Edible Stories

Earlier this semester I decided, along with a few others, to read Edible Stories by Mark Kurlansky. Edible Stories is a "book in 16 bites", meaning there are 16 different stories that discuss people and how their lives are affected by food. I was supposed to write two other blog posts about this book but failed to do so, which I apologize for. But frankly, this book hasn't really motivated me to write anything more than a rant-filled post about how I dislike it.

     You're probably wondering, "Why didn't you like this book? It sounds pretty neat!", and it sure does sound pretty neat. I decided to become a psychology major because I love people and relationships between people, so obviously, this book caught my eye right away. Unfortunately, these edible stories weren't all that intriguing and kind of felt forced. Although there is no central character, the "main story" focuses on a man named Robert Eggles, who has lost his memory, sense of smell and taste, and shortly thereafter, his wife and job. It tells a story of how this man loses his wife due to him not being able to appreciate her gift of food, which highly offends her. Unlike most people in the world, he neglects telling her what had happened to him, which I feel would have solved a lot of his problems and wouldn't have made this a book worth reading. Anyway, the stories go on to talk about a politician who is being held hostage by a little Mexican woman who won't let him leave until he tries her slow cooking Menudo, a fitness freak that's obsessed with low-fat muffins, and a combative dinner scene that turns out quite comical.

    Despite my opinion of this book, I do very much enjoy the idea behind it. Food has a mysterious way of bringing people together or tearing them apart. Wars have been fought over it, relationships created over it, and lives ended by the lack of it. I think this is highly due to the fact that it's the one thing we can all, mostly, agree on. Food is necessary for our survival and there's not a lot of people who dislike eating (save for those who have mental disorders). It's a universal agreement that can ultimately bring people together in peace. It can also decide our future in the most obscure ways. Think about how it affects your first date with someone you're interested in. If you're the one in charge of setting up the date then you probably thought very carefully about where you're going to eat, considering his/her likes and dislikes or food allergies, and trying to find the perfect place to make a good first impression. While you're on the date, the both of you probably consider what you're going to order more carefully than you would if you were out with friends, as to not seem odd to your potential suitor. Their food choice or pickiness may even factor into your consideration of the potential of future dates. Obviously, this isn't something that would make or break the relationship, but it may help sway you one way or another if you're on the fence. Overall, food has a uniquely powerful control over our lives and even our relationships and that intrigues me.