobiography and be downhearted. Her joie de vivre, sense of adventure, experimentation, wonder and simple delight in discovery and sharing are contagious and much needed in a chilly world.
I recommend this warm and engaging autobiography not just for those who enjoy cooking, but for anyone who would like a torch along the path to finding their own joy in life. Unmissable and life-enhancing.
Book Review: "Save the Liver!"
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I read this book, I had a preconceived notion of Julia Child. She had taken on an almost cartoon-like character in my mind, due to a "Saturday Night Live" skit, and other various comedy acts. I had never watched one of her cooking shows, or had read one of her cookbooks. Yet I was also aware that most of my favorite chefs and cookbook authors mentioned her as a source of inspiration. I decided to put my prejudice aside and learn about this woman.
I loved reading "My Life In France". Julia turned out to be inspiring, warm, witty, and a new role model for me. She took up cooking in her mid to late 30's. Her first cookbook wasn't published until she was almost 50. She found her passion in life, and embraced it completely. One sentence in this book just jumped out at me, "Good results require that one take time and care." Julia seemed to live her life this way. I also loved the fact that she was a 6'2" American living in Paris, who physically couldn't blend in with the crowd. This didn't prevent her from following her dreams, or embracing life and new experiences. She faced obstacles head on, and didn't dwell on lifes disappointments. She seemed to take good care of her husband, family and friends. Those relationships came first, and the rest seemed to fall into place. What a lovely lady.
Book Review: Absolutely Delicious
Summary: 5 Stars
Over the years, I watched Julia Child on television every chance I could, from the earliest days when she would whirl heavy pots and pans and kitchen machetes around as other women might have twirled a baton, to the later years when she was bent and obliged to leave the hefting to others but still kept her eagle eye on every step of the cooking process. I was a C- cook, and the only recipes of Julia's I ever used were a few omelette guidelines; I watched her because she was so delightful, witty, and impassioned.
Her Book, My Life in France, brims over with that glorious passion. Julia's voice, her joie de vivre, her vigor, and her impatience with the lazy and the boring bubble on every page. If "the god is in the details," then this book is heavenly, for it has a richness of details carefully selected not only from Child's memory, but from hundreds of pages of notebooks, letters, and cooking records of all sorts. In these my mature years, I have been reading mostly biographies and autobiographies; this volume of Julia Child's years in France is and will remain a favorite because of its honesty, sense of fun, and unflagging passion. It's delicious!