The Epicure's Lament

Jan 12, 2009

Jess rated it

So great. This book was hilarious and dark and bitter and in parts so so wrong. I loved it! There were sentences that were so perfect that I had to re-read them and share them aloud. Part of me secretly wishes I could be more like Hugo: brutally honest, crusty, self-indulgent and totally not care what other people think of me. I had a very slight problem was the ending, which I won't spoil. I was hoping it would turn out differently, left up to the imagination and not as optimistic--perhaps Hugo...more

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Feb 03, 2012

Wyma rated it

Let's make that a 3.5 rating. The writing is really quite good; it gets a tad longish and overwrought like the narrator at times.

Hugo is an aging,handsome man living in an aged, handsome mansion and both are falling apart. He is comforted by the fact of the house's coming demise even as he is determined that his own "shambolic frame" will not go out with a whimper, but a banged-up cocktail of hillbilly heroin and alcohol. Then his brother Dennis arrives to live with him...more

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Oct 07, 2011

Kasia S. rated it

· review of another edition

How can one even begin to describe the symphony of words and ideas that this brilliant author has woven into a magnificent tale of life, love and the true meaning of having control over any of it? It's books such as this one that move me, they make my insides tremble and hands shake in anticipation of what is going to happen next. Even before I got to the end it struck me that this was the best book I have ever read, my favorite novel; spicy, cynical, opulent, and extremely witty. I guess I can ...moreHow can one even begin to describe the symphony of words and ideas that this brilliant author has woven into a magnificent tale of life, love and the true meaning of having control over any of it? It's books such as this one that move me, they make my insides tremble and hands shake in anticipation of what is going to happen next. Even before I got to the end it struck me that this was the best book I have ever read, my favorite novel; spicy, cynical, opulent, and extremely witty. I guess I can sympathize with the main character, Hugo Whitter, a writer and self proclaimed hermit, lover of solitude because I used to feel the same way growing up. I wanted to be left alone to read and write and to lose myself in my own thoughts, I never ended up living in the desert, might have something to do with the fact that I love cold weather, but I could clearly see Hugo's reluctance to let his friends and family back into his life, or what was left of it to enjoy what ever desires he decided to indulge in, mostly staring at the trees outside his window, cooking grand meals, writing in his journal and courting women that perhaps were not really his to have.

This is a very luxurious and sensuous book, marred with ideas and desires of infinite proportions.
Hugo Witter is an old man inside a still young to the world forty year old body, suffering from an addiction to smoking which is killing him through Buerger's disease as its speedily threatening to claim his life. With each chapter the reader gets an urgent sense that Hugo's time is running out, he's unhappily welcoming his brother Dennis back to their childhood home after a stormy disruption of his marriage, his estranged wife Sonia and possibly not really his child Bellatrix are looming on the horizon with a visit, first one in ten years and his own love life is tangled up between female acquaintances and wives of people he can't stand. Disrupted from his peaceful life he stirs up plenty of heat between the family members, trying to get them out of his life, instead getting more and more involved with the outside world and the yearning for self imposed eternal released of this burden called life. Blatantly honest, raw and lovable, Hugo is a flawed but a charismatic and charming character, I was blown away by the sheer fact that the author who created such a strong man is indeed a woman, one that made this family black sheep into one of my favorite literary characters of all time. As the family ties get more complicated with Hugo's involvement the reader starts dreading his open talks about suicide, and the unnerving way in which he starts to plan his departure, the last meal, last family gathering with cool blood and lack of dramatization. It's almost unbearable until the end comes, I was stunned and fulfilled by it, only feeling devastated that the book was over.

The writing is refreshing, interesting and it fed my mind the entire time I was plugged into the book. I may need to read it again very soon or I will seriously have Hugo withdrawals, the things he said and thought of were mind bogging and magnificent. I laughed a lot and also gasped but this book rocked, there was no descriptive filler, the words were jewels and pearls and each as rich as the next. Reviewing this book is almost impossible, to say what this book meant to me would take ages but I'm in total awe of this author now; I hope she will continue her career as a writer for as long as possible, she's my new hero. This book might not be for everyone but that is perfectly fine with me, it's subtle with the plot but so rich in actions and words spoken, there is no transparency and clichés here but pure genius, if you see it then you're lucky, enjoy! (less)

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Jul 05, 2011

Kirstie rated it

Ugh..I wrote a decently long review and Goodreads didn't save it. Suffice it to say that I thought the writing of this novel was better than average but it lost me at the ending. Also, I'm the type of person who tends to have to like the protagonist in fiction novels and I found the charisma of this man to be too manipulative and even pathetic.

