6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Little Gem of a Book, June 27, 2008
This review is from: Chez Moi (Paperback)
Delightful little book I stumbled upon recently. Translated from French, this is the story of a woman who has lost everything and re-creates her world one piece at a time. I was constantly hungry as I read, and would love to have her restaurant in my neighborhood. Philosophy mixed in with food, friendship and life.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Make yourself at home in Chez Moi, July 1, 2008
This review is from: Chez Moi (Paperback)
Agnes Desarthe's Chez Moi is a classic novel in the style of
Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies and
Chocolat that revels in the sensual and emotional power of truly great food. Its narrator, Myriam, is a talented cook with a forged resume and a past tainted with disaster. At 43, Myriam feels that her life (including a failed attempt at motherhood) has been a failure, and her dearth of organizational abilities always leaves her in a bind. Her latest attempt is to open a restaurant with a staff of one: she doesn't want to hire waiters, cooks, or dishwashers, and she has no idea how a restaurant is run.
Despite a life tainted with tragedies, Myriam whips up extraordinary culinary concoctions that delight her audience. She shields herself from emotion with food, willing herself to forget about painful past betrayals and near-misses. But her small restaurant, which she's christened Chez Moi ("My house"), is her home, for she can't afford to rent an apartment and instead sleeps on the donated banquette and bathes in the large stainless steel sink.
The descriptions of food are heady and sensual, from delicate sauces to silken desserts. Ever practical, Myriam reuses things rather than throwing them out, and comes up with one menu for adults, another to cater to children.
Despite her lack of advertising (Chez Moi doesn't even have a sign proclaiming it's a restaurant), her creations attract a regular crowd of schoolgirls, young children, and workers. The neighboring florist Vincent, with breath that could kill an elephant, expresses romantic interest in her. When the talented waiter Ben appears, he helps Myriam by creating a website and bringing customers (and a catering business). Myriam is fascinated by Ben's physical awkwardness (he seems to have some mild physical impairment) and his asexuality (finally, a strong asexual character whose personality isn't defined by his asexuality!), his broad range of knowledge, and his talent in the kitchen. Ben puts Myriam in touch with a romantic figure from her past, and this has earth-shattering consequences for the timid, haunted Myriam.
There are mentions of Myriam's Jewishness, although fleeting, and of her family: successful little brother Charles, an eccentric aunt, and her disapproving parents, and the role that all of these characters have played in her development. Myriam's past failures threaten to engulf her, until her new network of co-workers and friends gives her the ability to move on.
Beautifully told, this portrait of a haunted woman and her talent in the kitchen will be sure to delight fans of Joanne Harris and Laura Esquivel.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful, April 7, 2009
This review is from: Chez Moi (Paperback)
I read it in one day and found it delightful. Chez Moi is a psychological novel, it dives into the mind of Myrian, who is also the narrator. She's mad and a liar, as she warns the reader right from the beginning. Personally, I think that's what makes the character amusing.
Now to the part of why I found it delightful whereas some people were bored to death. The narrator mixes present and past, the latter being revealed in small bites here and there. Adding on to that, if you've never read a psychological novel before, it may get a little confusing. I agree with the review that compares it to "Like water for chocolate". It is sensual but not vulgar, despite Myrian's "unforgivable" sins from the past. Some reviewers complained the story had no action. Well, if you're looking for Harry Potter-like adventure, no it doesn't. The story is both extremely agitated and light-hearted. The tension is in Myrian's mind, her attempts to reconcile with her past and live on.As the narrator is a cook, food is often the means to compare feelings, solve problems, forget the past. I found it rich in imagery, to the point I could almost see and smell the dishes she was serving. It' s a bit stretching to compare Myrian to Flaubert's Madame Bovary, although it surely reminded me of her - you know how the French love to explore the mind of an adulterous woman! Myrian is kind of a 21st century Madame Bovary without the tragic ending. It is interesting to note that, in France, the book's title is "eat me", which is far more sensual than Chez Moi (at my place). I hope this helps future readers.
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