The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
by Mark Kurlansky
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Pilouetta by:
malone
why i love an oyster, kurlansky says it all:
the fact that oysters are about the only food eaten alive is part of what makes them a unique gastronomic experience, that and the sense that no other food brings us closer to the sea.
i appreciated the thorough research about the oyster a la new york, but given the overwhelming presence of the bivalve, kurlansky strayed at times, back and forth to europe, chicago and california. maybe there is just too much to say. i was glued to this book fo...more
the fact that oysters are about the only food eaten alive is part of what makes them a unique gastronomic experience, that and the sense that no other food brings us closer to the sea.
i appreciated the thorough research about the oyster a la new york, but given the overwhelming presence of the bivalve, kurlansky strayed at times, back and forth to europe, chicago and california. maybe there is just too much to say. i was glued to this book fo...more
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Read in May, 2007
139/280 Wow, this was so painful to read, that at times I even preferred writing my thesis than reading it. It is easy to read, but just not interesting. All you ever wanted to know about the history of the oyster industry in New York and loads more. The highlights are an oyster recipe written in Middle English, and describing eating New York oysters so large that it was like eating babies. Some interesting knick-knack information interspersed, but too few and far in between with oyster fact...more
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Read in December, 2007
Kurlansky's M.O. is to address an enormous, sprawling, ungraspable topic by focusing on one very specific slice. Here he takes on New York City, by elaborating on the history of the oyster and its consumption. From the 12 inch long monsters reported by the first Dutch settlers, to the berserk excesses of Gilded Age banqueting, to the toxic sludge ridden condition of New York Harbor today, the relationship of New Yorkers and oysters touches on a remarkable range of topics. I particularly enjoy...more
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Kurlansky wrote Salt: A World History; Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World; and A Basque History of the World (which has recipes at the end of every chapter and, like the Basques, is devoted in many ways to food). He has his schtick down, and he's sticking to it. Fortunately, it's a pretty good schtick, and The Big Oyster is another entertaining book blending Kurlansky's dual fascination with history and food, this time through the tale of the once-o...more
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Read in January, 2008
Yet another good read from the author. Having not even ever eaten an oyster prior to reading this book, I wasn't sure if it would hold my interest. But it did. B/c it's not really a story about oysters. It's a story about the growth and development of Manhattan told through the medium of oysters. And who knew that something like two thirds of the world oyster output in past centuries came directly from NYC? And how can one not love a book that manages to fit in a visit to NYC by Dickens - spoile...more
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Read in April, 2007
I wasn't sure if I'd make it all the way through a book on these little bivalves, but I did and it was pretty good. The book was full of interesting NYC factoids and trivia (the formerly sweet-smelling Hudson, Peter Stuyvesant the one-legged despot, the enormous quantities of oysters consumed, etc.), period sketches and maps, and recipes from as early as the 1600s (though I doubt I'll be trying any), but it lacked an arc. I also tried reading Kurlansky's book on Salt a few years ago. I didn't...more
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Like Kurlansky's "Cod", "The Big Oyster" follows the history of this bivalve through most of American history. Much time is spent making 18th and 19th century New York come alive. It is also similar to "Cod" in that Kurlansky follows this animal's decline from a time when they were so common and so plentiful they were considered to be the most food only eaten by the poorest to a time . As a result of pollution mostly, the Oyster population is much smaller than 300 y...more
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I Love NY! And I love NY history. I live near the river on the East Side of Manhattan. And since reading this book, one of my favorite things to do while sitting at the park along the river is to look out at Hell's Gate and think of the bounty that used to lurk below the now-not-so-choppy waters. I've heard they've begun to reintroduce oysters to the waters surrounding NYC. What a hoot it would be to someday be able to buy fresh local oysters from a cart instead of stale (barely) hot pretzels an...more
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
oyster lovers
The history of Oysters and New York City are maybe not the most obvious choices for twin narratives, and probably with good reason. I found myself skipping ahead to the fun facts in the oyster sections- oysters on the half shell are eaten alive! culinary oysters are all the same species!, and ignoring the parts about NY. But it get 3 stars because its still entertaining and will make your mouth water until all you can think about is stuffing it with more salty, wriggling, offal-like oysters.
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Even aside from what an enjoyable writer Kurlansky is, how you feel about food writing in general and oysters in particular, this was as engaging a history of New York City as any I have read. Also both this book with regard to New York and Salt with regard to England make it quite clear how the story of pollution and destruction of the environment in the course of food production is by no means a problem that just appeared in the last half century.
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Read in December, 2006
recommends it for:
New Yorkers and Gourmands
This tells the history of Manhattan and the consumption of oysters by its residents. Manhattan (and much of New Jersey) is situated in a natural whose once pristine waters were filled with oysters (who knew?) The inhabitants of the area regularly plucked these oysters from the water and ate them. In fact, New York City was, until the early 20th century, known as the oyster capital of the world.
A decent book, though tends to drag at times.
A decent book, though tends to drag at times.
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Read in July, 2007
Part history, part geography, part economic history and part sociology...this book is very entertaining and informative and traces the history of the greater New York City area through the use of the oyster as a source of food and enjoyment. Some of the descriptions of the rivers and land formations around NYC BEFORE Hudson arrived are poetic in nature. A very enjoyable book.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in June, 2008
I did not finish this entire book but most of it. It is a very interesting factual history of the island of Manhattan and the areas around it (Long Island, Staten Island, The Bronx, New Jersey and up the Hudson River). And it weaves them all together through the history of the oysters in this area. Some very interesting stuff. But gets boring after a bit.
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Read in February, 2008
I listened to this on CD. It was a fun thing to listen to. I like Kurlansky because he takes a topic I usually don't really know anything about and rarely care about and makes it interesting. This is a nice focused history of New York and also a story of environmental degradation of the New York waterways. The reader was particularly Easy to listen to.
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Read in January, 2006
I was lucky enough to read this right after I read the Mayflower by Nat Philbrick. The Big Oyster is set not in New England but in New York during the same exact time period, so the historical accounts overlapped and it was very informative. It also had a lot of food references which I find interesting. New Yorks history is quite fascinating.
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Read in January, 2007
This book is by the same author as 1968, Salt, and Cod. The book is really a history of New York City, with the oyster being the thread that ties everything together somehow. Who knew you could get Indians and the Robber Barons of the Gilded Age together? Kurlansky sure knows how -- they all ate oysters.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
oyster eaters
A fun way to look at the history of NYC, but if you've read Gotham, all these books just seem like condensed versions of its story. If I liked eating oysters I probably would have liked it much more, because there are some pretty lurid descriptions of the dozens of ways that they can be prepared.
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A study of New York history, viewed through the eyes(?) of the oyster. An interesting, if occasionally repetitive read -- how many versions of oyster stew recipes does a reader really need in order to understand that New Yorkers ate a lot of a oyster? I say one or two; Mark Kurlansky disagrees.
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Read in September, 2007
I tend to like most food histories but I think I will tire of this method eventually. I wanted more than a sentence on the Daybreak Boys and the lynchings during the civil war. I <b> hate <b> to say this but more history less food history. It's time for me to move away from the food for a bit.
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Read in February, 2008
I lurrrrve this author....always interesting factoids about common stuff. NYC should have been called "the big oyster" for all the oyster-eating New Yorkers did before the 20th century polluted NY Harbor. History of NYC, food culture and the evolution of recipes make for compelling reading.
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