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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An odd but amazing tale of love, laughter, history and of course lots and lots of coffee, September 24, 2008
I remember my first taste of coffee very well. I was five years old and reaching for another cup (probably filled with something with an unnatural color and amount of sugar) and got my moms coffee filled mug by mistake. I also remember spitting the coffee out. But in this age where a Starbuck's is literally found on every street corner it simply wasn't possible that this be my last encounter with the drink.
Even before I liked to drink it I loved the smell of coffee. On shopping trips I would routinely (along with lying down in the beer cooler) sneak into the coffee aisle and just stand there and smell. It was that, the incredible smell of coffee that drew me to drink it. And because I love coffee, and history, why wouldn't I read a historical novel about coffee?
"The Various Flavors of Coffee" is a wonderful, yet very odd book. I say odd because it wasn't until the very last pages of the book that I realized that there was a plot. Normally that would be an indication of a terrible novel (because what story doesn't have a plot? Some kind of crisis that our characters are straining towards?) but in this case the amount of description and incredible detail between the beginning and the end made up for it.
As it turned out that the plot was the oldest story in the world, taking place at the end of the 19th century. Boy (Robert Wallis) meets girl (Emily Pinker) and this is the story of their lives from when they first met until they stopped meeting. Individually and together the novel tells how the two characters evolved and faced the challenges of their lives.
Of course there's a back story. Emily's father sells coffee and after a chance meeting with Robert (who fancies himself a poet of the starving artist variety) hires him to describe the way different coffee's taste-all of the subtle little nuances and aromas and flavors that come out of a single cup of pure coffee (think wine tasting.) Emily works with Robert and they are both opened up to a new world of detail and sensation.
Naturally one thing leads to another and somehow Robert finds himself in a strange situation-he's engaged to Emily and forced to go to Africa to set up a coffee plantation for his future father in law. But Robert is a poet, not a planter, a lover, not a farmer and the venture seems doomed from the start. Meanwhile Emily is discovering the suffragette movement and taking on the British government by demanding votes for women.
There is a lot that goes on in this book: exotic locals and characters, laugh out loud funny moments, stock market maneuverings, horrific but true to history description of how the suffragettes were treated in England, a kind of spiritualism and of course, everything you never knew you didn't know about coffee.
The novel is told by Robert in a kind of memoir that shifts from first person (stuff about him) to third person (stuff about everyone else) so his point of view is more prevalent, and his story is more descriptive then Emily's but overall this a novel of growth and exploration and in the end the narrative style perfectly suits the book.
It is a strange novel. But the story of Robert and Emily's lives (from when they met to when they stopped meeting) is amazing. It's not just any book that can move you, make you laugh out loud, cry, feel outrage...a whole range of emotions (not to mention inspiring an intense desire for some coffee!) I don't say this often but I think it would make a wonderful movie.
Five stars.
I highly recommend this book and I fully intend to track down and read this author's other works.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Delish, August 28, 2008
I have read all of Anthony's previous books and this book is quite different. From the opening sentence, I knew I was going to fall in love with this book - I am also somewhat obsessed with the subject of a good cup of coffee myself - so this book took on a bit of a personal slant for me :)
We are introduced to Robert Wallis, poet extraordinaire (at least in his own mind) who, although quite impoverished, still manages to present the image of a snob and a finicky coffee drinker - which will lead him to a strange offer - working in the coffee trade.
Over the course of the novel, we will get to live Wallis' ups and downs for the next 20 years - in which he will make great discoveries both in his professional life, but more importantly in his personal life. As the reader, we will bear silent witness to Willis' growth as a human being and as a man.
For me, what worked best is the novel is the opportunity for the reader to live Willis' life and to experience what he experiences. Indeed, we start off actively disliking this young man - who will grow into a fine and kind man.
I don't usually like storylines that are set in the 1800's, but Capella tells this story in such rich detail that you can actually feel yourself sitting at the small cafe in England - sitting a cup of coffee. His descriptions of the actual coffees and the beans are so real that it just made me want to go out there and discover the best cup of coffee.
This book was a great accompaniement to a strong, bold cup of coffee - delish!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic historical novel!!, August 30, 2008
"A well made cup of coffee is the proper beginning to an idle day. Its aroma is beguiling, its taste is sweet; yet it leaves behind only bitterness and regret. In that it resembles, surely, the pleasures of love.....Although in this case, it seems to taste of nothing much except mud. With, perhaps, a faint aftertaste of rotten apricots."
With these words Robert Wallis seals his fate. Not that it didn't need to be sealed. After having been expelled from Oxford (too much partying, no studying) and cut off by his father, Robert is living in London on credit from various tradesmen. He is the very picture of a dandy, dressing in the most fashionable manner, writing marginal poetry by day and visiting local brothels by night. A dissolute young man who is nevertheless endearing from the very first page.
While sitting in a cafe one morning his remark is overheard by coffee merchant Samuel Pinker. Mr. Pinker wants to develop a reference manual to describe the tastes & smells in the various coffee beans that he imports. He needs someone with a discerning palate and the vocabulary necessary to complete the task. He offers Robert the very last thing that he wants, employment. But even Robert realizes that he will not be able to maintain his lifestyle with no income, so he reluctantly accepts.
The dreadful dullness of employment is greatly reduced when Robert meets his assistant. Mr. Pinker's lovely daughter, Emily, serves as secretary and partner in the task. Robert, of course, is attracted to her (and her father's wealth). He feels that he is a wonderful catch, a view not shared by Mr. Pinker. In order to win her hand he is given a mission. A five year trek to Africa, to plant and grow a crop of the best kind of coffee available. Obviously this kind of job is not to Robert's taste but again, he sees that his life has left him few options and he agrees to go.
Africa will profoundly change Robert in ways that he cannot begin to imagine. The man who returns to London has learned hard lessons and survived harrowing experiences. The years have changed London and its inhabitants, as well. When he returns he will have to rebuild his life and try create a future for himself.
Mr. Capella has written a fantastic historical novel. He brilliantly describes London at the end of the nineteenth century with all of its wonderful depth, from the glamorous upper class drawing rooms to the seedy, poverty stricken streets. Then he takes us to the dusty plains and steamy jungles of Africa and introduces us to the native people, showing us their struggle to maintain their way of life in the face of outsiders in search of wealth and land. It is a rich, evocative, compelling story and I loved it.
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