Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Delacorte Press, c2009.
Description
The almost-true tale of how the tomato came to 16th century Italy and the forbidden love between Davido, a Jewish tomato farmer, and Mari, a beautiful Catholic girl. But it's not only Davido and Mari who have secrets of the heart. Everyone around them yearns for something--from Davido's grandfather, who tenderly cultivates the tomato plant he stole on his voyages with Columbus, to Mari's villainous stepfather, whose eye is trained on his stepdaughter's virginity and his neighbor's land. Caught in the midst of these passions and machinations is a village full of eccentrics who speak in rhyme, celebrate the Feast of the Drunken Saint, and live a life untouched by the passage of time. The schemes and dreams of these men and women are about to change as what is forbidden becomes too delicious to resist. Tradition, religion, and good taste collide in a story about the courage to pursue love and tomato sauce at all costs.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member suetu
When you’re in love, the whole world is Italian
When you’ve got a novel subtitled, “A Fable of Love, Lust & Forbidden Fruit,” what’s not to like? Well, a few things, actually, but overall this debut novel is a charmer. It is being marketed as a comic romance between Jewish tomato farmer
There we meet Davido’s Nonno (grandfather), who was introduced to the exotic tomato during his travels with Christopher Columbus in the new world. We meet Mari’s disabled mother and villainous stepfather, Giuseppe and Giuseppe’s conflicted henchman, Benito. Much of village life revolves around the church, and the Good Padre of this church is truly unique—from his all-embracing heart right down to his purple skin! We meet many other residents of the town: an outspoken housewife, a tolerant cheese maker, an intolerant butcher, a one-testicled tavern owner, and a very wise fool. To this cast of characters add Cosimo di Pucci de Meducci, III, grand Duke of Tuscany, and his chef, Luigi, who find their way to this back water town separately, and who each discover that this little village meets needs in themselves they never knew existed.
Beyond being a mere comedy or romance, this is a story of ignorance and anti-Semitism and of the struggle of good people for tolerance. And it is the story of the comfort and peace found in the Catholic Church. It is a story of village life, and a love song to the joys of Mediterranean food. I defy you to get through this novel without, at the very least, ordering in a pizza.
I found myself smiling throughout this quirky comic novel, but I will acknowledge that Tomato Rhapsody is not without its flaws, and will not be appreciated by all readers. It is Adam Schell’s debut, and he is still learning to use the tools of his craft: exposition, character development, plotting, etc. He’s experimenting a bit wildly with other tools: foreshadowing, flashbacks, direct address, symbolism, archetypes, footnotes, etc. I didn’t agree with all of his choices, but most of the faults were forgivable.
The bigger problems are that this novel is told in archaic-sounding language. Large sections of the dialogue are spoken in rhyme. (A sort of medieval rap, if you will.) And parts of this comic novel are crude or downright lewd. Many readers will find one or more of these elements extremely off-putting. Simply put, this novel is NOT for everyone.
I would suggest as a litmus test that you ask yourself how likely you would be to sit down and read a Shakespearian comedy? That, of course, refers only to style, and isn’t meant to suggest in any way that Schell’s work is in the same ballpark. No, it’s strange, and quirky, and flawed. But I liked it. And I smiled while I read it. I’m being a little generous with my four-star review, but I think there will be critics aplenty. I just wanted to applaud an author going out on a limb. I may never look at a tomato the same way again.
When you’ve got a novel subtitled, “A Fable of Love, Lust & Forbidden Fruit,” what’s not to like? Well, a few things, actually, but overall this debut novel is a charmer. It is being marketed as a comic romance between Jewish tomato farmer
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Davido and Catholic olive farmer Mari. And it is—but the star-crossed lovers don’t even lay eyes upon each other for nearly 100 pages. Their story is one of many taking place in an unnamed 16th century Tuscan village.There we meet Davido’s Nonno (grandfather), who was introduced to the exotic tomato during his travels with Christopher Columbus in the new world. We meet Mari’s disabled mother and villainous stepfather, Giuseppe and Giuseppe’s conflicted henchman, Benito. Much of village life revolves around the church, and the Good Padre of this church is truly unique—from his all-embracing heart right down to his purple skin! We meet many other residents of the town: an outspoken housewife, a tolerant cheese maker, an intolerant butcher, a one-testicled tavern owner, and a very wise fool. To this cast of characters add Cosimo di Pucci de Meducci, III, grand Duke of Tuscany, and his chef, Luigi, who find their way to this back water town separately, and who each discover that this little village meets needs in themselves they never knew existed.