Some great things about the main character is that he's a misanthrope and has a dark sort of wit about him. He tends to be brutally honest ...more

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Oct 17, 2009

Joyce rated it

An amusing book. Sometimes snarky & vulgar, but sometimes tender and insightful. The main character, Hugo Whittier, is living out his declining years on the family's once-grand estate, Waverly, which overlooks the Hudson. Hugo has Buerger's disease, caused and advanced by his heavy smoking. He's content to die rather than quit.

So smoking is Hugo's great pleasure and sex (or cooking) is a clear second, but still a strong contender. Hugo was quite the rake. Back in the day, he was a gigo...moreAn amusing book. Sometimes snarky & vulgar, but sometimes tender and insightful. The main character, Hugo Whittier, is living out his declining years on the family's once-grand estate, Waverly, which overlooks the Hudson. Hugo has Buerger's disease, caused and advanced by his heavy smoking. He's content to die rather than quit.

So smoking is Hugo's great pleasure and sex (or cooking) is a clear second, but still a strong contender. Hugo was quite the rake. Back in the day, he was a gigolo - only one of his colorful former occupations, which included a stint as a drug-runner.

Hugo's enjoyed ten years of existence as a hermit at Waverly. Life is orderly (the knives all point the same way in kitchen drawers) and pleasant enough. He has mild flirtations going with some local girls, which adds kind of a creepy note. His ex-wife Sonia and daughter Bellatrix are at a distance, out of his life except for the regular checks happily sent.

But then his older brother, Dennis, moves in. His marriage has fallen apart. Petty annoyances and memories lead to funny conflicts and competitions. Just as it seems that Dennis might actually leave and return to life as a mediocre sculptor in NYC, Sonia & Bellatrix arrive. Not good news on any front. About this time, Hugo encounters Schlomo, a retired and relocated hit man who once had a contract to "off" Hugo. No interest in it anymore, though there are a few anxious moments for our hero. As if the presence of Dennis, Sonia and Bellatrix are not distressing and disturbing enough, gay Uncle Tim arrives from NYC to live out his final years at Waverly. This is pretty much the final straw, as Uncle Tim wants to live in his old room. Same room Hugo's been retreating to for the last 10 years. Relocation ensues.

Lots of characters, none totally likeable if it comes to that, but all have interesting lives. Crazy situations, improbable resolutions, lots of great food descriptions... all told as if journalized by Hugo. It's a fun read and a quick one.(less)

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Jul 18, 2009

Sarah B. rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Merri-Su

Shelves: library-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 18, 2010

Robin Nicholas rated it

Written by the same author as "The Great Man" and "Jeremy Thrane". Kate Christensen is definitely an author I seek out. She has a way with words that I really enjoy. Written from "Hugo's" point of view, this is the story of a 40 year old man who has a disease that is going to cause his death soon if he doesn't stop smoking. He is not willing to do that because if he were to give up that love, he may as well be dead anyway. He has lived a reclusive life for the ...more

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Nov 16, 2009

Alex Roberts rated it

Kate Christensen's The Epicure's Lament is a thoroughly entertaining read. Though there isn't much in the way of narrative thrust or, frankly, any terrific resonance, the narrator's erudite biliousness is a scintillating treat.
Ensconced in an ancestral upstate manse and fortified with family-derived funds, he is committed to a solitary existence and intent on an early demise. Hugo continues to smoke profusely even though it exacerbates- to the point of fatality- a diagnosed medical condit...more

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Nov 08, 2008

Jan rated it

Recommends it for: misanthropes and carnivores

whoa. why did it take me this long to read kate christensen? she is amazing! i loved this book for its offbeat (and yet not pretentious) protagonist. anti-protaganist? he's both anti and pro and a lot of things in between. the descriptions and settings are beautifully rendered, and the black humor is spot-on. smart and sophisticated, yet as raunchy and debauched as the best bukowski. did i mention i loved it?

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Mar 23, 2009

Neil rated it

The character of Hugo Whittier has to be one of the great fictional creations, a real nasty piece of work but still strangely likeable. He's a forty-year-old failed poet and essayist whose life gave him enough ill turns--a lousy childhood, a cheating wife--that he's closed himself up in the family estate and decided to smoke himself to death. He loves Montaigne, M.F.K. Fisher, cooking, eating, and sex, but not enough to stay around.

When his older brother, a solid, duty-bound type thr...more

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Aug 03, 2009

Djrmel rated it

Shelves: contemporary, literature, fiction, 2009-read

Telling a story about an anti-hero is a tricky balancing act. The "anti" portion of the character doesn't lend itself to arc or development. If not handled correctly, they turn into a plot device that the other characters react to, and the protagonist goes no where. Christensen more than handles that problem with Hugo, the self-exhiled, self-destructive, self-centered man who tells us his story through a set of journals he writes in what he expects to be his final months. Hugo has ...more

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Mar 25, 2008

Ann rated it

A protagonist as neurotic as Niles and as sex-obsessed as Jack of Sideways, and a gourmet cook, to boot. What's not to like? Seriously, all the characters are well-developed and individual (with the possible exception of Schlomo) and the story is very compelling. I enjoyed this a lot, and found much to relate to. I'll be looking for Kate Christensen's other books.

