True Confections

A funny, edgy book. The narrator, Alice Tatnall Ziplinsky, is so perfectly off-kilter -- she's both sympathetic and disconcerting, often at the same time -- that she lends a slightly funhouse feeling to the story's telling. This dynastic epic of a candy-making family encompasses immigration, assimilation, success, failure, racism, inclusion, and everything you ever wanted to know about the candy business, all skillfully interwoven. And Alice's weird, funny, almost-perfectly-reasonable voice is the perfect medium. You pay attention, because Alice is the kind of narrator you want to keep an eye on, and in the process the story unwinds vividly. This is a smart novel, out of the ordinary and fun -- recommended whether you have a sweet tooth show more or not (although that's definitely an asset). show less

It's terribly complicated to review a Weber novel. They are not straightforward. Oh, it's easy enough to write a blurb (courtroom documents of divorce/will case involving chocolate tycoon) -- but there are layers and layers and layers of plot, stirred together in a careful mix (temperature + time, plus a little salt). It's brilliant and enjoyable, and it's what makes me return over and over again, but how the hell do you explain something so encompassing?
Every time I read one of her books I am astonished that they are
1. published, and
2. reasonably popular.
The public must be more high-brow than I thought.

Or maybe the subtleties just pass them straight by.
I include myself in this - being positive there exist several dozen show more references/hints that I missed.

(note: not a real review - my afterreading notes.)

She is a WRITERLY writer. Hard to believe that anyone [but another writer:] would give a shit about her duplicitous, unreliable characters, repetitive structure w/ minor changes that move the plot appallingly slowly -- so it seems -- the constant shifting of truth.
Whatever. I thoroughly enjoy her books.

///
dealt a lot in racism, anti-Semitism, family-history-truth, amid sadnesses. Ultimately, the 'reliability' of the narrator was far less important than the story. I am sure that was what Weber intended.

Also: a metric shittonne of stuff about chocolate/candy. As a lifelong candy fan I was TOTALLY NOT BOTHERED (and I loved the lines connecting emotion/economy/consumption) - but I can see lots of other people not taking it so easily.

3.5 stars as usual. She'd be a tiny bit better if she stopped writing the Serious Literary Forms & wrote more novel-y novels -- or maybe the reverse is true. Whatever: I am a big fan.

ps. love her firm, unwavering stance on morality -- in all the books I've read -- so far. show less

A fun, dizzying romp charting the rise and fall of one family's candy-making fortunes, told entirely from the perspective of an outsider who married into the business and who may or may not be slightly insane. I happen to love an unreliable narrator, as well as books in which I learn something about an unfamiliar world, so I found this novel a thoroughly enjoyable antidote to the end-of-winter doldrums.

Sharp, dark, and funny w/ an enigmatic, opinionated, and cranky narrator who rivals Charles Kinbote for sheer unreliability. Much fun.

The detail, the detail, the excessive detail regarding candy and candy production - far and away my favorite thing about this book. The writing is smart enough that I'll seek out other books by this author someday. It's difficult to construct an after-the-fact first person narrative that doesn't give away the whole story until the right time, and Weber succeeds. I did get a little bogged down at times just because I occasionally get frustrated with unreliable narrators. But since I also get frustrated with real, live unreliable narrators...maybe that speaks to this book's believability.

The protagonist of this book, Alice Tatnall Ziplinsky, is not the easiest person to like. She's got her quirks. But she also cares a great deal about her family and especially the family business, which is candy making. Written as an affidavit, this is the story of one complicated family, two fires, and a whole lot of sugar. The premise is interesting and the pages begin to turn themselves as the reader puzzles over what's the truth and what's just Alice. It's also full of fascinating historical tidbits about the candy industry which are a lot of fun.

I read this in about a day. I didn't have anything else to do, though. Two-and-a-half stars.