Meet Kathryn Borel, bon vivant and undutiful daughter. Now meet her father, Philippe, former chef, eccentric genius, and wine aficionado extraordinaire. Kathryn is like her father in every way but one: she's totally ignorant when it comes to wine. And although Philippe has devoted untold parenting hours to delivering impassioned oenological orations, she has managed to remain unenlightened. But after an accident and a death, Kathryn realizes that by shutting herself off to her father's greatest passion, she will never really know him. Accordingly, she proposes a drunken father-daughter road trip. Corkedis the uncensored account of their tour through the great wine regions of France. Uproarious, poignant, painfully introspective, and filled with cunning little details about wine, this is a book for any reader who has sought a connection with a complex family member or wanted to overcome the paralyzing terror of being faced with a restaurant wine list.
REVIEW:
A strange kind of humor.
I can see why not everyone will enjoy this book or even get it. The jokes are borderline tasteless and strange indeed.
I can't for the life of me figure out if they are European or Canadian. The talk of being in both France and Montréal, Canada, but I couldn't tell you where they were born. I think France. Maybe. Her dad did fight in the war for France so...
I was attracted to the cover of this book. Honestly I don't know what I thought I was going to get but I wanted more. Half the time they weren't even talking about the road trip anymore, and when that's what the story is supposed to be about, you get bored.
The daughter and the father both acted like children, a lot. Too much for me. If we knew each other in real life, they would be the kind of people that irk me. Yup, we would not be friends.
So this isn't what I thought it would be, and when it's someone's memoir it's especially disappointing. I love a good 'this is my life' story.
The one thing I did enjoy is when they did touch on vineyard knowledge and wines. Being a wine lover that was what I wanted. Still, I wish the story hadn't wandered so much from it.
2/5
**No compensation was received for posting. Compensation will be earned if purchases are made from the links within. A copy was provided to facilitate a review. Opinions are owned by Freda's Voice.
- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1st Printing edition (February 16, 2010)
- ISBN: 9780446409506
REVIEW:
A strange kind of humor.
I can see why not everyone will enjoy this book or even get it. The jokes are borderline tasteless and strange indeed.
I can't for the life of me figure out if they are European or Canadian. The talk of being in both France and Montréal, Canada, but I couldn't tell you where they were born. I think France. Maybe. Her dad did fight in the war for France so...
I was attracted to the cover of this book. Honestly I don't know what I thought I was going to get but I wanted more. Half the time they weren't even talking about the road trip anymore, and when that's what the story is supposed to be about, you get bored.
The daughter and the father both acted like children, a lot. Too much for me. If we knew each other in real life, they would be the kind of people that irk me. Yup, we would not be friends.
So this isn't what I thought it would be, and when it's someone's memoir it's especially disappointing. I love a good 'this is my life' story.
The one thing I did enjoy is when they did touch on vineyard knowledge and wines. Being a wine lover that was what I wanted. Still, I wish the story hadn't wandered so much from it.
2/5
**No compensation was received for posting. Compensation will be earned if purchases are made from the links within. A copy was provided to facilitate a review. Opinions are owned by Freda's Voice.
I think I've read the reviews of this book and there were more negatives than positives. Too bad it wasn't as good as you wanted it to be. I think I'll pass.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly sounds like a good premise, father/daughter bonding and all, too bad it doesn't play out well.
ReplyDeleteI kept waiting to like it, page after page and didn't get there. It is a great story idea, but Borel didn't make it work as book imo. Her best material is yet to be written, as a matured writer in her 60's, she might get interesting. Generally, her work has been pedestrian and indulgent. This is disappointing, because Borel does possess writing talent, she just doesn't bother utilizing terribly much of it.
ReplyDelete