It saddens me that so many talented writers are overlooked, while someone like Julie Powell receives so much ill-deserved glory. Her first book, Julie & Julia, was based on an interesting concept – making every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Unfortunately, Powell’s writing was so full of Me-Me-Me! as to make her book unreadable. Notwithstanding the fact that there was very little cooking and very little Julia in it.
Now Powell has come out with Cleaving, a book about her apprenticeship at a butcher and about her having an affair.
Please do all the good writers out there a favor and ignore both of Powell’s books. Many more worthy authors deserve your attention.