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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
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Sadly I've never read this book, but after reading your comment I'm dying to get my hands on a copy! Thanks for sharing it with us. If I do manage to get a copy and read it, I'd love to discuss it with you. :)
I read this book last year and liked it, but didn't love it. It is a unique premise to feel what one tastes, and what happens with the brother is sad and bizarre in the extreme. I appreciated the originality and the lovely writing, but overall, it left me with a creepy feeling.
I wonder if your creepy feeling, Tina, is what I'm calling an antsy feeling. Interesting. Thanks for your thoughts!
I finished the book a few weeks ago and have to say I have mixed feelings about it.Certain bits were beautifully written and I loved the original idea of tasting peoples feelings.I liked some of the characters, particularly the way the father in the book seemed to develop. However, I wasnt sure about her brothers story. For me it was just a bit too surreal. So mixed feelings from me I`m afraid.
I personally do enjoy science fiction and that part of the story has elements of that. Just elements though. I don't know that I'd go so far as to call this an SF novel.Sarah, I'll totally agree with you about the father. When I was small, my concept of my father was pretty limited as he worked very long hours & it seemed to always be my brother, my mother & I. Then, as I grew up, it felt like he was around more & more (though I think I just didn't go to bed as early or something dumb like that), & I got to know this stranger who lived with us. Bender made me recognize the development in Paul because it was so realistic.
I tried reading this book last autumn, but gave up after about 40 pages or so. I couldn't get into it. The lack of speech marks irritated me - at first I thought it was maybe a printing thing in my edition, but apparently every book is the same. It just felt like a chore to read... so it's one of the view to end up in my abandoned book graveyard.
I read this a couple months ago for book club. It was certainly strange. But I did enjoy it. We all connect food to emotions and memories, I guess this was the next logical step.
I read this last year and LOVED it. So lovely and so profound. I felt that Bender did a remarkable job of commenting - in a surreal and symbolic way - on the fear of emotionally connecting with other people.
Her Royal Orangeness wrote: "I felt that Bender did a remarkable job of commenting - in a surreal and symbolic way - on the fear of emotionally connecting with other people."Oh! I really like how you put that! I was thinking a lot about how well we know people, in that we don't, and how overwhelming it would be to actually know how people felt, like for real and not just the faces they present to us. How draining it would be.
So then a question: would you eat the food that you prepared, or avoid it like Rose did?
Has anyone else read this book? I have just finished it & am very much wishing I had someone to talk about it with. It struck something in me. I'm not sure exactly what. But I'm left with that weird antsy feeling where I'm still lost in the book even though it's done.
I personally thought this was a lovely, beautiful book. The characters are so real & so vivid that I felt like I knew them. The author does ask that we suspend our disbelief for an important plot device, and creates such a realistic world to surround it that I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there is someone out there who can taste feelings.
Anyway, I've read some mixed reviews but overall, I adored this book & would love to talk about it with someone else who's read it -- whether you liked it or not.