Garlic, Mint, & Sweet Basil
by Jean-Claude Izzo
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Description by the publisher:
“What makes Izzo’s work haunting is his extraordinary ability to convey the tastes and smells of Marseilles.”—The New Yorker
In a newly designed package, a reissue of one of the most heartbreaking and heartfelt books on the cultures of the Mediterranean ever written.
A short sublime book exploring the themes closest to Jean-Claude Izzo’s heart: his native Marseilles, the sea in all its splendor, and Mediterranean noir—the literary genre his books helped to found. This collection of writings shows Izzo, author of the acclaimed Marseilles trilogy, at his most contemplative and insightful as he reflects on his native city, with its food, its flavors, its passionate inhabitants, and its long, long history of commerce and conviviality. Here he allows theseabiding preoccupations to take center stage.
Reminiscent of Henry Miller’sThe Colossus of Maroussi and the lyrical essays of Antoine de Saint-ExupĂ©ry and Albert Camus, as uplifting and touching as Daniel Klein’sTravels with Epicurus, this slim volume will appeal equally to gourmets who delight in the strong flavors of Mediterranean cuisine, to those enchanted by travel along the Riviera, and, naturally, to aficionados of noir fiction.
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Review:
Although the title might make you think this is a cookbook, in reality, it is a compilation of various essays about Mediterranean cuisine and life on Marseilles.
It is an extremely short read with its paperback version possessing only 120 pages. Each essay is also very short, only one to three pages at the most, making this a nice book to read if your time is limited.
A book for the travelers of the world, or for those of us that for various reasons cannot travel as often as desired, so with the help of this book, we can transport ourselves to the magnificent city of Marseilles and experience it from the eyes and even tastebuds of the author.
Well written words can convey so many aspects of a story, and this book gives you a taste, smell, and view of Marseilles.
After reading this book is impossible not to fall in love with Marseille.
If you're interested in the background of landscapes and histories that inform Izzo's Mediterranean noir classics, this book of essays is a fine addition to your library.
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