Hunting and Gathering (original 2004; edition 2007)

Took a while to get into, but once you did it was hard putting down the book. ( )

The original French title of this novel is Ensemble, C’est Tout, which is a much more fitting name for a book about a group of lost souls who eventually find happiness with each other. Camille is literally a starving artist, wasting away to skin and bones while working a completely unfulfilling job as an office cleaner in Paris. One day she falls ill and is rescued by Philibert, a sweet-natured but socially awkward aristocrat who is living in his family’s decaying ancestral home. Philibert also has a roommate named Franck, a talented chef whose filthy language is only matched by his even filthier lifestyle. Initially, the three of them living in one house seems like a recipe for disaster; but as they learn more about one another, they slowly build an unconventional family.

I think this is a perfect cold-weather book; it just begs to be read while snuggled up in a blanket and sipping something warm. At its core, it’s a fairly simple and predictable love story, with the hero and heroine hating each other at first, then slowly changing their minds. But Gavalda’s dreamy, transparent prose helps it to rise above a stereotypical chick-lit or romance novel. There’s something very thoughtful and smart about the book as a whole; I especially loved the descriptions of Camille’s art. The only thing that bugged me about the book is that sometimes the dialogue was hard to follow — there aren’t a lot of tags to indicate who’s saying what. There’s also a lot of jumping around between different characters’ perspectives, which can be distracting. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of love stories or French literature.

Bei dem Titel und dem Aufkleber "Spiegel Bestseller" hab ich nicht viel mehr erwartet als eine seichte Liebesgeschichte ohne Nachhall. Aber das Buch hat mich gepackt und ich habe es in weniger als einer Woche verschlungen! Wunderbare Figuren - wunderbar erzählt und ganz dicht dran am Leben und dem Wunsch nach Glück, der Angst vor der Einsamkeit wie wir es alle kennen.
Der Koch in dem Buch hat mir gut gefallen und sprüht vor Leben und Emotion und Schuldgefühlen gegenüber seiner alten Omi. Das Ende gleitet dann leider ins Kitschige ab, aber egal - das Buch ist schön. Bitte lesen! ( )

I really could not put this book down and read it in one night. I loved the characters, the dialogue, the setting, pretty much everything! The characters have serious problems but overall it's a very feel-good story. ( )

It was okay in my opinion. The bond between the characters were believable and realistic. The novel was very much dialogue-driven which made it an easy read. It suited the story nicely. However, I felt some parts too ambiguous and the ending a little contrive. Overall, a mediocre read. ( )