Tuesday 3 March 2020
Present: Vanessa, Sabine, Gill F, Gill C, Nic
Discussed at the same time and place as The Leopard, but very lightly as a couple of attendees hadn't finished (or started, as the case may be).
Gill C, as a white-collar boxer herself, had an obvious interest in this book. But it was Vanessa, half way through it, who encouraged Gill F to buy it and give it a go.
So, will add to this review when all the results are in!
Friends, book discussions, food matching and food sharing. A private book group. Warning: may contain spoilers.
Tuesday, 3 March 2020
#127 - The Leopard - Giuseppe di Lampedusa (Choice: Vanessa)(Venue: Tasting Sicily Enzo's Kitchen, Panton St.)
Tuesday 3 March 2020
Present: Vanessa, Gill F, Gill C, Sabine, Nic
Slow and comically inept but friendly service, left us gathering, over a period of about 30 minutes, with no offer of drinks. However the food was really rather good: arancini; prawns with Pernod risotto; crab cakes; calamari; pumpkin; fennel and orange salad; mushroom risotto; a variety of patsas with pig cheeks, with prawns, with something else I can't remember ... all served "family style" (Corvid 19 be damned - we may have done elbow bump greetings but this book group still shares food!).
The family slide show of scenes from Sicily projected on to the back wall made this a great venue for the book discussion and, while everyone thought this was a tough read, most persevered and it wasn't universally loathed. We agreed that, with lots of atmosphere and not a lot of action, a more detailed knowledge of the place and time may have been useful to get the most out of "one of the most important novels in modern Italian literature" (Wikipedia) and "the 10 best historical novels" (The Observer). "I didn't finish it." (Nic)
I might try again. On the other hand, apparently, it is a superb movie ...
Present: Vanessa, Gill F, Gill C, Sabine, Nic
Slow and comically inept but friendly service, left us gathering, over a period of about 30 minutes, with no offer of drinks. However the food was really rather good: arancini; prawns with Pernod risotto; crab cakes; calamari; pumpkin; fennel and orange salad; mushroom risotto; a variety of patsas with pig cheeks, with prawns, with something else I can't remember ... all served "family style" (Corvid 19 be damned - we may have done elbow bump greetings but this book group still shares food!).
The family slide show of scenes from Sicily projected on to the back wall made this a great venue for the book discussion and, while everyone thought this was a tough read, most persevered and it wasn't universally loathed. We agreed that, with lots of atmosphere and not a lot of action, a more detailed knowledge of the place and time may have been useful to get the most out of "one of the most important novels in modern Italian literature" (Wikipedia) and "the 10 best historical novels" (The Observer). "I didn't finish it." (Nic)
I might try again. On the other hand, apparently, it is a superb movie ...
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