The Need to Keep Things the Same: Monica Ali and "In The Kitchen"
Posted by Anjuelle Floyd | Filed under Articles and Essays, Musings
…Ali has taken the action out of the home and into the high-octane kitchen of the executive chef Gabriel Lightfoot, whose restaurant at the Imperial Hotel gives her a wider, more public space in which to continue her exploration of the modern immigrant experience.
In changing her setting, she almost manages to change her tone, but instead of the wide-eyed innocence of Nazneen we are given a deeply unlikeable, sexist, racist, weary-eyed chef who so bores himself, and is so fond of explaining his own boredom and weariness, that it becomes almost impossible for the reader to get a hold of him,”
London Times critic, Natalie Sandison, writes this and more of Monica Ali’s latest work, In the Kitchen.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article6161381.ece
Why is it that critics are always measuring a writer by her or his previous work?This, I think is terrible for fiction writers who approach their craft of writing as artists, and who aren’t afraid to stretch their wings and try something new–and particularly so for new authors.
Is it that the critics have found a good thing of which they don’t want to let go? Are they afraid that work won’t sell. Do they fear the work won’t sell? Then again, if books don’t sell critics are out of a job.
The whole cycle crafting a novel, getting it published (if lucky), and then undergoing the round of critiques is quite interesting at best. At worst it feels like a hazing.
Yet however negative or scathing the critique, it provides publicity. And controversy sells.
Could that be what its about? Simply getting someone, anyone to acknowledge a work. I can’t imagine the authors relish this. But for the publisher, critical and controversial publicity is better than none.
Look at me, I’m writing about In the Kitchen.
And I might even by and read it.
What do you think of book reviews and the critics who write them?
Have you ever had one that left you bristling?
Would books sell with out them?
Tags: art, book critics, book reviews, Brick Lane, craft, critiques, Gabriel Lightfoot, In the Kitchen, London Times, Monica Ali, Natalie Sandison, Nazneen, writing
Facebook
GoodReads
LinkedIn
MySpace
Scribd
Shelfari
Twitter
YouTube
Loading ...
May 1st, 2009 at 9:13 am
I loved Monica Ali’s “Brick Lane”, and recently got an ARC of “In the Kitchen”. Personally, I look forward to reading them.
Sometimes the critics get it right on, sometimes I think they’re completely off. It’s all personal preference – not everybody is going to like the same book. I thought “Honolulu” by Alan Brennert was a great book and I could not put it down, but it got a so-so review from Publishers Weekly. Apparently the critic thought there was too much history, but I found that to be the appeal of the book. So you never know…
May 1st, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Critics have their place and their joy. But for me the ultimate critic that I trust is the reader. I’ve been eyeing Honolulu in the bookstore. Having read your comments I now think I’ll check it out.
Thanks so much.