Beyond being a mere comedy or romance, this is a story of ignorance and anti-Semitism and of the struggle of good people for tolerance. And it is the story of the comfort and peace found in the Catholic Church. It is a story of village life, and a love song to the joys of Mediterranean food. I defy you to get through this novel without, at the very least, ordering in a pizza.
I found myself smiling throughout this quirky comic novel, but I will acknowledge that Tomato Rhapsody is not without its flaws, and will not be appreciated by all readers. It is Adam Schell’s debut, and he is still learning to use the tools of his craft: exposition, character development, plotting, etc. He’s experimenting a bit wildly with other tools: foreshadowing, flashbacks, direct address, symbolism, archetypes, footnotes, etc. I didn’t agree with all of his choices, but most of the faults were forgivable.
The bigger problems are that this novel is told in archaic-sounding language. Large sections of the dialogue are spoken in rhyme. (A sort of medieval rap, if you will.) And parts of this comic novel are crude or downright lewd. Many readers will find one or more of these elements extremely off-putting. Simply put, this novel is NOT for everyone.
I would suggest as a litmus test that you ask yourself how likely you would be to sit down and read a Shakespearian comedy? That, of course, refers only to style, and isn’t meant to suggest in any way that Schell’s work is in the same ballpark. No, it’s strange, and quirky, and flawed. But I liked it. And I smiled while I read it. I’m being a little generous with my four-star review, but I think there will be critics aplenty. I just wanted to applaud an author going out on a limb. I may never look at a tomato the same way again.
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LibraryThing member bburke79
This book is as it says a tale of love and lust. Mostly lust I would say. I do like the style of the book with the villagers and their rhyming dialect. I enjoyed the narration that popped up explaining pertinent information from the past as well as literary points. I personally enjoyed the italian
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thrown in- I know that some find that off putting, but I like it. What troubled me however was the fact that there were several scences that were quite vulgar. I didn't know see how that they furthered the plot or why they couldn't have been written tastefully. The vulgarity aside I did thoroughly enjoy the book and if it won't bother you I think that it is a well written and thought provoking book. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Tomato Rhapsody by Adam Schell is a historical fable set in a 16th century Tuscan village. As the title suggests, the tomato is very important to this tale. In fact food is front and center throughout the book. Jewish farmer Davido grows the “love apple” with great care and love, cruel Guiseppe
The story plays out much like a Shakespearean comedy which comes to a climax at the Feast of the Drunken Saint donkey race. Throughout the story, there is a puzzlement about the tomato. Although many uses of the raw fruit are described, they do not know how to successfully cook the tomato and have yet to discover the wonders of tomato sauce.
High in humor and high-jinx, the reader roots for the young lovers to find happiness and for tomato sauce to be discovered. Tomato Rhapsody was an unusual, clever and engaging story that also manages to shine a light on the oppression of Jews during the Renaissance. The story is both earthy and bawdy and an altogether delightful read.
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and his assistant Benito forage for truffles, the new village priest relishes food and spends much of his time planning his next meal. But when the stepdaughter of Guiseppe, Mari, falls in love with the Jewish farmer, things start to get complicated.The story plays out much like a Shakespearean comedy which comes to a climax at the Feast of the Drunken Saint donkey race. Throughout the story, there is a puzzlement about the tomato. Although many uses of the raw fruit are described, they do not know how to successfully cook the tomato and have yet to discover the wonders of tomato sauce.
High in humor and high-jinx, the reader roots for the young lovers to find happiness and for tomato sauce to be discovered. Tomato Rhapsody was an unusual, clever and engaging story that also manages to shine a light on the oppression of Jews during the Renaissance. The story is both earthy and bawdy and an altogether delightful read.
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LibraryThing member VNSLibrary
Tomato Rhapsody is a tale of forbidden love between Davido, a young Jewish farmer and Mari, a Catholic girl. Set in a Tuscan village in the 16th century, a glance across a piazza ignites this romantic comedy. Assembled in three parts, this tale of amore unfolds with a cast of memorable characters
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– noble, lecherous, bold. There’s the greedy villain Giuseppe who’s a scoundrel beyond compare and the mysterious, magnanimous Padre who is kind, joyful, and fair. This lively, zesty story is cunningly, cleverly written. Spicy, pungent yet sweet, with this book, this reader is smitten. Show Less
LibraryThing member epivet
It took me a while to get into this book. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood. Maybe the rhyming dialect many of the characters used was too annoying. Maybe my lack of interest in the Italian language made me cringe at the number of words/sentences thrown in (almost always with translation, but it
When finally forced to finish (by a long-delayed flight, no nearby bookstore, and nothing else to read in my bag), I found myself enjoying it. The story is a classic Italian romance, as pointed out repeatedly by the narrator. The description of food is over-the-top, but in a good way. A nice, light book -- perfect for sitting in an airport, even better before a good Italian dinner.
