Blog #5: Personal Review
I did overall enjoy this novel. However I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second half. I believe as a teenager I could relate more to the experiences she was going through during those times rather than her adult year.
I was not excited to read this story when I heard it was about a girl who had a strong passion for cuisine; however I was greatly surprised by the realness this story addressed and Reichl grabbed my attention as it was revealed that her father’s first wife was admitted to a mental institution. I was further interested as she was sent away to a French boarding school and I was able to understand her conversations as a French student myself. However, my favorite part of Reichl’s story was her spiral downward and association with the “wrong crowd.” I most closely identified with this section of the autobiography as I am going through the same period in my life as well. This middle section of the book was a page-turner for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The second part of the book I did not enjoy as much because I did not identify as much with it. As she began to approach married life I began to lose interest in the storyline and found myself zoning out and having to reread my paragraphs. Although her life began to become more stable and happier, I found it to be less exciting and dull. I found her fear of driving on the bridge at the end of the story confusing and cliqué. Despite the tail end of the book, I found Reichl’s story very compelling and exciting overall.
I had similar reactions to the book. I thought the beginning was the most interesting because it was the easiest to relate to. Her life seemed to be the most interesting because it was changing so much as she grew. Once she graduated college, her life seemed to slow down and while it was still interesting to read it did not have the same captivating effect as her younger years had on me. I also agree that the ending to the novel was not very exciting. The concept of the bridge seemed a bit over exaggerated and as you said “confusing and cliché”. Regardless of the ending, the book was a captivating tale of a girl’s interesting experiences with food and people.
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I also enjoyed Ruth’s father in the novel. I found it interesting that he seemed the most vague and outspoken character although he was a big part of Ruth’s life. His true opinions seem to stay in the dark and Ruth puts him on a pedestal although in reality she really knows very little about him. Doug is the turning point for Ruth and Ernst’s relationship and helps their bond grow. Ruth realizes their family is always focused on her mother and she has never taken the time to fully appreciate her father.