I will not lie to you… I picked this book up because the cover immediately grabbed my attention. I know, a sin to all true bookworms. However, upon further inspection I just simply *had* to read it. A food critic turned cannibalistic serial killer? Sign. Me. Up.
Our main character, Dorothy Daniels, is an acclaimed food critic who writes with such virtuoso and prose about her own demise through tales of murder, sex, flesh eating, and a good glass of wine. Absolutely nothing about our main character is inviting but the story she weaves will certainly have you turning the page. Summers’ writing will have your stomach aching from both hunger and nausea. The descriptive language used is not for the faint of heart but it elicits a response so visceral that it will grip you even harder to the story. Willingly or not – you will get sucked in.
While the eating of her lovers is quite literal and Dorothy is a level of psychopath I hope I can never truly relate to…there are several universal truths to the female experience that can be found throughout this story. I think my biggest takeaway is that we all “consume” a part of our lovers that live with us forever. Memories, emotions, trauma, etc. We unwillingly sacrifice parts of ourselves to make room for those men we let into our hearts. So, while we may not be carving their liver out to make a velvety smooth pate, we take and give in so many other ways.
While I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone I will say it was a wholly original experience reading it and if you are looking for experience akin to riding a roller coaster while you read then go ahead – pick it up. Bask in it’s plain ugly beauty, find pleasure in it’s visceral language, and don’t forget to let your wine breathe.
thebookishpuff.com 