Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris

This is one of those books that, as you very reluctantly finish and shelve it you think to yourself "Damn! Where has THIS author been all my life?" Needless to say perhaps (but then we always go on to say it!) my next order is already in and awaited. Brilliant, witty, readable prose from a professional who earnt his keep as a columnist on the great magazine - as it once was - The New Yorker. Born to a well-off family, in the summer 1926, Liebling sailed to Europe where he studied French medieval literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. Supposedly. Having blackmailed his father into funding a year in Europe - and having spent his first year's allowance before he even left! - Liebling actually spent his second adequate monthly released funding studying "feeding". Despite a reputation based on his New Yorker columns on life, boxing and mankind's foibles it is his writing on food and `feeding' for which he is mostly acclaimed. His editor decried his claims to be a gourmet, and as was explained by my own `feeding' French mentor many years after his 1916 ventures, he was assured he was actually a gourmand. Jointly our shapes at our stages of maturity confirm this more apt definition! Wonderfully witty but actually very astute writing on restaurants, food and wine demonstrate this author's ability to ensnare the reader in his works. Almost weeping for my `long lost' Paris at the end - sated and stuffed - I put aside this greedy `foodies' pornography with reluctant glee. Great reading! Bon Apppetit!

I have to say first of all that I'm a sucker for all of the "Paris in the early part of the twentieth century" literature. I love Celine and Miller, but my favorite was Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. Well, Between Meals is no A Moveable Feast but it certainly is a high quality read that I can unquestionably recommend to you. Liebling, make no mistake, is a top notch writer and his sentence structure, use of metaphor, and style have much to offer aspiring wordsmiths. He has an eye for the essential and this is particularly true if you're at all like me as far as food is concerned. Liebling is a true gourmand and, even though I am completely unlearned and unappreciative in regards to fine dining, I still enjoyed his narration and memories of that splendid age. The best of these essays is "Passable" where he recalls his old girlfriend from his student years. Liebling informs us that he does a poor job in reconstructing her but his description of their romance is quite compelling. I loved that essay just as I did the one on Mirande. This is a world long gone but we're fortunate that books like this are still in print. Reading it will give you a snapshot of beauty that will hang like a Renoir in the corridors of your mind.

This book is wonderful - Liebling recreates his time in Paris after the first world war. He makes the atmosphere feel exotic and profound. And, of course, the food is fantastic.

I'm about halfway through this book and I'm starting to struggle to finish it. Imagine writing a story about your life. Probably pretty boring, huh? That's this book.

If you love travel memoirs written before personal tech devices, you'll love this.

My naive vision of 20th century Paris before the war mainly consisted of literature by the lost generation, a few extravagant paintings and musical productions, and the defiant attitude towards the conventional exhibited by a handful of demented visionaries. Liebling presents another vision through the eyes of a hungry man with enormous appetite and appreciation for good food. The aromas of a pungent potage, a traditional roast or some other species of cuisine francaise pulse obsessively behind every word, even in between meals, driving this grand odyssey through the great masterpieces of the senses. This hunger is tightly enmeshed with the cultural experience presented, and the narrative arc is akin to a classical sonata. First, the tonic key is introduced within the motif of extravagant eating - and then the story moves on through a series of modulating encounters, some incredibly hard to believe, like his burgundy adventures, eventually finding itself unable to return to its home key - unable to find again the same kind of cuisine - until a chance, and final encounter during the wartime (I won't reveal the details). I urge readers who enjoy hearty food and serious literature to consider this book.

Liebling entertains as he feeds his enormous appetite for life in the epicenter of culinary art during the 1920's. I must say I was rather disgusted with Liebling's greed and gluttony. In many descriptions he appears quite like a drug addict, wringing his hands and waiting for his next check so he can embark on another binge. While such an unhealthy relationship with food is certainly not commmendable, Liebling's collection of tales are fascinating and rewarding. I can't help but be grateful for the delectable insights he provides into Paris during the 1920's, 30's and 40's. The progression of time and development of perspective over the course of the collection provides a nice arc to his story and leaves the reader with a sense of loss and longing as he laments the bygone golden era of Paris's legendary food scene.

A nice reissue copy. No problems with print quality. The real gem is Liebling's writing, of course, & this was his last book, published shortly before his death. He is looking back at his time in France in the mid-1920s as a student on a small monthly stipend, later in the year right before WW2 and again in the '50s. Sort of discussing his love affair with French food and wine. Always sharp commentary on human nature. He had an ability to cut right thru. One of the most poignant and unsuspecting endings you can imagine.

Superb book written by a true bon vivant. Would recommend to read it alongside Root's 'the food of france'. Really gives you an idea about old world, regional cuisine.

Ich möchte nur einmal so essen, wie hier darpber geschrieben wird. Natürlich. Völlig aus der Zeit gefallen aber so lustvoll, das man der modernen kulinarischen Askese gerne mal entsagen möchte. Zumindest für die nächste Reise nach Paris. Für mich eines der Bücher, die ich immer wieder gerne lese und verschenke

A brilliant book for all times even though Paris has changed over the decades, read it every now & ten alongwith Hemingway's Moveable Feast

If, like me, you're a fan of French culture, this book is for you. Written by a journalist, stationed in France, and loving it, he gives the reader an almost anecdotal account of French food and wine that impressed him the most during the years he lived there. Easy reading - made me want to return to Paris ASAP!

Written by a genius of his time for all who want to savour his appetite for Paris in a bygone era. For those who love food, wine, the people and the places of Europe’s most alluring city