This is one of the most lyrical, sensual, poetic books I have ever read. You can feel the words with all of your senses. And if you love cooking, this book is a literary hymn to that art.

The relationship between Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas was obviously well -researched by the author and is presented in an intimately realistic way, yet in a muted enough fashion to reflect the language and cultural barrier of the narrator. While it is clear that the focus of the book is on Bin the Vietnamese chef, and not on Gertrude Stein and Alice, I do think that aspects of their relationship and lives that were so essential were in some respects not touched on very deeply. For example, the art that they displayed on their walls is of a caliber to be the envy of any modern art museum - Cezanne, Gauguin, Renoir, etc. but was not discussed by the narrator although he is a person of deep artistic sensibilities (numerous times he monologues about the meaning of different colors). While cultural barriers may have meant he would not have known the artists, how could he not comment on their artwork until late in the book? This is by no means a fatal flaw though and the beauty of the rest of the book is enough to overcome that for me. ( )

Lovely-amazing! Fictional memoir of a gay Vietnamese cook employed by Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in Paris. The prose is beautiful; the storytelling richly woven back upon itself. As a narrator, Binh is scythingly perceptive, with a Parker-esque edge to his tongue. Class and power and empire and racism and sex and food and language and gender and family and--! The book narrates Binh's lifelong quest for love, both at home in Vietnam and as an exile. The book is full of walls -- language, class, race, expectations, shame -- and navigates the maze with a sense of bittersweet, painfully aware of the maze and separation created by these walls.

An OK read but a little long-winded at times when the author would go off on philosophical tangents. The description of the parts set in Vietnam were wonderful. Most of the characters were beautifully developed. ( )

A novel told from the perspective of the gay, Vietnamese cook employed by Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. An interesting way to reveal the relationship between Stein and Toklas. I found the book ultimately unsatisfying because I did not like the character of the cook, and I did not feel he was very well-defined or believable. ( )

I was 3/4 of the way through this when I took a phone call from a friend and was trying to explain to her why I didn't like it. "You just don't love the dykes," she said (nice). "Actually," I said, "there's not enough about the dykes in this book for me to know if I like them or not!"

... and I realized the problem -- this book isn't about "GertrudeStein" (LOL!) and Alice Toklas; it's not about the chef; it's not about cooking; it's not about Americans living in Paris; and it's not about an unpublished manuscript. It's just a little about everything, and not enough focus on any one thing. Honestly, I'd have liked a book on any of these subjects, by this author, set in this time, with these characters. It's definitely interesting, but I wanted more on any of these topics.

Obviously, salt is a theme throughout the book, with some subtle and some obvious references. I liked this part at the end, in discussing the gazpacho of Malaga:"Salt is not essential here," Miss Toklas interrupted. "Consider it carefully, Bin, before using it." A pinch of salt, according to my Madame, should not be a primitive reflex, a nervous twitch on the part of any cook, especially one working at 27 Rue de Fleurus. Salt is an ingredient to be considered and carefully weighted like all others. The true taste of salt -- the whole of the sea on the tip of the tongue, sorrow's sting, labor's smack - has been lost, according to my Madame, to centuries of culinary imprudence.
One of my foodie friends recently heard for the first time the axiom about using salt to cover bad cooking (if I can remember the exact expression, I'll add it here later). I thought this went well with that.

I do think foodies might enjoy this one, and it definitely made me more interested in Gertrude Stein's writings, but I can't say I loved it. It was, however, good for a flight from Denver to Newark for a quick business trip :) ( )