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slows down my reading when I don't know how to pronounce something in my head). I don't know.When finally forced to finish (by a long-delayed flight, no nearby bookstore, and nothing else to read in my bag), I found myself enjoying it. The story is a classic Italian romance, as pointed out repeatedly by the narrator. The description of food is over-the-top, but in a good way. A nice, light book -- perfect for sitting in an airport, even better before a good Italian dinner.
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LibraryThing member Jackie.the.Librarian
This book was absolutely delicious! Schell's descriptions of the foods, customs, and characters of 16th century Italy make the reader feel fully enveloped in the story. Just as much as I loved the story and journey of the main characters, I also loved the journey of the tomato (or "love apples" as
Tomato Rhapsody is a great read if you need something to uplift and entertain your soul. If you are looking for the realistic, the sad or the cynical, don't bother. I picked up this book after reading a few very depressing novels and I was sorely in need of a happy ending. I got what I wished for and more. I will never think of tomatos, olives, donkeys, and hallucinogenic mushrooms the same.
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they are referred to) in this book. Tomato Rhapsody is a great read if you need something to uplift and entertain your soul. If you are looking for the realistic, the sad or the cynical, don't bother. I picked up this book after reading a few very depressing novels and I was sorely in need of a happy ending. I got what I wished for and more. I will never think of tomatos, olives, donkeys, and hallucinogenic mushrooms the same.
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LibraryThing member theeccentriclady
I do not know where I picked this book up nor why because I do not even like tomatoes! It just looked and sounded interesting. Well, it was a great read, full of comedy, family love and tragedy, wonderful characters that you just have to love! The whole time I was reading I kept visualizing this as
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a Mel Brooks comedy. I would love to see this made into a movie. The end just leaves you feeling so good I had to give it 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member kimkimkim
Tantalizing, irreverent, delicious, quirky and thoroughly enjoyable.
LibraryThing member KimMR
This is a most unusual novel. Set in 15th century Tuscany, it's a tale of love, lust, food and life. It features broad and bawdy comedy, poignant drama, rhyming dialogue (said to be in imitation of the peasant dialect of the place and time), random Italian words and phrases, commedia dell'arte
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elements, authorial asides, sensual descriptions of the joys of eating a tomato and creative explanations for the origin of foods such as tomato sauce and pizza. I've noted that the book polarises opinion. Goodreads reviewers seem to either love it or hate it. I fall into the former camp. Although I thought the narrative dragged just a little bit in the middle (although that could have been because of my mood and not because of the writing), there was lots in Schell's writing to make me smile and enough in the plot to make me want to know how it turned out. The descriptions of food were a definite plus, although for reasons which I won't go into here, I may never look at a vat of homemade tomato sauce in quite the same way again!
While I found the novel a very enjoyable read, I can understand why it doesn't have universal appeal. I don't think it's possible to predict which readers will like the book, so I won't take on the responsibility of recommending it. Readers will know whether they are going to like it by the end of the first chapter. For my part, I'm glad I read a GR friend's enthusiastic review, because otherwise this novel would never have come my way. (Thanks Tracey!)
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LibraryThing member grnpickle
Tomato Rhapsody was fun, fun, fun. There were so many laugh out loud, tongue in cheek parts. I really enjoyed it. The novel written as a play in the making was a genius approach and the little tidbits of history were fun if not hilarious. (knock on wood...oh my) Just a great fun book.
LibraryThing member GlobalVagabond
Wonderful! I would call it a "fantasia." One of the few books I literally could not put down. Mr. Schell has an extraordinary talent for cramming the pages of his jewel of a novel with historical facts, fictional narrative, wonderful dialog -- and descriptions of food that made me want to make a
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bee-line to the kitchen (except I don't have those wonderful ingredients) - all in a manner that made me forget about the writer and the writing until I reluctantly turned the last page and read the final words. At which point I said, "Wow!" Please give us more, Mr. Schell. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stewartry
You'll never look at tomato sauce the same way again.
