"Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell was an unexpectedly charming read!

I was hesitant to get this book because of the "hollywoodish" premise from the movie, but it was completely different from what I had anticipated. Firstly, it was irreverent and a bit vulgar in parts, yet despite that, it was truly delightful!! As I delved into this book, I laughed, cried, and wished I could be on this heartfelt journey. I related to Julie in a way because I also married my high school sweetheart, and he would have done all the wonderful things for me that Eric did for Julie. Moreover, I admire Julia Child and love what she has accomplished for the love of cooking. I too enjoy cooking for my man!

Julie undertook this challenge solely for herself. She didn't know Julia but only admired her experiences as a woman cooking in a "Man Chef World". Julie didn't even think Julia "liked" her for taking on the Julie/Julia Project. However, Julie persevered despite knowing this because she was a strong and determined woman, and she knew there could be a better "Julie" on the other side of her project journey. When Julie heard of Julia's death, she wrote one sentence on her blog that sums up why she chose this journey:

"I have no claim over the woman at all, unless it’s the claim one who has nearly drowned has over the person who pulled her out of the ocean.”

Thank you, Julie Powell, for this beautiful book❤️

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell is an incredibly written book.

However, it just wasn't for me!

This is one of those books that seemed like something going in, but I came out seeing something completely different. I can't even say it was my expectations being too high because I went in knowing I was going to read about a woman trying all of Julia Child's recipes. The problem was that it was a lot more about Julie's life and struggles than the cooking.

Yes, her experiences and culinary journey are interesting, but the book wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to hear her make the recipes and read about the struggles or when she had to use a different ingredient. I didn't really want to read about her marriage troubles.

Does that make this a bad book? Absolutely not! I think this book is phenomenal and other readers will love it. But for me, it was a flop. I just couldn't get into it. I had to force my way through, and I almost DNF-ed five separate times. It wasn't a book that kept me as a reader engaged. And that's completely okay! Not every book is for every reader.

I still recommend this book for other readers whole heartedly. I can't say this book is bad! With this book, I think the film adaptation is what is going to win for me. In this occasion, that seems like the kind of medium that will work better with my reading/viewing preferences.

One out of five stars.

3.5⭐️

At times, this account is distractingly filled with tangents and ramblings. However, it is objectively entertaining from start to finish. The author's husband truly seems like a saint. He maintains a superhuman level of patience and grace throughout their journey.

It's important to note the content warnings. There are discussions around fertility struggles, which can be a sensitive and often difficult topic for many. Additionally, there are mentions of body image struggles and fatphobia, highlighting the insecurities and prejudices that exist in society. There is also some ableism and dated language surrounding mental illness and disability, which is a reminder that we still have a long way to go in terms of understanding and acceptance.

Despite these drawbacks, the overall story manages to engage and captivate the reader, making it an interesting read.

Title: Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living
Author: Julie Powell
ISBN: 031610969X
ISBN13: 9780316109697
Pages: 310
Publication Year: 2005

In this captivating book, Julie Powell takes readers on a remarkable journey. She embarks on a challenge to cook all 524 recipes from Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in just 365 days, all within the confines of her tiny apartment kitchen.

The story is not just about cooking; it's about Julie's personal growth and the risks she takes. She puts her marriage, job, and even her sanity on the line as she dives headfirst into this culinary adventure.

Through her humorous and engaging writing, Powell shares the joys and frustrations of her cooking experiments, as well as the lessons she learns along the way about life, love, and the art of living.

"Julie and Julia" is a must-read for anyone who loves food, memoirs, or a good story about following one's passion.

I watched the movie when it was first released. However, after receiving "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for Christmas this year and delving into Julia's recipes, I felt the need to read this book.

After browsing through the cookbook and observing the numerous offal and aspic recipes, as well as the often maze-like way the recipes are written, I knew I had to learn about someone else's experience with the cookbook. I'm truly amazed that Julie cooked all 500-something recipes in the book, and that too within a year. Julia's offal and aspic recipes were a bit too much for me, but I definitely respect Julie's project.

But I guess what ultimately made this book less than outstanding for me was Julie's personality, which I found a little irritating. The movie was well-cast with Amy Adams in the role, as she portrays that type of personality well.

