I read Pomegranate Soup on a plane, and this very mediocre attempt at magical realism was not improved by such uncomfortable surroundings. I don't think I can blame the plane, though - I would have disliked Pomegranate Soup wherever I read it.
I picked up Pomegranate Soup because of the cover, and took it home from the library because of the blurb. Three Iranian sisters move to a small Irish town and start up a cafe - it seemed a pleasantly light and quirky read to take on holiday.
Unfortunately, as Books Give Wings pointed out, Marsha Mehran has copied the plot of Joanne Harris' Chocolat almost exactly. Strangers come to a small town, are greeted with fear and suspicion, and win over townspeople with their magical cooking skills. Unfortunately, Mehran doesn't write nearly as well as Harris, and Pomegranate Soup suffers from her heavy-handed writing, scattering unnecessary metaphors and symbolism all over the place. The sisters are greeted with competely over-the-top hatred and fear by some - the main villian of the piece, Thomas McGuire, is laughable in his constant state of rage. Pieces of "magic" pop into the plot, but because Mehran hasn't drawn the reader into another world, they are ridiculously out of place. I found myself laughing at a scene I think was supposed to be a transformational and triumphant conclusion to the novel. A very disappointing read.
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16 comments:
I disagree with your review.Their mysterious, spicy fragrances work their magic on the townfolk, and soon business is booming. This infectious novel of magic realism enchanted me with characters like the headstrong hairdresser Fiona Athey; Fr. Fergal Mahoney, the stand-up-comedian turned priest; the gentle, lonely widow Estelle Delmonico; and, of course, the three sisters themselves, whose lives they left behind in revolution-era Iran affect their present in Ireland.Mehran's book is creative and memorable. Its rich In imagery and characters and if you like good food, and the scent of fresh herbs and spices, you'll want to walk into the Babylon Cafe and the pages of POMEGRANATE SOUP straight away. Well Done
This was a beautiful book! Well deserving of the praise and bestseller status here in Australia. The cover is amazing and much more inviting then the US cover. The caracters are exactly what I imagined and reminded me a little of "Ballykissangel" but the the infusion of the Persian girls and recipies make this book so much more then just about Ireland. Its so well written that your imagination takes you to this place in the West of Ireland and you are drawn into this Village and become part of it. The adding of the Middle Eastern visitors into a not so multi-cultural Ireland makes for some great comedy and drama. I see many more "Pomegranate Soup's" in the future as I feel this story has not been told yet and I have just reached Chapter 1. Bravo Ms Mehran!!!!
Oh, dear lord. What enthusiastic anonymous reviews!
"I feel this story has not been told yet and I have just reached Chapter 1."
This sort of thing does nothing to change my mind about Mehran's book. If you're going to champion her writing, please try and do it in a more convincing way.
I agree totally. This book was absolutely terrible in every way.
Bummer - I have that book on my TBR pile, as it looked like a good read. Perhaps I'll still give it a try someday.
I loved this book and its a shame you did not appreciate it. Being Persian I understood where she is coming from and I love where she went with it. I have also lived in Ireland and she does give a great sampling of Irish culture in the 80s. I loved there last year and every little village and town has people like that. Maybe if you experience the culture you would appreciate the book!!
I loved this book and all its simple magic. Its a quick read but its also a great story with hints of Chocolat and The Food of Love. I understand Voracious Reader has her opinion and she should be put down for it. This book is for people who like light reading and a nice story but if you are into something a little stronger this is not the book for you. Its also nice to know this young author comes from Adelaide and has become very successful abroad. Congrats you have done us proud!!
I loved this book and all its simple magic. Its a quick read but its also a great story with hints of Chocolat and The Food of Love. I understand Voracious Reader has her opinion and she should "not" be put down for it. This book is for people who like light reading and a nice story but if you are into something a little stronger this is not the book for you. Its also nice to know this young author comes from Adelaide and has become very successful abroad. Congrats you have done us proud!!
P.S Sorry for not putting "not"
Lesley - oh, by all means give it a try. The one good thing was the interesting sounding recipes - I wouldn't mind trying pomegranate soup :-)
Severa - I'm afraid that my ability to appreciate or experience Persian culture had nothing to do with my lack of enjoyment of this book. The terrible writing couldn't possibly be overcome by such things - although I admit that the recipes did sound interesting. I would have preferred to read them in a recipe book though.
Mary Heart - oh, come on, hints of Chocolat? How about the entire plot? I'm glad that you enjoyed its "simple magic", but I didn't experience that at all (unless "simple magic" equals boredom). In fact, this outpouring of overly enthusastic reviews for it makes me feel all the more negative about what was a very forgettable piece of writing.
Ah Cee,
Very sad to see your dislike for this book as I did enjoy it and yet the writing is a little blue sometimes. It feels you are very personal in your dislike for this book or this author where as I am very proud to see an Australian author like this get some credit. I know its not a Philip Roth Novel or a Frank Delaney but it is still entertaining and I wish I could write as well. With the rubbish like A Million Little Pieces ect out there nowadays getting all the press I am thankful to read a really nice story. Go Aussie!!!!
Jenifer from Sydney
i read this for a school project and i loved it. i was expecting it to be quite boring and just about cooking, but i learned a lot about the persian culture through the cooking the Amnipour sisters bring to Ireland.
I don't know about the Books With Wings reviewer, but you have obviously not read the Harris book. Pomegranate Soup is nothing like the former. The review is going off the film version, which is shameful, considering you are purporting to write about books.
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