Tomato Rhapsody was an extraordinary book. It's a fable about how the tomato came to Europe, and how it overcame the strange, popular prejudice that it was extremely and immediately poisonous, to become inseparable from Italian cuisine. It's
Some might find the rhyming dialogue cloying, or indeed nothing better than annoying. But I find that the couplets to my inner ear became as natural and simple as, dare I say, Shakespeare. (I was tempted to write an entire review in rhyme, but it would take forever; I just don't have the time.)
Read this book. But first make sure your pantry is well stocked with good olive oil, good bread, eggplant (try the Good Padre's idea in Chapter 3 – it's wonderful), fresh herbs – and tomatoes. Definitely tomatoes. Lots of them.
E cosi bello!
Tomato Rhapsody was an extraordinary book. It's a fable about how the tomato came to Europe, and how it overcame the strange, popular prejudice that it was extremely and immediately poisonous, to become inseparable from Italian cuisine. It's
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also about a wicked stepfather, the oppression of Jews in early Renaissance Europe, the curing of olives, Christopher Columbus, Catholic missionaries in Africa, sanitation, copulation, and celebration. It's a romance (not a love story), basically Romeo and Juliet if the lovers had been older and there had been someone sensible in Fair Verona. Everything in the story has meaning and significance: a donkey's bray, a shaft of sunlight, a drop of holy water. The story is earthy - sometimes downright crude - as well as golden, rapturous, euphoric - and yes, rhapsodic. It is both sprawling and intimate, with a good-sized cast of characters who do not come across as "characters"; these are people, wildly individual and altogether real. Some might find the rhyming dialogue cloying, or indeed nothing better than annoying. But I find that the couplets to my inner ear became as natural and simple as, dare I say, Shakespeare. (I was tempted to write an entire review in rhyme, but it would take forever; I just don't have the time.)
Read this book. But first make sure your pantry is well stocked with good olive oil, good bread, eggplant (try the Good Padre's idea in Chapter 3 – it's wonderful), fresh herbs – and tomatoes. Definitely tomatoes. Lots of them.
E cosi bello!
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LibraryThing member Oryan685
This is a wonderful read! Smart, funny, surprisingly educational, and just a great story! I'm buying it for all of my friends!
LibraryThing member jessicalbustos
I liked it a lot. As a cook who enjoys food, and a history buff, I liked learning the history of food and his descriptions of recipes. It was fun imagining how pasta sauce was created, something we definitely take for granted. It reminded me of Shakespeare and Tom Robbins--- although not as great
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as either, obviously, as many critics here have laid out, it was still very enjoyable and a lucky piece of fiction I stumbled upon at the bookstore. Show Less
LibraryThing member heike6
I really wanted to like this book, but I could only force myself to read through the first 11 chapters. Perhaps I don't like books that list all the characters in the beginning like a play. Quite possibly I prefer everyday language. Either way, the book bored me and it felt like a chore to read it,
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so I stopped. If you like old Italian plays, maybe you'll love it. Not for me, though. Show Less
LibraryThing member VickiLN
I received this novel through LT's Member Giveaway. Tomato Rhapsody is a book about a Jewish farmer who worships the tomato. He is engaged to a girl he can't stand and then falls for a Catholic girl who is the step daughter of a most hateful olive farmer. It is a strange book in that the village
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people talk in rhyme and it does have some crude language that I could have done without, but overall it's a very good book, especially from a first time author. It introduces characters at a very fast pace, but not so fast that you can't keep up. It is full of humor and one of those books that I ended up liking more than I thought I would. Show Less
LibraryThing member krl112
I received Tomato Rhapsody as a Library Thing Member Giveaway. It was a fun, lighthearted love story. The writing style is very different than what I am used to reading, but once I got into it--it was very enjoyable. The characters were so interesting and the way the author incorporated information
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about the food and culture of the time was really fun. There were little history and cultural lessons along the way, which gave the story more depth. I would classify this book as a fun and smart love story! Thank you for sending this copy for me to enjoy! Show Less
LibraryThing member thesocialfrog
Synopsis
A village in Tuscany is the setting for this joyous debut—a novel that defies all our expectations as it puts a fresh, clever, captivating spin on the age-old tale of forbidden love. Rich in literary delights, filled with spectacular wordplay, and rife with the bawdy humor of
This is a story born from love—a forbidden love—between Davido, an Ebreo tomato farmer, and Mari, a beautiful Catholic girl.…But it’s not only Davido and Mari who have secrets of the heart. Everyone around them yearns for something—from Davido’s grandfather, who tenderly cultivates the tomato plant he stole on his voyages with Columbus, to Mari’s villainous stepfather, whose eye is trained on his stepdaughter’s virginity and his neighbor’s land.
