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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
 
 
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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake [Kindle Edition]

Aimee Bender (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
Print List Price: £11.99
Kindle Price: £5.22 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
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Product Description

Review

A book with such beautiful writing that sometimes I have to stop and taste a sentence a second time (Jodi Picoult Grazia )

A wonderful metaphor for the child's sense of things that are never mentioned, and Bender writes with wit, warmth and insight. (The Times )

Intense, strange and incredibly moving, it captures the magic and the romance of the unknown. With nods to both Chocolat and The Time Traveler's Wife, this is a beautifully written book and one that you will want to talk about long after you have finished reading it. (Elle )

A lovely book, warm and comforting with moments of sadness and brilliantly written (Bookseller )

Haunting... Bender's prose delivers electric shocks... Moving, fanciful and gorgeously strange (People Magazine )

Book Description

The US bestseller comes to the UK - the unforgettable story of a girl whose magical gift becomes a devastating curse
See all Product Description

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 418 KB
  • Print Length: 306 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: B004C7LAA6
  • Publisher: Cornerstone Digital (8 Feb 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B004M18WF8
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #14,415 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars More dense cake than fluff 16 Jan 2011
By Alice Y. Yeh
Format:Hardcover
The concept behind Bender's novel is truly unique: a little girl who can taste the feelings of those involved in the food-making process. I was surprised, therefore, when the book seemed more focused on the disintegration of her parents' marriage and the difficulties faced by her genius brother rather than the problems surrounding the main character. Told from a small child's eyes, the feelings evoked were poignant and real, and I was drawn into the beautiful destruction.

Bender's pacing in this book is fantastic. The push and pull are tangible, and it turns reading into what it should be: an all-absorbing affair. With that being said, there were a few brief moments where she suddenly jumps into the past, and it takes a moment or two for me to realize what had just happened. All of these scenes are relevant, of course, but the shift is still abrupt, even for the start of a new chapter. The lead-up to the explanation behind Joe's disappearances was well-played, and the ultimate revelation is reasonable, but it lacks the impact that it could have had due to the suddenness of its delivery.

I find myself torn in how I feel about the writing style. On the one hand, it is simplistic, and it matched very well with the mentality of a youngster. Even so, the "he said/she said" method was overly grating in some sequences, where a greater variety of verb would have been greatly valued. The story ends when Rose is in her twenties, and while there is much to be said for consistency in an author's writing, the change dispatched my assumptions regarding her word choices. The lack of quotation marks was also disorienting, as I couldn't tell sometimes whether I was reading first person narrative or dialogue.

In short, this book was a worthwhile read with a few flaws.... Read more ›
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, but ultimately disappointing 18 April 2011
By BookishSue
Format:Paperback
First of all, what a title! It instantly piques the interest and intrigues ... but overall the story falls a little short of it's promise. This is a thoughtful tale of Rose, who can taste people's feelings through their cooking. The writing is gentle and flowing and the premise thought provoking - but what a burden to have to bear! Poor Rose discovers things she really doesn't want to know, and how awful would it be to be unable to enjoy food simply for what it is?!

I think this book suffered a little from lack of plot development. Rose as a character does not really develop through the story until the very end, and the whole mystery of Joseph's "special skill" is perhaps just a bit too bizarre and pointless. The conclusion felt rushed and sudden, and quite unsatisfying.

All this is not say I didn't enjoy the book - I did. But I think Aimee Bender missed a trick ... with a little more tweaking of the plot, this could have been an amazing and unusual read. As it is, it is just a bit strange.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A departure from your usual family saga 17 Feb 2011
By Shazjera TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Aimee Bender

The story focuses on Rose and how, starting in childhood, she develops the ability to taste feelings in the food people make (and also where produce originates). The food maker is not aware of the emotions themselves and it leaves Rose inhabiting a totally unique world ..................but it is not all about her `special skill'. It is also a story about her environment - her mother and father's relationship; her relationship with them both; her brother Joseph and his needs; her friends; school life, and later on her working life - which are all undeniably affected by her skill.

I was particularly intrigued with the idea of being able to `taste' the feelings of people. I had come across the idea that preparing food in a loving and focussed way enhanced the vibrations of that food. I had also stumbled across synesthesia, where for example, some people see music on a screen in front of their face (a neurologically based condition). So it was no problem at all to see this as an actual possibility!

As a child, Rose comes across as very intuitive (even without tasting the emotions) and mature for her years. She often appears to take on the `adult' role in the family. Communication (or lack of) plays a huge role in this family, which I think is fair to say is also true of how the majority of us interact within our own communities and so a reflection of the culture we live in.

The story is full of exquisite analogies, which brings the words to life. Throughout the book I had very vivid mental pictures and sometimes had to pause for them to take shape before I could continue reading.... Read more ›
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I wonder why I enjoyed this so much and others didn't? 2 Aug 2011
By Both the Macs VINE™ VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition
Having read the reviews here, it seems to me that so many reviewers just don't 'get' it. Nothing wrong with that, there are styles of writing that I don't like myself...! I think it's because you have to suspend belief, like you do when watching a film, or attending the theatre..... some can do that, and some cannot. I really enjoyed this one. Rose is only nine when she discovers her "gift" - that she can taste other people's emotions by the food they prepare, and she discovers that her mother is deeply unhappy on the inside. Food becomes something that cannot be enjoyed unless it is produced in a factory, in which case there are no emotions. To have to struggle with this makes Rose's life uncomfortable, added to which she has a brother that disappears from time to time. Its not until near the end of the book that we find out that Rose's paternal grandfather had a strange gift too, and her own father fears he also has one, hence his inability to ever enter a hospital. Finally, we find out what her brother's gift was.......

If you like a wee bit of magic realism, do try The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
The book arrived more dog-eared than I expected. It still had it's charirty shop sticker & price tag on. Read more
Published 7 days ago by A. Caistor
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written, captivating story
I love Aimee Bender's style of writing. It brings her brilliant story to life in the most creative ways. It is vivid and colourful and kept me glued to the page. Read more
Published 15 days ago by eVeB
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book
Left me feeling so sad but I loved it just the same. Read it in a day and wanted more.
Published 29 days ago by SHIRLEY Mealing
4.0 out of 5 stars A gentle but compelling read
There are lovely observations of life in this book showing nuance and a gentle touch. The main character is both convincing and heart warming. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lizzie c
5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful writing
Absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. The writing is beautiful and you can almost taste the emotions described in the food. I highly recommend this book.
Published 2 months ago by Nikki
1.0 out of 5 stars The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
This was a terrible book that I only completed as I was reading it for a Book Group, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Maxine Butler
2.0 out of 5 stars Not one for me
I felt there was a huge potential for plot development but nothing really happened and Rosie made no particular use of her gift. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kay
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful story
A really unusual concept for a story but beautifully written. Sometimes melancholy sometimes uplifting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it 100%
Published 4 months ago by Rocca della Macce
5.0 out of 5 stars A delight
Really enjoyed this book. A very well written story that is impossible to predict. An easy read but thought provoking. Do try it.
Published 5 months ago by Hat
3.0 out of 5 stars INTERTWINING STRANDS THAT FRAY AT THE END
THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE begins as a fairy tale like adventure about a nine year old little girl named Rose who possesses an unusual "talent". Read more
Published 7 months ago by Red Rock Bookworm
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Families that eat dinner together are happier families, he said. I think those families also talk to each other, I said. &quote;
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