The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

I read McPhee's "Oranges" at an impressionable age, so, ever since, I've been susceptible to the charms of this sort of "one-word title" specialized history. (And while (strictly speaking) this lacks a one-word title, it's close: it's a specialized history by the author of "Salt" and "Cod" that - if it were more broadly focused , might have been called "Oyster".)

Monty Python once did a sketch called "News for Parrots": the evenings news, told from the perspective of how events affect parrots. "The Big Oyster" is in the same vein: it's the history of the city of New York, told from the perspective of its relationship with the oyster.

Interesting enough.

I liked The Big Oyster, even though I was expecting to read about different types of oysters and associated history around the world. This book was mainly part history of New York and part natural history of one type of oyster, and how they intertwined. The discovering of New York and environs I read quickly through; I more enjoyed reading about the 1800s. And Kurlansky referred a lot to present place/street names, in relation to historical events, that meant nothing to me, but I think someone more familiar with New York would find these parts interesting.

The book also made me mad/glum though; it's another case of human-kind thinking the riches (New York Harbour and area used to have 50% of the world's oysters) will last forever but show more actually being a part of it's destruction. show less

Who would have thought that a non-academic book would be written about the history of oysters in New York? Who would have thought that I would have read such a book? Who would have thought I would like the book?

I was drawn to “The Big Oyster” after enjoying other Kurlansky books and while it was New York-centred and some of the references went over my head I was amazed at how the oyster; today a food for the wealthy ($18 for a dozen at my local supermarket) was once just about the most common of foods with oyster bars dotting New York streets. I was a bit disappointed Kurlansky didn’t refer to Dr W.G. Grace’s (the most famous cricketer of the nineteenth century) visit to New York with his cricket team, where he had “a dinner show more fit for the gods”, feasting on oysters of a size they had never seen before. show less

An excellent history of the role of oysters, oystering, food and fishing industries in the New York City area.

My one complaint is that despite frequent mentions of the Sandy Ground neighborhood of Staten Island--an early free Black community comprised largely of oystermen--it does not appear in the index.

I really love Kurlasnky's way of telling history though a small slice of the world. While this in mind falls short of "Cod", "Salt", and "A Basque History of the World" due to its narrow, New York City focus, it is still a great read.

This was my first Mark Kurlansky book and I am happy to report I wasn't disappointed. At first I was skeptical about the size of the book in relation to its subject-matter (afterall, my previous major encounter with a book on oysters was the slim and elegantly written Consider the Oyster by M. F. K. Fisher). But indeed there are many things to consider while reviewing Manhattan's history using oysters as the parameter. Absorbing, fluid, interesting, and delectable! One drawback: I had incredible oyster cravings throughout my reading...

This book was incredibly fascinating to me. It wasn't a history of oysters but more of the history of New York and how the oyster impacted it. There was biology, social history, transportation history, people history, environmentalism,and more. Loved it! I will definitely read his other "food history" books!