Caught in the midst of these passions and machinations is a village full of eccentrics who speak in rhyme, celebrate the Feast of the Drunken Saint, and live a life untouched by the passage of time. The schemes and dreams of these men and women are about to change as what is forbidden becomes too delicious to resist. Tradition, religion, and good taste collide unforgettably in a story about the courage to pursue love and tomato sauce at all costs.
My Thoughts
I was highly intrigued by the title of this book, even more drawn in when I found out what this quirky little tale was about. As it states it is “A fable of love, lust & forbidden fruit”.
At the beginning it was hard to really know what the story was about. Many different characters were introduced at a fast pace. The story is mainly, for the most part about tomato’s. It is written in a Shakespearean style which I found fun & entertaining.
In my copy of the book there were foot notes to describe a word or phrase that was not in English, it proved to be a good help along the story.
The two main characters are slowly introduced they are Mari whom is a Catholic and Davido whom is a tomato farmer. It goes into great detail as to why their love is forbidden.
I’m not really sure where much love came into the book as I took it as lust between the two main characters as well as several others who lust after Mari.
The story of a tomato seed called a “love apple” seems to be another main character in this story which I found entertaining. I found this book to be a sensational read, it had me laughing and I did not want to put it down.
I highly recommend this book, it is fresh & different.
A village in Tuscany is the setting for this joyous debut—a novel that defies all our expectations as it puts a fresh, clever, captivating spin on the age-old tale of forbidden love. Rich in literary delights, filled with spectacular wordplay, and rife with the bawdy humor of
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Shakespeare’s comedies, Tomato Rhapsody is the almost-true tale of how the tomato came to Italy—at once a brilliantly inventive fable of love, lust, and longing, and a dazzling feast for the imagination.This is a story born from love—a forbidden love—between Davido, an Ebreo tomato farmer, and Mari, a beautiful Catholic girl.…But it’s not only Davido and Mari who have secrets of the heart. Everyone around them yearns for something—from Davido’s grandfather, who tenderly cultivates the tomato plant he stole on his voyages with Columbus, to Mari’s villainous stepfather, whose eye is trained on his stepdaughter’s virginity and his neighbor’s land.
Caught in the midst of these passions and machinations is a village full of eccentrics who speak in rhyme, celebrate the Feast of the Drunken Saint, and live a life untouched by the passage of time. The schemes and dreams of these men and women are about to change as what is forbidden becomes too delicious to resist. Tradition, religion, and good taste collide unforgettably in a story about the courage to pursue love and tomato sauce at all costs.
My Thoughts
I was highly intrigued by the title of this book, even more drawn in when I found out what this quirky little tale was about. As it states it is “A fable of love, lust & forbidden fruit”.
At the beginning it was hard to really know what the story was about. Many different characters were introduced at a fast pace. The story is mainly, for the most part about tomato’s. It is written in a Shakespearean style which I found fun & entertaining.
In my copy of the book there were foot notes to describe a word or phrase that was not in English, it proved to be a good help along the story.
The two main characters are slowly introduced they are Mari whom is a Catholic and Davido whom is a tomato farmer. It goes into great detail as to why their love is forbidden.
I’m not really sure where much love came into the book as I took it as lust between the two main characters as well as several others who lust after Mari.
The story of a tomato seed called a “love apple” seems to be another main character in this story which I found entertaining. I found this book to be a sensational read, it had me laughing and I did not want to put it down.
I highly recommend this book, it is fresh & different.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Tomato Rhapsody is set in Italy in the mid 1500s, when the tomato was commonly known as the "love apple" and was distrusted and feared as being poisonous. In a small Tuscan village, Davido is a young Ebreo (Jewish) farmer who spends his days tending the tomatoes grown from seeds his
Review: There have been a number of books that have come out in the past year or so that I would call "foodie fiction" - The School of Essential Ingredients and The Book of Unholy Mischief are two from my own reading that come to mind. It's a subgenre I enjoy, but I think there's been enough of an influx that relative newcomer Tomato Rhapsody has gotten somewhat lost in the shuffle... and that's a shame. It's historical fiction, yes, and it's got a very strong foodie element, but it's less of a standard historical fiction and more of a cross between a fable and an Italian commedia dell'arte. In fact, I think it bears the strongest resemblance to Joanne Harris's Chocolat - a similar theme of a bunch of resistant villagers being introduced to a new and suspicious food, a similar sense of joy at the absurdity and wonder of life and the power of food, and a similar tone of not-quite magical realism, of all of the personalities and events and reactions and emotions being more vivid and more immediate than is strictly realistic.
