By sheer coincidence, I read two 400-page books this past month; both written by and about young women; and both focussed around antiquarian book shops. The owners of the book shops were older men – one the young woman’s father; the other, eventually, a lover. This is where all similarities ended; other than this; both book jackets claimed these novels compared with Jane Eyre {they didn’t}.
The Thirteenth Tale is written by Diane Setterfield, an English “ex-academic”, whose novel maintains focus throughout on a single well-woven plotline; and while not great writing, it is a worthwhile, entertaining read. The other book is The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. She is writing for awards and movie rights. A dozen thin, hackneyed plot lines, trying to utilize every touch-stone from a decade ago, climaxing with 9/11, and followed by a cleanup so that all who remain, live happily ever after.
Cookbook’s best sub-plot is the cookbook research. Other subplots are Berkeley tree-huggers; pre-2000 computer startups, Silicon Chardonnay vs. Boston Burgundy; 18th century philosophy {Hume a
nd Hegel}; Jewish mysticism and the Holocaust; 9/11; and family genealogy. It was paella, a smorgasbord of something for everyone. These eight sub-plots and half a dozen families, sort of like Dickens, are all integrated by the end of the book.
Tale is a more classical approach to plot development, a series of stories, unraveling chronologically, keeping clear of sub-plot or character development that is off the main thread. It is thus that the characterizations are deeper; causing the reader to think and become involved, even invested, with the story. We Americans root for English Margaret, while chastising Vegan Jess for being flippant. Cookbook is more like reading a magazine article – read about a character or situation – that’s nice – then on to the next page and an unrelated story; it’s like Chinese food, you’re hungry an hour later.
Cookbook is definitely American; not just the author’s nationality, but her focus on reality show hedonism: food, wine, women, & song – reminds me of Millionaire Matchmaker. No futzing around with book club notes for Allegra; she is going for the glitzy Hollywood, jet-set production with no moral values – maybe just “money can buy happiness.” Tale dwells on the how and why of people, from various walks of life. There is history and continuity as only an English author can provide. The reader is sufficiently informed, as the story develops, to make judgments about the people’s lives. There is value to people and their lives.
Both books investigate old family threads, lost and/or forgotten. How did the progenitors of their motley crew get together all those years ago? Why did they hook up? What secrets did they hide from their families, at least until the authors came along? Suspension of disbelief is everything in a fictional novel. Tale has created such a convincing web of cross-linked stories that I kept wanting to check out the novel’s veracity on the internet, Googling Angelfield. The lines of Setterfield’s web are sheer, but strong, just like a spider’s. Cookbook, however, was obviously overly contrived from the beginning; their connections made with wet paper maché. The protagonist in each novel is their author’s respective research detective; Tale’s Margaret much better at it than last month’s Aimée; Cookbook’s Jess was just your average American, Valley girl airhead.
The Thirteenth Tale is written by Diane Setterfield, an English “ex-academic”, whose novel maintains focus throughout on a single well-woven plotline; and while not great writing, it is a worthwhile, entertaining read. The other book is The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. She is writing for awards and movie rights. A dozen thin, hackneyed plot lines, trying to utilize every touch-stone from a decade ago, climaxing with 9/11, and followed by a cleanup so that all who remain, live happily ever after.
Cookbook’s best sub-plot is the cookbook research. Other subplots are Berkeley tree-huggers; pre-2000 computer startups, Silicon Chardonnay vs. Boston Burgundy; 18th century philosophy {Hume a
nd Hegel}; Jewish mysticism and the Holocaust; 9/11; and family genealogy. It was paella, a smorgasbord of something for everyone. These eight sub-plots and half a dozen families, sort of like Dickens, are all integrated by the end of the book.Tale is a more classical approach to plot development, a series of stories, unraveling chronologically, keeping clear of sub-plot or character development that is off the main thread. It is thus that the characterizations are deeper; causing the reader to think and become involved, even invested, with the story. We Americans root for English Margaret, while chastising Vegan Jess for being flippant. Cookbook is more like reading a magazine article – read about a character or situation – that’s nice – then on to the next page and an unrelated story; it’s like Chinese food, you’re hungry an hour later.
Cookbook is definitely American; not just the author’s nationality, but her focus on reality show hedonism: food, wine, women, & song – reminds me of Millionaire Matchmaker. No futzing around with book club notes for Allegra; she is going for the glitzy Hollywood, jet-set production with no moral values – maybe just “money can buy happiness.” Tale dwells on the how and why of people, from various walks of life. There is history and continuity as only an English author can provide. The reader is sufficiently informed, as the story develops, to make judgments about the people’s lives. There is value to people and their lives.
Both books investigate old family threads, lost and/or forgotten. How did the progenitors of their motley crew get together all those years ago? Why did they hook up? What secrets did they hide from their families, at least until the authors came along? Suspension of disbelief is everything in a fictional novel. Tale has created such a convincing web of cross-linked stories that I kept wanting to check out the novel’s veracity on the internet, Googling Angelfield. The lines of Setterfield’s web are sheer, but strong, just like a spider’s. Cookbook, however, was obviously overly contrived from the beginning; their connections made with wet paper maché. The protagonist in each novel is their author’s respective research detective; Tale’s Margaret much better at it than last month’s Aimée; Cookbook’s Jess was just your average American, Valley girl airhead.
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