Julia Child
From Publishers Weekly
Shapiro’s biography of Julia Child—one of America’s most beloved personalities—is a short but comprehensive book, and the newest in the Penguin Lives series. Born Julia McWilliams in Pasadena, Calif., in 1912, Child attended college and worked for the OSS in Asia during WWII, where she met her future husband. After marrying, they moved to Paris, which led her to cooking classes at the Cordon Bleu. Child had an appetite for learning as well as eating, one t [Read More...]
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What else is on my mind today: Did you know?…I love dance music. I rule the dance floor. Everyday you can find me grooving to today’s top dance hits.
1.0 out of 5 stars
It was not worth reading!
It was not worth reading - it told very little information that I was interested in. Would not recommend this book!
3.0 out of 5 stars
I loved the information but…
I am glad that I read Julia Child by Laura Shapiro for there were a lot of interesting facts within it.
Did you know that Julia Child had an eye job and three face lifts? That’s not the only surprise that lurks inside this deceptively small book. Author Laura Shapiro has written a biography that is mostly sympathetic to its subject, but doesn’t shrink from showing Child’s less attractive qualities. She was opinionated and rarely shrank from saying what was on her mind. She had no patience for people who didn’t agree with her about food. She had no use for vegetarians, organic food, or California cuisine. To friends, she made some homophobic comments. In public she did not.
Shapiro has managed to fit a lot of fascinating information into 181 small-format pages. Unfortunately, the Penguin Lives publishers didn’t see fit to include an index, let alone notes. Shapiro addresses this in a note at the end of the book, offering to provide sources for anyone who requests them. It seems likely that most of the quotations she provides in the book were from letters Child wrote to friends or from published interviews.
Even if you’ve already read about Child’s spy days, her introduction to French food, and the first TV shows, here’s your chance to read about her breast cancer, how she coped with her husband’s decline after a stroke, or what she really thought about McDonald’s.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unfair to Judge Celebrities by their feelings on Homosexuality
I don’t understand why half a chapter was dedicated to calling Julia Child bigoted. Why does everyone have to approve of homosexuality? Really!
Did you know that Julia Child was a devout atheist? There are many details about Julia Child’s life that her adoring public did not know. This small but comprehensive biography is an excellent overview of her long life and successful career. I had heard about her work during World War II, but I didn’t know the details of her training, how her acclaimed first cook book came to be, or what went into the success of her TV shows. All these things and more are included here.
What shocked me the most was her siding with the food industry when radical changes in production came to be. She was against organic food, calling it “even worse than health food,” and was quoted: “There is no room for the cult that regards `natural methods’ as good, and all improvements on nature as bad.” She called the genetic engineering of food “one of the greatest discoveries” of the 20th century, and spoke out in favor of irradiation while calling opponents “nervous nellies.” She supported the food industry on changes such as pesticides, hormones in beef, and antibiotics in chicken. I would have imagined someone so enamored of food in its natural state would have been at the very least leery of such radical changes
To her credit, she encouraged new young female chefs, and did all she could to advance their careers through publicity and by funding scholarships for these female culinary students. As she advised all her students, she believed love for the food that went into preparing it is what made an exceptional meal. Interestingly, later in her career, she turned to more convenient methods, such as using frozen foods. She was a great fan of the American supermarket, and believed a good cook could create fine meals with all ingredients from a supermarket.
This little biography is a wonderful look into the life of this fascinating woman, and includes much about her exceptional qualities as well as her more controversial views. Laura Shapiro has created an enlightening narrative which gives a complete picture of our one and only Julia Child.
A delightful book that renewed my interest in food and got me browsing through the Julia Child cookbooks I own. One sees all the effort and hard work that she and her dedicated husband put into her TV shows. My husband and I enjoy cooking and since reading this book, we have regained some venture and enthusiasm in trying new dishes. And even if things don’t always turn out, neither did Julia’s. One learns from mistakes, goes on and tries again.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting
This was a very intimate story…it revealed Julia’s character for the
reader in a very personable way.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this book!
This book was exactly what I was looking for. It has just enough about Julia’s background to let you know what lead her to become The French Chef without being overwhelmed with…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book
This short biography, one in the wonderful Penguin Lives series, is an excellent overview of Julia Child’s life. Laura Shapiro writes well and keeps the narrative flowing.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Julia Child
A great insight to this wonderful woman, ahead of her time, and her attention to detail to traditional French cooking. A great read.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Julia was Homophobic !
I love the Penguin Lives series. These brief books are always lively introductions to a wide range of individuals. And Julia Child?