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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>Barbery best expresses her talent, demonstrating sensitivity and profound understanding both of life's many flavors and of the ways of the human soul, with all its weaknesses and contradictions.--"Food & Beverage Magazine" (Italy).<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><b>A French food critic faces his mortality in an "entertaining [and] witty" novel by the New York Times-bestselling author of <i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</i> (<i>Newsday</i>).</b> <p/>In the heart of Paris, in the same posh building made famous in <i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</i>, Pierre Arthens, the greatest food critic in the world, is dying. Revered by some and reviled by many, Monsieur Arthens has been lording it over the world's most esteemed chefs for years, passing judgment on their creations, deciding their fates with a stroke of his pen, destroying and building reputations on a whim. But now, during his final hours, his mind has turned to simpler things. He is desperately searching for that singular flavor, that sublime something once sampled, never forgotten, the flavor par excellence. Indeed, this flamboyant and self-absorbed man desires only one thing before he dies: one last taste.Thus begins a charming voyage that traces the career of Monsieur Arthens from childhood to maturity across a celebration of all manner of culinary delights. Alternating with the voice of the supercilious Arthens is a chorus belonging to his acquaintances and familiars--relatives, lovers, a would-be protégé, even a cat. Each will have his or her say about M. Arthens, a man who has inspired only extreme emotions in people. Here, as in <i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</i>, Muriel Barbery's story celebrates life's simple pleasures and sublime moments while condemning the arrogance and vulgarity of power. <p/>"Lush and satisfying prose."--<i>Publishers Weekly</i></p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>Praise for <b><i>Gourmet Rhapsody</i></b> <p/>"<i>Gourmet Rhapsody</i> shows all the skill of <i>Hedgehog</i> and deals with the same themes: social class, philosophy, Japan and food, glorious descriptions of all kinds of food."<br>--<i>Publishers Weekly</i> <p/>"Barbery demonstrates sensitivity and profound understanding both of life's many flavors and of the ways of the human soul, with all its weaknesses and contradictions."<br>--<i>Food & Beverage Magazine</i> (Italy) <p/>"In the pages of this book, Barbery shows off her finest gift: lightness."<br>--<i>La Repubblica <br></i> <p/>Praise for <b><i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog <p/></i></b>"Two characters provide the double narrative of <i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</i>, and you will--this is going to sound corny--fall in love with both."<br>--Michael Dirda, <i>The Washington Post<b> <p/></b></i>"A beautiful story with a large cast of fascinating, complicated characters whose behavior is delightfully unpredictable."<br>--<i>The Wall Street Journal <p/></i>"Both [of the book's protagonists] create eloquent little essays on time, beauty and the meaning of life, Ren'e with erudition and Paloma with adolescent brio."<br><i>--The New York Times <p/></i>"Wins over its fans with a life-affirming message."<br>--<i>TIME </i><br><br>Praise for <b><i>Gourmet Rhapsody</i></b> <br>"<i>Gourmet Rhapsody</i> shows all the skill of <i>Hedgehog</i> and deals with the same themes: social class, philosophy, Japan and food, glorious descriptions of all kinds of food."<br>--<i>Publishers Weekly</i> <br>"Barbery demonstrates sensitivity and profound understanding both of life's many flavors and of the ways of the human soul, with all its weaknesses and contradictions."<br>--<i>Food & Beverage Magazine</i> (Italy) <br>"In the pages of this book, Barbery shows off her finest gift: lightness."<br>--<i>La Repubblica <br></i> <br>Praise for <b><i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog <br></i></b>"Two characters provide the double narrative of <i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</i>, and you will--this is going to sound corny--fall in love with both."<br>--Michael Dirda, <i>The Washington Post<b> <br></b></i>"A beautiful story with a large cast of fascinating, complicated characters whose behavior is delightfully unpredictable."<br>--<i>The Wall Street Journal <br></i>"Both [of the book's protagonists] create eloquent little essays on time, beauty and the meaning of life, Renee with erudition and Paloma with adolescent brio."<br><i>--The New York Times <br></i>"Wins over its fans with a life-affirming message."<br>--<i>TIME </i><br><br>Praise for "Gourmet Rhapsody" <BR>""Gourmet Rhapsody" shows all the skill of "Hedgehog" and deals with the same themes: social class, philosophy, Japan and food, glorious descriptions of all kinds of food." "Publishers Weekly" <BR>"Barbery demonstrates sensitivity and profound understanding both of life's many flavors and of the ways of the human soul, with all its weaknesses and contradictions."<BR> "Food & Beverage Magazine" (Italy) <BR>"In the pages of this book, Barbery shows off her finest gift: lightness." "La Repubblica<BR>" <BR>Praise for "The Elegance of the Hedgehog <BR>""Two characters provide the double narrative of "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," and you will this is going to sound corny fall in love with both." Michael Dirda, "The Washington Post <BR>""A beautiful story with a large cast of fascinating, complicated characters whose behavior is delightfully unpredictable." "The Wall Street Journal <BR>""Both [of the book's protagonists] create eloquent little essays on time, beauty and the meaning of life, Reneewith erudition and Paloma with adolescent brio."" The New York Times <BR>""Wins over its fans with a life-affirming message." "TIME""<br><br>?In Gourmet Rhapsody, Barbery best expresses her talent, demonstrating sensitivity and profound understanding both of life's many flavors and of the ways of the human soul, with all its weaknesses and contradictions. "Food & Beverage Magazine" (Italy)<BR><BR> ?Muriel Barbery possesses a controlled, rich, and precise language, one that allows readers to taste the very flavors described. "Corriere della Sera"<BR><BR> ?In the pages of this book, Barbery shows off her finest gift: lightness. "La Repubblica"<BR><BR><br><br>"In Gourmet Rhapsody, Barbery best expresses her talent, demonstrating sensitivity and profound understanding both of life's many flavors and of the ways of the human soul, with all its weaknesses and contradictions."- "Food & Beverage Magazine" (Italy)<BR><BR> "Muriel Barbery possesses a controlled, rich, and precise language, one that allows readers to taste the very flavors described."- "Corriere della Sera"<BR><BR> "In the pages of this book, Barbery shows off her finest gift: lightness."-"La Repubblica"<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Muriel Barbery</b> was born in 1969 in Casablanca. She studied philosophy at the cole Normale Sup'rieure and worked for many years as a philosophy teacher in France. Her <i>New York Times</i> bestselling novel <i>The Elegance of the Hedgehog </i>(Europa Editions, 2008) has been published in over thirty countries. Barbery now lives in Japan and is working on a third novel.

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