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Title: Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond ISBN: 1-56512-421-9 Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill Pub. Date: 01 April, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.83 (40 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Oompa Loompas, Goo Goo Clusters, and Abba-Zabas
Comment: Imagine an adult who is just as fascinated by candy as he was when he was eight years old. That is Steve Almond, mid-thirties, English professor, candyfreak.
It's even better being a candyfreak when you are an adult, because you can buy all the candy you want. And you can even eat all the candy you want, if like Almond, you are an ectomorph who never gains weight.
Candyfreak, the book, is a journey through the history of candy in America, and one man's relationship with candy. When Almond is talking about candy -- visiting candy factories, reminiscing about candies past, or discussing the attributes of candy, he is quite good. I enjoyed being reminded of some of my old favorites such as U-No and Kits and Sixlets. But when Almond gets more personal, I tended to skip chunks of the book. This surprised me, because I usually like memoirs and personal essays. I found I just didn't care about Almond's personal quirks or even his politics, although I was in agreement with him.
An index would have been helpful, to look up those specific candy bars you were wondering about. Even if you think you aren't interested in the history of candy bars or in candy trivia, you will find yourself compelled to find out what is in a candy bar called "Chicken Dinner" or "Vegetable Sandwich," or why it's called "Three Musketeers."
Rating: 5
Summary: A terrific read for many reasons
Comment: With all due respect to other reviews that critize Almond's style and 'voice', I thoroughly enjoyed the playful and often philosophical narrative in this hugely interesting and entertaining book. It's one of the best books that I've read, devored really, in years. Candyfreak isn't a simple book to categorize; it's not just a history of candy, it's also a fascinating, and indeed personal, journey that captures in very funny and vivid ways the people and places where candy is made and revered. Sure, Candyfreak has a lot of interesting information about candy and its history, but for a non-candy lover, it never comes across as boring or dense. This is a book that I enjoyed because of the energy and honesty of the author and his ability to fuse laugh-out-loud humor with real insight and vulnerability -- about his own experiences as well as the changes in American culture and choices as exampled by the candy industry.
I have recommended this book to people of all ages and no one has found its content objectionable. The consistent feedback from those who have read Candyfreak is that it is fresh, funny, and poignant, without being maudlin. These days, when the new non-fiction section is dominating by heavy, monolithic chronicles and political slams, Candyfreak stands out as a jewel of a book that is tasty on many levels and flavors. I think you'll enjoy very much.
Rating: 5
Summary: Yum!
Comment: I bought this book after hearing Steve Almond read at a local bookstore earlier this month, and have already read it twice. It's hilarious, insightful, and yes folks, it will make you hungry. I highly recommend it.
I was surprised to read some of the previously posted reviews - it appears that most readers either love him or hate him, with the latter being mostly people who were offended by the author's politics. In my opinion, the political stuff wasn't heavy-handed or overdone, and obviously Mr. Almond has a sense of humor about it, since he jokingly admits that his politics are "somewhat to the left of Christ." But the worst book ever written? That's just mean-spirited and not even close to true.
If you ever get nostalgic for the lost candy bars of your youth, if you agree that low carb living is madness, or if you just want to spend a few hours laughing your head off, buy this book.
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Title: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris ISBN: 0316143464 Publisher: Little, Brown Pub. Date: 01 June, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: My Life in Heavy Metal by Steve Almond ISBN: 0802140130 Publisher: Grove Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson ISBN: 0399150838 Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Pub. Date: 09 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: Little Children : A Novel by Tom Perrotta ISBN: 0312315716 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss ISBN: 1592400876 Publisher: Gotham Books Pub. Date: 12 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $17.50 |
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