Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously

Product Details

When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary who slaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizing apartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging of Eric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blog that will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows is a year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of an unbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well as the realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not as impossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and your pipes are frozen.

Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which is probably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and media alike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolve into whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose. Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and ending the evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats and Buffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Julia chortling alongside us...."

Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity to join one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, along the way. --Gisele Toueg

Product Reviews

(1 stars) - What a waste on all counts!
If you are thinking that this book will be as charming as the movie think again! I read about 70 pages and gave up which I normally do not do. Julie Powell disappoints on every page. She manages to drop the "F Bomb" frequently and get a few digs in on the Republicans both of which did not add to the book. Julie, if you are reading this, you owe me $8.00!

(5 stars) - Julie & Julia is highly entertaining and insightful. What's more, the book is motivating!
In Julie & Julia, a young, newly married, often dirty-mouthed, but in a nice way, woman is trying to find her way. She's not thrilled with her job or her life choices that have landed her where she is. She's unsettled, unfulfilled, and disappointed with herself. (She digs her husband, though).

While in this state of unrest, Julia happens upon her Mom's copy of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" (a book, by the way, that is currently sitting at #66 on Amazon's bestselling books today - I bought the book myself after reading Julie & Julia) and decides she is going to cook her way through the book and blog about it. The writing ends up being about much more than cooking. Through an unorthodox writing style that includes much strategically placed profanity, we learn all about Julia's husband, her friends, and her co-workers. It may seem a bit haphazard but the truth is, it works!

The book is highly entertaining and insightful. What's more, the book is motivating! Gal comes up with a cool idea and makes her dreams come true - Are you kidding me? I also enjoyed the bits about Julia Child's life and how both women were able to accomplish their dreams.

(1 stars) - They Made a Movie Out of This?
I can count on one hand, maybe two of books that I couldn't finish reading. I can pretty much plod through most books but this one takes the cake. They made a movie out of this? I can't believe they even published this book ... really.

The book is poorly written and there's no humor in it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if her husband dumped her ... the way she writes about him is not very flattering. Her new loft sounds horrible and while I am no stranger to cussing, this author is very foul-mouthed. I know she's trying to be funny but it didn't work. And where is the editor for this book?

I picked this book up for fifty cents at a local hospital gift shop because I had heard so much about it and how many of my friends just rave about it. I got through 75 pages of it before the flu struck our house and I gave it up. It is a major disappointment since I don't know anything about Julia Childs and was expecting more of the experiment that Julie Powell was conducting with different recipes, more on Julia Childs and etc. This book did absolutely nothing for me and I love to cook and bake. Not only that, the author did nothing but whine about her job (which if she hated it so much, then quit! There are millions of unemployed people in this country who would LOVE to have a job!) and about her husband, her friends and their sex lives ... and her cooking experiments. Whose idea was it to encourage this blogger that she is a writer? I've read better bloggers than her ...

So is this book disappointing? You bet it is. I cannot believe how disappointed I am to find out that this book is written so poorly. I might still watch the movie since it stars my favorite actress ... but after trying to read this book, I don't have much hopes for the movie either.

11/18/09

(5 stars) - Her experiences and blog make for a fun, revealing story in this fine audio
Julie Powell herself reads her story and the CD set includes a special conversation with the author in this fun, irresistible story of a modern-day secretarial worker who decides to cook, in the span of a year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's famous cookbook. Her experiences and blog make for a fun, revealing story in this fine audio, which springs to life as much as the movie.

(4 stars) - Julie & Julia
One of the best books I've read. Funny, easy to read, lots of jokes. Written with a good sense of humor. I've enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to others.

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