Publishers Weekly
Powell flounders in her latest cooking-themed memoir. Trying to end an affair, the married Powell leaves town and seeks distraction in a butcher shop. She explores her obsessions with meat and with her lover—but listeners will quickly tune out. Her sarcastic inflections, flat tone, and nervous voice that worked reasonably well with Julie and Julia sound supercilious and affected here. The clunky performance cannot redeem the uninspired prose, and Powell—who compulsively cheats on her “saintly” husband—is difficult to empathize with. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Dec.)
From the Publisher
"Julie Powell's follow-up to Julie & Julia paints a visceral, compulsively readable picture of what it looks like when you fully indulge with a fantasy object who isn't your spouse.... Powell has honed her writing chops along with her culinary skills, and her extended metaphor is dead on: how we can systematically hack each other apart without ever getting to the heart of our desires."—Miranda Purves, Elle
"Got a hobby you consider therapy? You'll eat up this second memoir by the author of Julie and Julia. In it, Powell tries to end an adulterous affair by immersing herself in an apprenticeship at a butcher shop--and embarks on a world tour of meat. How she finds her way home is the marrow of this tell-all travelogue/love story. Well done!"—Elisabeth Egan, Self
"From the title to the last page, former blogger Julie Powell's startling second memoir is smart and compelling.... Powell's steadfast femininity and confident voice are refreshing."—Laura Impellizzeri, San Francisco Chronicle
"As intoxicating as baked bone marrow.... Powell is reckless, yes, but also incredibly brave as she cuts through the raw flesh of her marriage, exposing every quivering nerve. It is an evisceration not without its insight and hard-won rewards. It's also funny....The book's joys are many.... In her self-gutting story we see our own fleshy vulnerabilities when it comes to the intricacies of love."—Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle
"An engaging writer. Fast, funny and observant...she's your mean best friend sending instant messages that make you snort at your desk."—Christine Muhlke, New York Times Book Review
Christine Muhlke - New York Times Book Review
"An engaging writer. Fast, funny and observant...she's your mean best friend sending instant messages that make you snort at your desk."
Greg Morago - Houston Chronicle
"As intoxicating as baked bone marrow.... Powell is reckless, yes, but also incredibly brave as she cuts through the raw flesh of her marriage, exposing every quivering nerve. It is an evisceration not without its insight and hard-won rewards. It's also funny....The book's joys are many.... In her self-gutting story we see our own fleshy vulnerabilities when it comes to the intricacies of love."
Laura Impellizzeri - San Francisco Chronicle
"From the title to the last page, former blogger Julie Powell's startling second memoir is smart and compelling.... Powell's steadfast femininity and confident voice are refreshing."
Elisabeth Egan - Self
"Got a hobby you consider therapy? You'll eat up this second memoir by the author of Julie and Julia. In it, Powell tries to end an adulterous affair by immersing herself in an apprenticeship at a butcher shop--and embarks on a world tour of meat. How she finds her way home is the marrow of this tell-all travelogue/love story. Well done!"
Miranda Purves - Elle
"Julie Powell's follow-up to Julie & Julia paints a visceral, compulsively readable picture of what it looks like when you fully indulge with a fantasy object who isn't your spouse.... Powell has honed her writing chops along with her culinary skills, and her extended metaphor is dead on: how we can systematically hack each other apart without ever getting to the heart of our desires."
Christine Muhlke
An engaging writer. Fast, funny and observant...she's your mean best friend sending instant messages that make you snort at your desk.
— New York Times Book Review
Greg Morago
As intoxicating as baked bone marrow.... Powell is reckless, yes, but also incredibly brave as she cuts through the raw flesh of her marriage, exposing every quivering nerve. It is an evisceration not without its insight and hard-won rewards. It's also funny....The book's joys are many.... In her self-gutting story we see our own fleshy vulnerabilities when it comes to the intricacies of love.
— Houston Chronicle
Laura Impellizzeri
From the title to the last page, former blogger Julie Powell's startling second memoir is smart and compelling.... Powell's steadfast femininity and confident voice are refreshing.
— San Francisco Chronicle
Elisabeth Egan
Got a hobby you consider therapy? You'll eat up this second memoir by the author of Julie and Julia. In it, Powell tries to end an adulterous affair by immersing herself in an apprenticeship at a butcher shop—and embarks on a world tour of meat. How she finds her way home is the marrow of this tell-all travelogue/love story. Well done!
— Self
Miranda Purves
Julie Powell's follow-up to Julie & Julia paints a visceral, compulsively readable picture of what it looks like when you fully indulge with a fantasy object who isn't your spouse.... Powell has honed her writing chops along with her culinary skills, and her extended metaphor is dead on: how we can systematically hack each other apart without ever getting to the heart of our desires.
— Elle
DECEMBER 2009 - AudioFile
Listeners looking for some continuation of Powell's hugely successful JULIE & JULIA may not find it in this memoir. The subtitle of “Marriage, Meat and Obsession” sums up the book well, and with her audio presentation the obsession part seems to dominate. To distract herself from her disintegrating marriage, Powell learns the art of butchery, which she takes up with compulsive energy. In turn, much of her hard-edged manic focus is conveyed in the audio. She definitely TELLS listeners her story, with a demanding, self-centered tone. Listeners can learn a good deal about butchery but may get more than TMI about her marriage and adultery. The people and culture of Fleischer's butcher shop are interesting, but Powell's narration creates a barrier to real understanding. It all has to be about Julie. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
