This book was a pleasant surprise after a string of mediocre reads. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler is another book off of the In Style’s reading list.
In summary, this book is about wine. I am not a wine person, so I think I’ve learned more about wine from this book than I did in my entire life before reading it. A year long journey of drinking, eating, restauranting, New Yorking of a young girl. The story might be painfully typical – a young girl arrives in the big city to start her life and to find herself, in the process trying to get the hang of the adulting thing, falling prey to bad influence, falling for bad boys, floating along with the current of life… – but the writing is far from.
In addition to being extremely well written, the author has a very unique writing style, which is like nothing I have encountered before. And this is what sets this book apart from most other novels with tired storylines. I believe writing style is the one of the most important things in fiction. Just like all the songs have already been sung, all the stories have already been told. What draws the reader in is the way the same story is told – the clever use of language, the way the words are strung together, the melody of the string. In that sense this book is not just sweet wine with your meal – it is a dessert.
The descriptions of food and the city were mesmerizing, although the author does not embellish any dirtiness and lowliness of the city. She simply makes you feel like you are experiencing alongside the character. There are so many brilliant phrases and passages that I could not tell you which one was my most favorite. The critics are right – the book genuinely is about rubbish, but the writing is on a completely different level with great tone and vocabulary full of metaphors and allegories. The plot is well-paced, mostly linear with all parts of it making sense. Nothing seems like it does not belong or relate to the storyline in one way or another.
Although the main heroine is very real to the reader, personally, I did not develop any special feelings for Tess. However, I was strongly drawn to the character of Simone. This girl has classical music coming out of her month. She is broken but still the most put together person in the entire book.
I noticed that the author just had a memoir published last month, but I seriously hope she writes another fiction book soon. This writing talent should be put to work and not wasted.
My Quest For Excellence 