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The Book of Salt - Book Review |
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Book Reviews -
Women's Fiction
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Written by The Creole Cat
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 The
Book of Salt, by Monique Truong
I just finished reading The
Book of Salt. Written by first time novelist Monique
Truong, it is a fictional account of a young Vietnamese man who
is hired as a live-in cook for real-life writer Gertrude Stein
and her companion Alice B. Toklas in 1930s Paris. Ms. Stein and
Ms. Toklas were two Americans well-known in their day for playing
host to a group of individuals who would visit their home Ò
or salon . It was Ms. Stein who coined the phrase "The
Lost Generation" Ò basically, expatriates (writers
and artists) who adopted Paris as their home because they were
more readily accepted socially, racially, and politically than
in America. Some folks stayed on French soil only temporarily,
like Ernest Hemingway, while others, like Richard Wright, became
French citizens.
The
Book of Salt centers around 'Bœnh', whose
musings on the city of lights is touching and witty. Having never
(but always wanted to) read The Autobiography of Alice
B. Toklas, Salt piqued my interest even
further. Alice B. Toklas is now fourth on my
list of books to read this summer. Bœnh's description of
his two Mesdames is cleverly humorous and sensitive. Through Bœnh's
narration, Ms. Truong gives us an imaginary glimpse into the lives
of the middle-aged divas: the routinely Ms. Stein, and the pragmatic
Ms. Toklas.
I loved the way Ms. Truong weaved the theme of salt throughout
the book: The Salt of One's Tears - Bœnh's trials
and tribulations in matters of the heart and his family. His relationship
with his dead father, whose scathing remarks are still alive in
Bœnh's mind, and the sacrificial ties that bind him to
his mother; The Salt of the Sea - which enabled Bœnh
to travel to Paris via Vietnam, and upon which he mastered his
culinary skills; A Pinch of Salt - that popular seasoning
element that adds flavour and zest to our beloved food. And the
way Bœnh describes his food preparation is so sensual,
its borderline erotic.
The
Book of Salt deals with three of my favourite subjects:
the 1930s, the city of Paris, and writers. The only thing I was
a little disappointed in Ò and it's trivial really - is that
while Ms. Truong described Ms. SteinÌs idiosyncrasies, she
did not delve into the intellectual mind of the writer, which
is what Ms. Stein was also known for, and I, personally, would
have relished. But, I had to keep reminding myself this is fiction.
Aside from that though, Ms. TruongÌs novel was pure poetry
and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Copyright 2003
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