Thursday, August 4, 2011

Julie and Julia

While I'm on the topic of books this week, listen to this. I can't believe it; I'm recommending  NOT reading the book version of a movie. When does this ever happen? It is:

Julie and Julia

The movie
First I saw the movie, starring Meryl what's-not-to-love Streep
and Amy Adams. Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, the book's author who is floundering with her purpose in life. Until. She discovers Julia Childs' Mastering the Art of French Cooking and embarks on a year of cooking every single recipe in it. The movie is sweet, endearing, funny and follow-able. Meryl's Julia is brilliant, as usual, and you even get some little views of Paris. Amy's Julie catches the essence of a young woman trying to find passion and purpose.
So, she cooks for a year in the little New York apartment she shares with her husband and also blogs about it.

The book
 I can find very little good in this book.
It's hard to follow, too much going on.
It contains too much profanity, way too much.
And too much inane drama involving Julie's friends and family and her husband's friends which detours from the unique premise of the whole story.
It contains not enough about the hilarious Julia Childs
and her winsome husband Paul. Not nearly enough.
I don't very often just flat-out quit reading a book, but after about 100 pages, I skimmed the rest and called it a day. Yuck. Don't waste your time or money. I'm just glad I picked it up at a library book sale for cheap.

Julie and Julia. See the movie, don't read the book!


3 comments:

-d said...

Thanks for the warning. I won't waste my time on the book. (Saw the movie--which I own--about 3 times, though!)

Kathleen said...

I agree Barb. The movie is much better than the book. I didn't even finish the book. And Stanley Tucci (I think that is the actor's name who play Julia's husband)is really good.

anne said...

Siobhan and I absolutely LOVED the movie, have watched it several times - it never occurred to me that there was a book! LOL