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Jul 19, 2009

RJ rated it

I very much enjoyed The Great Man by Christensen a few months ago. This book is structured around the musings of 40 year old dying trust fund baby in upstate NY. He's dying because he wont stop smoking. He lives alone and reviles most everything and everyone, exceptions being women he wants to "bone". Lovely. His life is upended when his brother, estranged wife and daughter (which he adamantly protests is not his) return to the family home. The protagonist in this book was very a...more

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Jan 20, 2008

Emily rated it

The wonderfully misanthropic Hugo Whittier narrates this account of his life after many years of a hermit-like existence are interrupted as his relatives and ex-wife descend upon his house. Perfect reading for a dark, ornery mood, or even if you are just in the mood for a well-executed turn of phrase.

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Nov 17, 2008

Maggie rated it

Shelves: contemporary, 2008

I enjoyed this book; the protagonist reminds me a lot of House. Christensen's mastery of the language is superb, on par with Henry Miller. (and we all know how I feel about Henry Miller)

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Apr 20, 2011

Kasia S. rated it

How can one even begin to describe the symphony of words and ideas that this brilliant author has woven into a magnificent tale of life, love and the true meaning of having control over any of it? It's books such as this one that move me, they make my insides tremble and hands shake in anticipation of what is going to happen next. Even before I got to the end it struck me that this was the best book I have ever read, my favorite novel; spicy, cynical, opulent, and extremely witty. I guess I can ...moreHow can one even begin to describe the symphony of words and ideas that this brilliant author has woven into a magnificent tale of life, love and the true meaning of having control over any of it? It's books such as this one that move me, they make my insides tremble and hands shake in anticipation of what is going to happen next. Even before I got to the end it struck me that this was the best book I have ever read, my favorite novel; spicy, cynical, opulent, and extremely witty. I guess I can sympathize with the main character, Hugo Whitter, a writer and self proclaimed hermit, lover of solitude because I used to feel the same way growing up. I wanted to be left alone to read and write and to lose myself in my own thoughts, I never ended up living in the desert, might have something to do with the fact that I love cold weather, but I could clearly see Hugo's reluctance to let his friends and family back into his life, or what was left of it to enjoy what ever desires he decided to indulge in, mostly staring at the trees outside his window, cooking grand meals, writing in his journal and courting women that perhaps were not really his to have.

This is a very luxurious and sensuous book, marred with ideas and desires of infinite proportions.
Hugo Witter is an old man inside a still young to the world forty year old body, suffering from an addiction to smoking which is killing him through Buerger's disease as its speedily threatening to claim his life. With each chapter the reader gets an urgent sense that Hugo's time is running out, he's unhappily welcoming his brother Dennis back to their childhood home after a stormy disruption of his marriage, his estranged wife Sonia and possibly not really his child Bellatrix are looming on the horizon with a visit, first one in ten years and his own love life is tangled up between female acquaintances and wives of people he can't stand. Disrupted from his peaceful life he stirs up plenty of heat between the family members, trying to get them out of his life, instead getting more and more involved with the outside world and the yearning for self imposed eternal released of this burden called life. Blatantly honest, raw and lovable, Hugo is a flawed but a charismatic and charming character, I was blown away by the sheer fact that the author who created such a strong man is indeed a woman, one that made this family black sheep into one of my favorite literary characters of all time. As the family ties get more complicated with Hugo's involvement the reader starts dreading his open talks about suicide, and the unnerving way in which he starts to plan his departure, the last meal, last family gathering with cool blood and lack of dramatization. It's almost unbearable until the end comes, I was stunned and fulfilled by it, only feeling devastated that the book was over.

The writing is refreshing, interesting and it fed my mind the entire time I was plugged into the book. I may need to read it again very soon or I will seriously have Hugo withdrawals, the things he said and thought of were mind bogging and magnificent. I laughed a lot and also gasped but this book rocked, there was no descriptive filler, the words were jewels and pearls and each as rich as the next. Reviewing this book is almost impossible, to say what this book meant to me would take ages but I'm in total awe of this author now; I hope she will continue her career as a writer for as long as possible, she's my new hero. This book might not be for everyone but that is perfectly fine with me, it's subtle with the plot but so rich in actions and words spoken, there is no transparency and clichés here but pure genius, if you see it then you're lucky, enjoy!