I once considered starting a cooking blog called "The Clumsy Cook." But then I realized how pitiful that would sound. It's true that I once served my family stir fry with pieces of a broken plate in it and ruined a flan by mistakenly pouring water into the flan instead of the water bath pan. These were definitely cooking mishaps to learn from.

However, I'm not sure if highlighting your cooking clumsiness, failures, and how angry you get at your food is the best writing style, even if it's entertaining. Maybe it's good for a quick laugh, but it eventually makes the writer seem pathetic and perhaps a bit manic. This is definitely the case with Julie. I have to wonder if she's truly manic or if that's just the persona she adopted for writing.

On the other hand, I think I would have been equally frustrated to read about someone who attempted to cook all 500-something recipes from Julia's cookbook and had everything turn out perfectly every time. That would be inhuman. Especially since some of Julia Child's recipes are as complex as the inside of "House of Leaves" or a choose-your-own-adventure book, where you have to constantly flip to other recipes that reference other recipes to cook just one thing.

This weekend, I plan to make Julia's favorite chocolate almond cake and her beef bourguignon. Reading this book has made me approach these recipes not as something that must be conquered, but as something that can be accomplished with patience and an eye (and mouth) for the delicious results.

I did enjoy this book, but not enough to call it great. Still, I'm glad I read it and that there was a movie version. I like that it exists to connect those of us who have tried to teach ourselves French cuisine through Julia Child... and for those of us who have danced around our kitchens, briefly impersonating Julia Child with "a little wine for food and a little wine for the cook."

I had hoped to love this as much as I thought I would.

I am a huge Julia Child fan and the concept of cooking every recipe from Julia's MTAOFC in a year and blogging about it really appealed to me.

However, I wish I had known about the blog when she was actually in the middle of the year-long project, instead of reading her summary years later in book form.

That being said, Julie is really funny. I laughed out loud several times and really appreciated her brutally honest approach.

But overall, the book just didn't quite work for me.

Did anyone else have the same feeling?

Also, I have to give credit to the cover of the hardback version - it's awesome!

The paperback, on the other hand, looked like a cheesy chick-lit book. :-(

I'm still glad I read it, but it didn't live up to my expectations.

Julia was a goddess among women.

She had an air of elegance and grace that seemed to effortlessly draw people towards her. Her beauty was not just skin deep; it radiated from within, captivating all who laid eyes on her.

Julie, on the other hand, was a different story. She was far from being a goddess. While she had her own charm, it paled in comparison to Julia's.

Julie was more down-to-earth, perhaps even a bit ordinary. But that didn't mean she didn't have her own qualities. She was kind-hearted and always ready to lend a helping hand.

In a way, Julie and Julia were like two sides of the same coin. Julia represented the ideal, the unattainable beauty and grace. Julie, on the other hand, was the real deal, the person you could rely on and who would always be there for you.

Both had their place in the world, and both were unique in their own ways.

Julia leaned gamely onto her knuckles like some otherworldly primate god of kitchens and good humor.

Within the pages of this rather indulgent book, one can discover many brilliant nuggets such as the one above. However, Julie herself did not pen this brilliance. It was her old friend Isabel, who incidentally is also one of her numerous devoted blog readers (or "bleaders" as Julie playfully refers to them). This gem was found in one of the many hilarious blog replies that are deliciously sprinkled throughout the novel.

Now, let's move on to the relevant details.

The year was 2002. The heroine was Julie Powell, a sardonic 29-year-old New Yorker. Her biological clock was ticking loudly as she approached the milestone of 30. She was unhappily working as a temp before finally settling into a dead-end secretarial position. The horror! After a trip home to Texas, she decided to pilfer a copy of her mother's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", which she often compared to "The Joy of Sex" - details of which I won't delve into. At the urging of her husband, and for reasons known only to her, she resolved to cook her way through all 524 recipes within a year. All the while, she chronicled her journey online for the world to witness, not shying away from dropping quite a few f-bombs along the way.

