Despite 1) several years spent in Indiana, 2) an unstinted enjoyment of meat, and 3) the fact that I at one time had a mustache (it was the 80Â’s), I am not a Ron Swanson replica. To prove this point, I read a book set in Europe. . . France, no less. And it didnÂ’t even have one of those page-turning plots to drive it.

What it did have was a plenitude of French themes. Food, especially the fine dining variety, was foremost among them. Art was another. Cultural divides of the type pitting aristocrats against republicans also featured. Romance was another theme, but not in an entirely typical way. We all know about love triangles. Well, this was more of an appreciation tetrahedron, where the sides denoting closeness among the four main characters would vary in length at any given time. It seemed the point of the book and the pleasure to be derived from it was in watching the tetrahedron change shape.

The points defining this geometric object were Camille (a cleaning lady or really more of a starving artist – starving from anorexia, that is), Philibert (gentle, awkward, and to the manor born), Franck (a talented chef but one with attitude – brusque, tired, and hurting), and Franck’s grandmother (less self-sufficient than she’d to be, good-hearted but not always able to give more than she takes). I wish that the “land of the misfit toys” reference wasn’t so popular so that I could claim it as my own and apply it here. Anyway, these four interact in the ways real people do. It takes time and intermittent acts of kindness for the bonds to form, and it proceeds in fits and starts.

This is a quick read with plenty of dialog and a respect for the show-donÂ’t-tell approach to character development. ItÂ’s strong on lifestyle, too. The author even sprinkles in a bit of philosophy, though nothing heavy. All in all it was a nice, light parfait; easy to consume even if not an omnivoreÂ’s fill.
62 s Leah28 15

This book was recommended to me by Jamie, and it was a perfect rec, thank you so much, lady.

Translated from French to English, Hunting and Gathering is a character - rather than plot - driven, slice of life portrait. Somewhere within these pages, the main character finds herself at a bookstore, pouring over a collection of the French cartoonist Sempe's drawings (as I best know for his work in The New Yorker.) As I read further, I began to realize: There it is. This book is a Sempe drawing. It is graceful and gentle and detailed, despite looking right into the heart of something that would otherwise revolt or depress. Rather, Gavalda makes it seem as though the beauty in these characters is actually due TO their dejection. I appreciate this, because it really is our muli-dimensional nature that makes us human.

I admired Gavalda's approach in writing truth for her characters without ever showing judgment as an author- not even in the most subtle and unintentional way. This isn't easy, and takes trust on the author's part to just allow these personalities to unfold, even if they are sometimes ugly sides to show.

As a reward for her discipline, her characters really come to life, flaws and all, and allow the reader to develop a relationship with them as if they really are "friends", as the characters themselves grow to know and love one another. It is how we are in life: we understand each other as complex beings and recognize that this is what draws us together. Shared pain of past experiences, shared joy and frustration and kindnesses.

I fear that through this review, I could be making this story seem way too darling, when it is far from that sort of tone. I guess that is that je ne sais quoi (ha) that comes from balancing sentiment with the reality of burden, as well as the candid sharp wit of dialogue, both between characters and in their internal conversation. The perspective is balanced, and never takes you too far to one side or another without bringing you right back. Such is life!

This book is now well dog-eared with pages I want to revisit, and I never do that. I guess maybe at the bottom of it all I read this book at just the right time. It was a great reminder that we is who we is, and everyone's just trying to do the best they can in this crazy world, while finding a little joy and connection to get through. I needed that.
general-fiction heartbreaking47 s Erin73 8

I was worried that once I finished this book I would be filled with sadness over leaving these characters. I was sad to put it down, but the overall experience was so satisfying that I would highly recommend this book to others.

Hunting and Gathering made me miss having conversations with my old roommate from France. The characters' manner of speaking is so different from Americans and refreshing. I was surprised to see American references Shrek and Angelina Jolie here and there, but they only added to the realistic experience.

The book is filled with conversations from its four characters and is about how each of them change and grow over the course of time.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Gavalda's work now. 36 s Alexandra 925 328

Was ich wieder mal für mich persönlich gelernt habe: Hüte Dich vor Büchern, die in der Werbung als bittersüß beschrieben werden. Wobei - ganz so dramatisch war es auch nicht, aber der Roman von Anna Gawalda war für mich nur äußerst mittelmäßiger Roman mit einigen Ärgerfaktoren.

Aber beginnen wir am Anfang. Also der Plot ist zu Beginn sehr wirrr mit inflationären entbehrlichen Szenenwechseln aufgebaut, die teilweise im Halbseitentakt daherkommen und dadurch den Roman dekonstruieren. Das fand ich extrem enervierend und machte mich ganz unruhig. Eine unnötige Qual, die nicht mal mit Qualität punkten kann. Gut dieses Stilmittel wird ab ca. 40% des Werkes obsolet, da die drei und dann vier Protagonisten beginnen, zusammenzuwohnen und viele Szenen gemeinsam zu haben.

Am schlimmsten waren eigentlich die Figuren, die waren mir wirklich viel zu bemüht kurios durchgeknallt mit ein bisschen sehr oberflächlichem Seelenstriptease (Die Socken und die Unterwäsche bleiben aber angezogen) auf Pseudo-Tiefgang in der Untiefe getrimmt. Der stotternde Adelige mit feinen Manieren ohne Geld und mit großer Wohnung, der mit ein bisschen Schauspielunterricht seinen Sprachfehler korrigieren kann, nebenbei die große Liebe findet und sich von seinen Eltern emanzipiert. Der promiskuitive etwas ordinäre Koch mit leichter Bindungsstörung, der von der richtigen Frau dann schon zur großen Liebe kuriert wird. Seine ein bisschen demente Omi (Alzheimer kann sie ja nicht gehabt haben, denn das ist ernsthafter und kann nicht wirklich im Familenverband so nebenbei gepflegt werden). Und dann der größte Faux-Pas Gawaldas, die magersüchtige Camille, die schon bis auf die Knochen abgemagert, nur die große Liebe braucht, um schwuppdiwupp ohne Therapie quasi von selbst zu genesen. Der richtige liebevolle Mann, der zudem noch Koch ist, heilt alles
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