- Kasia S. (less)

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Jul 23, 2011

Cher rated it

The other readers on Visual Bookshelf gave this very mixed reviews probably because the several of the characters are not terribly symphathetic. However, Hugo, the main character, rung true to me. He prefers his own company to that of others, choosing a good book, a fine meal, an aged whiskey to the mindless social exchanges required of everyday interaction. Sure, he takes his misanthrophy and isolation to an extreme, but, hey, we all have our issues... This book is loaded with dark humor and...more

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Dec 26, 2011

yb rated it

I would rate this a closer to 3.5 stars. The protagonist/narrator, Hugo Whittier, is a narcissistic, pretentious git who spend his life thinking about food, sex, cigarettes, and how much he hates his family. But he is also hilariously funny, and Christensen clearly enjoys wallowing in Hugo's vices. In the end, the story is thin, but the prose is thoroughly entertaining.

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Feb 21, 2011

Meredith rated it

· review of another edition

unsettlingly similar plot to the shroud by john banville but far trashier and therefore more entertaining. i started epicure's lament because i'd read a streak of unengaging books and needed something to get me out of my funk. steven scarborough recommended kate christensen. i started with the great man and would return to her again next time the desire for well-written pulp fiction arises. i wish i knew more erudite/trashy writers!

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Jun 09, 2010

Jgknobler rated it

This novel is about an isolated, alienated man whose life is suddenly intruded upon by various needy people. It is written with great stylishness and wit, and should have been more enjoyable, but the protagonist is unpleasant. I think he is meant to evoke Humbert Humbert, but it doesn't quite work. This is also one of those books with a lot of good cooking thrown in.

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Jan 17, 2011

Michaela rated it

I would give this 3.5 stars. (Upgraded to 4 stars for language and snark.) It was refreshing from a narrative standpoint to have a protagonist who is an unrepentant asshole. And who furthermore knows he is one. Plus a great quote and great recipe embedded in the story are bonuses. Worth the read.

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Jan 09, 2009

Anisha rated it

About half-way through the book - the writing is crisp, almost hard, which is what gives me so much pleasure. I can't help however having the sense that the main character is somewhat pretentious - I don't whether whether this is deliberate or whether it is a an unconscious creation of the author.

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Feb 18, 2011

Susan rated it

I really got a kick out of this book. The main character is so grating and awful (though he loves MFK Fisher as I do, a redeeming quality), such a caricature of a person, the effect is pretty entertaining. Also set in the part of the world where I grew up (Hudson River Valley). Quick, fun read!

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Mar 28, 2011

Kathleen Maguire rated it

I love Kate Christensen, and I don't understand why she is not better known. This book is so smart, and the narrator is a hilarious misanthrope. I laughed out loud many times at the dark, cynical sarcasm, and all the talk of the delights of food and drink was a nice touch.

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May 24, 2008

Ellen rated it

Recommended to Ellen by: NPR

I freely admit that the protagonist of this book may not charm everyone the way he did me. On the surface of it, Hugo Whittier is a difficult character to love. An irascible, misanthropic hermit with alcoholic tendencies and a smoking habit that is killing him, Hugo finds his happy solitude at the decaying family mansion on the Hudson River disrupted when his much-loathed older brother and his estranged wife and daughter return to live with him.

Family drama, black-belt level passiv...more

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Nov 23, 2010

Julie rated it

Not for everybody, perhaps, but I think this book is genius. I read it for my Medicine and Literature class, and we are having interesting discussions, to say the least. Full of sentences/passages that stopped me cold; many of them also made me laugh, darkly.

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Nov 06, 2010

Terri added it

Shelves: book-club-pick, library-find

I didn't finish this book even though I picked it for book club. I started to read it and hated everything about it. Usually I'll finish any book I start -- particularly if it's for book club but I couldn't make that happen with the Epicure's Lament.

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Nov 04, 2009

Aviva marked it as to-read

Shelves: literary-fiction

This is probably the only time I'll write something about a book I haven't read yet, but I've got a personal story about it. Although I've not yet read any of her books, I actually have met Ms. Christensen, through her sister who's a friend of mine. I've been meaning to read some of her work for ages, so when I saw a bunch of signed copies at one of my favorite bookstores, (Elliott Bay Books in Seattle), I had to buy one! Looking forward to reading it! Aside from the "small world" conn...more

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Feb 16, 2009

Ikonopeiston rated it

· review of another edition

I loved this book so much I could not bear to finish it. So I dragged out the last pages for more than a week, reading a phrase, rolling it on my mental tongue, then reading it again and again.

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Mar 28, 2010

Kimie rated it

I loved the humor in this book. There are some things you have to get over but through out the book the character redeems himself. I could definitely revisit this book since I haven't read it in years.

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