[book_talk] book review - Richard C. Morais

From: "Bonnie L. Sherrell" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "blslarner@xxxxxxxxxx" for DMARC)
To: "Blind Book Lovers Cafe" <bblc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Blind Chit Chat" <Blind-Chit-Chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Bonnie L. Sherrell" <blslarner@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Book Talk" <book_talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Books for the Blind" <Books4theblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:47:20 -0800

_The Hundred-Foot Journey_
by Richard C. Morais
narrated by Neil Shah

Hassan Haji was born with an innate talent for putting flavors together
in order to offer the public food fit to be considered haute cuisine. 
He began learning to cook back in India under the tutelage of his
grandmother and the head cook for their restaurant, which flourished in
what had been empty lots between the fine dwellings of the rich and the
slums of the poor.  After a riot in which the family restaurant was
burned down and his mother dead in the conflagration, his father took
what remained of the family first to England and then to France, and on
discovering the village of Lumiere in a picturesque part of the
country, Papa decided it was time to reenter the restaurant business. 
A fine mansion was found that was perfect for both the family to dwell
in and to house the desired eating establishment on the ground floor,
and soon work was being done to transform a long-neglected estate into
a Tandoori restaurant.  

Madame Mallory, who dwelt across the street from the Haji family and
whose restaurant boasted two Michelin stars in the culinary guidebooks
for France, was not happy to have an inexpensive Indian restaurant
right across from her own establishment, and a most amusing war
ensued--until in one of her attacks against the Hajis Hassan suffered a
terrible burn.  Suddenly aware of how serious her behavior had become,
Madame Mallory tried to make it up to the family at large and with
Hassan in particular, and finding that Hassan had the gustatory
equivalence to perfect pitch, she offered to teach him how to cook to
classical French standards.

And so the boy born to hustle the streets of Mumbai rises to become a
leading chef in France.

Again, I was introduced to the story a few months back when friends and
I went to see the film inspired by the book at the theater.  It was a
wonderful story, and when I saw the audiobook version on sale on
Audible I decided to obtain a copy to read during my commutes to and
from work.  The reader is excellent, and the story just as compelling
as the movie form, although  the movie does vary greatly at times from
the book.  But as Mr. Morais commented in an interview published in the
Costco monthly magazine, in spite of the differences there is
definitely the same DNA involved in both the movie and the book.  The
romance that lasted but briefly in the book is highlighted in the
movie, but may actually flower in the aftermath of the book format--the
hints are definitely there.  Nor does Haji make the same final decision
in the book as he does in the movie.  But both are well presented and
equally entertaining, and I do recommend both versions.  Certainly
Haji, his family, and Madame Mallory are well worth the acquaintance.



Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large

"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise 
cannot see all ends." LOTR

"Don't go where I can't follow."

[book_talk] book review - Richard C. Morais

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