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There are currently 31 member reviews
for Feast
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Debra F. (Cudjoe Key, FL)
It's a Feast
I received a free copy of Feast by Cathereine Kurtz from the publisher, Bookbrowse and Netgalley. Imagine being born with the sense of taste so 'keen' you can tell if something is poisoned. Imagine saving a Duc from death and then to be whisked away as the official poison taster. Left in a room for the sole purpose of detecting if there is poison in Duc Nicolas' food...and then you lose that gift...!
Who is she without her sense of taste, what will define her now. What will she do?
This is where we are in this interesting historical. The writing is wonderful although I found myself less interested in the story as a whole.
I would recommend this story for all those who like historical fiction with a touch of magic.
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Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)
hmmmmm...
Feast was a very intriguing premise...especially since I love food & cooking and any story about pre-20th century France pulls me in. Unfortunately, I was disappointed; Minha is a great character but the rest of the cast was not well developed. Additionally, Minha's ability seemed to be more magical/fantastical than a true natural gift.I'm not at all certain how this novel would be received in a book club.
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Kathy H. (Richmond, VA)
The Food is the Thing
"But as each new tune struck up, there was a burst of new rhythm, new response, new joy at the business of being alive."
I'm torn about my rating...I am closer to 4 than 3, but not quite. It took me awhile to get into #feast, but I did and thoroughly enjoyed it. Such great writing, with luscious descriptions of food. Our main character Minha has an overwhelming ability to taste and sense food and is forced into being a poison-taster for Duc Nicolas, so while we get those descriptions, we also experience her senses of distaste and disgust at the overly seasoned food (and having to eat SO much of it!). She is a runaway, and although she finds shelter at the Duc's estate, she also finds resentment and dislike from the estate's chef and laundress, who are both cruel unhappy people.
But this is only part of Minha's story. We are taken back to her early childhood, when her mother mostly resents her, too. Minha goes to live with her grandparents, and while her grandfather is kind and loving, her grandmother is not. She runs away from that home, too.
Many things happen to Minha along the way, and she is a sad character. I enjoyed some parts of her story more than others, and although there are a few too many coincidences (some predictable, some not), I found myself thinking of her once I finished the book. I appreciated sharing her journey. To sum, I found the writing really good, but think the book could use some editing. I also found a few plot points to be a bit contrived.
Thanks to @bookbrowse First Impressions program for the advance copy. Much appreciated!
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Lauren M. (Washington, DC)
Needs Content Warnings
The first half of this book was filled with a beautifully detailed back story and delicious food descriptions that my mouth watering. Unfortunately, all of that was lost in the second half of the book. The story dragged, became repetitive, and there were multiple instances of undisclosed sensitive topics that were not mentioned at the start of the book. These topics need trigger warnings and change the entire atmosphere of the book. It lost the magical fantasy aspect that initially attracted me to the book and focused much more on the hardships of living in the time period which I was not as interested in.
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Linda S. (Waycross, GA)
A Hint of Deliciousness!
Feast, a historical novel by Catherine Kurtz, is indeed a feast for your imagination with luscious descriptions of the flavors, the tastes, and the smells of food, as well as descriptions of landscaping, clothing - really any thing in the book - and those put you there. It is difficult to believe that Kurtz is a debut author, her descriptions are that good!
The storyline, however, fell short for me: Minha's gift came off as magical, not historical, and the characters, other than Minha herself, were not well flushed out. The ending also felt rushed and was somewhat predictable. Still, this is a talented author to watch! A solid three stars from me.
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Donna M. (Kennesaw, GA)
Feast
Feast by Catherine Kurtz
Minha was born with an extraordinary ability to taste. Her senses of smell and taste were so finely sensitive that even as a child she could distinguish all the flavors and ingredients in a dish. Her beloved grandfather patiently helped her refine her palate further. After his death she stowed away on a ship to France and, quite by accident, became the food taster to the Duc Nicholas de Bellefalaise when she saved his life from a poisoning attempt. Minha was thus required to taste every single food and drink to insure the Duc’s safety. Soon, however, she was off to fend for herself again.
Many of Minha’s experiences will resonate with readers. The author, who is also a food writer, describes food in exquisite detail. This reader was entranced by sumptuous descriptions of sweet and savory dishes.
The writing is truly moving in several places, and those passages lift the book to a higher and more meaningful level. (No spoilers here!). The plot itself though seemed somewhat predictable. And, with the exception of the determined and resourceful Minha, the characters didn’t truly stand out. However, FEAST is altogether an enjoyable book.
Thanks to NetGalley and BookBrowse for the opportunity to read and comment. It will be well received by many book groups and individual readers.
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Kristen K. (Brookhaven, GA)
Fairy Tale for Foodies
This book is a tale of a woman who has a magical ability to taste everything including where the food has been grown. She falls into being a taster for a Duke to guard against poisoning. She suffers many travails along the course of the book. I had an easier time accepting her magical power than some of the coincidences. Maybe I would have preferred more magic or super powers along the way. I found myself losing admiration for the heroine as I followed her journey.
