LDE London Bookclub: Dame Jen Greenhalgh reflets on the latest gathering
Last week’s book club, hosted by Dame Hermione Ireland, was a proper mix of culinary delight and literary debate. Hermione treated us to her homemade beef bourguignon with buttered rice— the latter of which is a dish so good it apparently changed Helen’s life and she’s sad she hadn’t made it before. Hermione was about assisted in the cooking by her son Dylan, who is embarking on chef training this summer, and if dinner was anything to go by, he’ll do very well indeed.
This month, the book we tackled was ‘Butter’ by Asako Yuzuki, a fascinating but divisive read. Dame Chantal Coady, whose husband lived in Japan, enjoyed listening to the audiobook while reading, which she believed added a nice cultural touch to the pronunciations of names places and dishes in the book. Dame Cathy Sloman and Hermione were fans, praising the vivid exploration of food, feminism, and obsession in modern Japan. Dame Helen Collier and Chantal liked it but weren’t exactly head over heels, appreciating the character-driven story but finding it a bit slow in parts and wishing for a more cohesive pacing.
As for me, Jen, I wasn’t sold—found it frustrating and didn’t connect with the characters, over long, riddled with problematic misogyny and body shaming, not quite the thriller I expected from the blurb. Dame Debbie Vernon, our goat-farming friend, couldn’t make it (busy with her baby goats, naturally) but sent her verdict ahead of time: she absolutely hated it, calling it tedious and way too lengthy, no plot and the story line wandered for much for her, seemed like a book of two halves and she too hated the obsession with being thin, though she did find the food descriptions mouth-watering.
It was also great to be joined by Dame Gail Forman, from the Washington DC Chapter, who joined online for a truly international book club session.
So, in summary: great food, delicious chocs (thanks Chantal) lively chat, and a book that stirred everything from admiration to eye-rolls. Classic book club stuff!
For future meeting dates and book choices, visit our BookClub page.