The prose perfectly matches the story it's telling: earthy and bawdy and joyous and full of the flavors of the Tuscan countryside. It manages to be simultaneously operatic in prose and Shakespearean (and rhyming!) in dialogue, while never taking itself entirely seriously, and the result is lyrical and lovely and so charmed by its own cleverness that I couldn't help but smile almost constantly as I was reading - at the words as well as the story.
There were a few things that bothered me. The story takes a while to get going (the young lovers don't even see each other for the first time until almost page 100), so it took me a while to really get interested. Similarly, because it's told more as a fable than as a straight-up story, we're kept at somewhat of a distance from our hero and heroine, and it's hard to become particularly emotionally involved with their plight (especially since the traditional form dictates a happy ending.) Finally, while the rhyming dialogue did definitely add a unique flavor to the book, by the end it started to get a little tiring. Still, once I was able to get settled into the rhythm and style of the story, I enjoyed it immensely, as the smile plastered across my face as I was reading probably could attest. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: If you like historical fiction and/or foodie fiction (and are not thoroughly put off by bawdy humor), give Tomato Rhapsody a shot. Its style won't be to everyone's taste, but those for whom it works will find it a funny, joyful, and unique read.
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grandfather stole during his voyages with Christopher Columbus. On the day that Davido and his grandfather first try to bring their fruits to market, he sees and instantly falls in love with Mari, a village girl whose passion for olives and olive oil matches Davido's passion for tomatoes... but unfortunately Mari's family olive groves - and Mari's future - are under the control of her cruel and scheming stepfather. Their love - like the tomatoes - are forbidden by the church, and would never be accepted by the local villagers. But some things are too sweet to be denied - whether it's the passion of young love or the flavor of a summer-ripe tomato.Review: There have been a number of books that have come out in the past year or so that I would call "foodie fiction" - The School of Essential Ingredients and The Book of Unholy Mischief are two from my own reading that come to mind. It's a subgenre I enjoy, but I think there's been enough of an influx that relative newcomer Tomato Rhapsody has gotten somewhat lost in the shuffle... and that's a shame. It's historical fiction, yes, and it's got a very strong foodie element, but it's less of a standard historical fiction and more of a cross between a fable and an Italian commedia dell'arte. In fact, I think it bears the strongest resemblance to Joanne Harris's Chocolat - a similar theme of a bunch of resistant villagers being introduced to a new and suspicious food, a similar sense of joy at the absurdity and wonder of life and the power of food, and a similar tone of not-quite magical realism, of all of the personalities and events and reactions and emotions being more vivid and more immediate than is strictly realistic.
The prose perfectly matches the story it's telling: earthy and bawdy and joyous and full of the flavors of the Tuscan countryside. It manages to be simultaneously operatic in prose and Shakespearean (and rhyming!) in dialogue, while never taking itself entirely seriously, and the result is lyrical and lovely and so charmed by its own cleverness that I couldn't help but smile almost constantly as I was reading - at the words as well as the story.
There were a few things that bothered me. The story takes a while to get going (the young lovers don't even see each other for the first time until almost page 100), so it took me a while to really get interested. Similarly, because it's told more as a fable than as a straight-up story, we're kept at somewhat of a distance from our hero and heroine, and it's hard to become particularly emotionally involved with their plight (especially since the traditional form dictates a happy ending.) Finally, while the rhyming dialogue did definitely add a unique flavor to the book, by the end it started to get a little tiring. Still, once I was able to get settled into the rhythm and style of the story, I enjoyed it immensely, as the smile plastered across my face as I was reading probably could attest. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: If you like historical fiction and/or foodie fiction (and are not thoroughly put off by bawdy humor), give Tomato Rhapsody a shot. Its style won't be to everyone's taste, but those for whom it works will find it a funny, joyful, and unique read.
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Language
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
327 p.; 24 inches
ISBN
0385343337 / 9780385343336