If you think a cooking memoir by an inexperienced, obsessive writer stuck in a bad job, a crappy apartment, and lacking self-control could be dull, then I highly recommend you embark on this culinary journey with Julie & Julia to disprove all those silly notions. Whether you're a foodie or not.

In the end, through all the aspic, liver, and broken eggs, the aroma of hope and discovery permeates. Along with the realization that no matter what age you are, it's never too late to find oneself... and hopefully, a book deal.

The book really entertained me. And yes, let's admit that compared to other types of books that I usually read, it is a "light" read. But sometimes that's just what's needed.

I didn't find the protagonist to be an egocentric and hysterical character, as many have described her in the reviews. She is a person who is chasing her dreams and giving space to her passions, and I don't see anything wrong with that. Of course, maybe she got a bit too fixated on Julia Child's recipes, but who among us doesn't have fixations? And all things considered, it's not easy to reconcile them with the stressful daily life.

I also appreciated the fact that relatively little is said about Julia Child, and it's Julie who is the real "One Woman Show".

P.S. Thanks to this book, I had the opportunity to verify that the fundamental ingredients of French cuisine are truly "butter, butter, and more butter".

I will also have a midlife crisis. It's a time when many people question their lives and seek new ways to find meaning and fulfillment. For me, one of the ways I might deal with this crisis is by resorting to cooking every recipe in a cooking book.

Cooking can be a creative and therapeutic activity. It allows me to express myself through the preparation of different dishes and explore new flavors and ingredients. By following the recipes in a cooking book, I can challenge myself to learn new techniques and expand my culinary skills.

Moreover, cooking every recipe in a book can give me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It provides a structured goal that I can work towards, one recipe at a time. As I complete each dish, I can take pride in my work and enjoy the satisfaction of having created something delicious.

In conclusion, having a midlife crisis doesn't have to be a negative experience. By turning to cooking and embarking on the journey of cooking every recipe in a cooking book, I can find a new passion and discover a new side of myself.

I read this for my book club.

At approximately page thirty, I made the decision that I would persevere and read up to 100 pages.

By about page 96, I became truly engaged and ultimately did finish the book.

I believe that Julie Powell is an extremely witty and skillful writer, and the premise of the book is delightful.

However, I wonder if it is my age (I am more than two decades older) that caused me to have a very difficult time relating to her.

Particularly distressing was her rather cavalier treatment (at least as presented in writing) of the people who suffered from the trauma of 9/11.

Thankfully, she has one lovely line about Julia Child with regard to herself (I won't spoil it here) that completely saved the book for me.

Despite the challenges I had in relating to the author, I still appreciate her writing style and the overall concept of the book.

It makes me reflect on how our different life experiences and ages can influence our perception and connection with a particular work of literature.

I look forward to discussing this book with my book club members and hearing their perspectives as well.

Perhaps through our discussions, I will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the book and its author.

Bravo!! What an absolutely fantastic read this is! You can tell a book is truly delicious when a newly legal Manhattanite decides to swear off her social life just so she can hop into bed with her new paperback. I found myself recommending this book to at least ten strangers who heard my uncontrollable outbursts of laughter and simply had to know what was making me cackle so heartily.

Sometimes, reading about those sticks of butter did make me feel a bit oily and full. But that Julie Powell, she has such a refreshing voice. Her wit, sarcasm, and depth of self-perception are truly remarkable. Albeit she makes no effort to hide her slight alcoholism or questionable hygiene, she is so utterly human. I am astounded not so much by her project as by her ability to turn her year of crazed cuisine-art into a hilarious and inventive masterpiece.

I must admit that, with the exception of her "tart-a-pa-looza" and her crepes, there were few instances when my unrefined palate was tempted to call her for a dinner invitation. But I would love nothing more than to just spend time in Julie's kitchen, listening to her spew out random blog anecdotes and 17th century journal entries peppered with profanity. And that supremely sensual dimension she incorporates in her cooking after her covert pre-pubescent explorations of Dad's copy of the Joy of Sex. No wonder people do it in their kitchens!

This is the sexiest, most hilarious, heart-warming, and even motivating book I've read in a long time. It truly made my vacation. For anyone looking to truly relax and indulge, this is your ideal read. Bon appetite!