| Title | : | Reservations Recommended |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0312135971 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780312135973 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 288 |
| Publication | : | First published April 21, 1990 |
Reservations Recommended is many things: a satire of the critical mind; a dark commentary on contemporary culture; a story of midlife crisis; a morality play; and a book that matches bleakness against humor with a grace rare among contemporary writers. Matthew Barber is a pseudonymous Boston restaurant reviewer who between (and sometimes during) meals at local eateries conducts affairs with ladies of his acquaintance -- affairs mental as much as carnal. We watch as Barber descends from his self-protective superiority into a species of madness, careening toward an ending of stark moral ambiguity. Woven throughout with Barber's own hilariously acid reviews,
Reservations Recommended Reviews
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Matthew/B.W. is a pig. He's really quite horrible in many ways and yet he's incredibly unsure of himself and, even, "a good guy" at times. Strange little story. I enjoyed the restaurant reviews that came out of his various escapades. Kinda fun.
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Brisk, grim book about a middle aged executive losing himself in the mediocrity of the culinary world, a place he's equipped to survey the culture as much as he's completely unable to contribute.
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disappointing ending
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tread read, save last chapter.
