A French food critic faces his mortality in an "entertaining [and]
witty" novel by the New York Times-bestselling author of The Elegance
of the Hedgehog (Newsday).
In the heart of Paris, in the same posh building made famous in The
Elegance of the Hedgehog, Pierre Arthens, the greatest food critic in
the world, is dying. Revered by some and reviled by many, Monsieur
Arthens has been lording it over the world's most esteemed chefs for
years, passing judgment on their creations, deciding their fates with a
stroke of his pen, destroying and building reputations on a whim. But
now, during his final hours, his mind has turned to simpler things. He
is desperately searching for that singular flavor, that sublime
something once sampled, never forgotten, the flavor par excellence.
Indeed, this flamboyant and self-absorbed man desires only one thing
before he dies: one last taste.Thus begins a charming voyage that traces
the career of Monsieur Arthens from childhood to maturity across a
celebration of all manner of culinary delights. Alternating with the
voice of the supercilious Arthens is a chorus belonging to his
acquaintances and familiars--relatives, lovers, a would-be protégé, even
a cat. Each will have his or her say about M. Arthens, a man who has
inspired only extreme emotions in people. Here, as in The Elegance of
the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery's story celebrates life's simple pleasures
and sublime moments while condemning the arrogance and vulgarity of
power.
"Lush and satisfying prose."--Publishers Weekly
