Julie & Julia: The Book

I finished reading Julie & Julia today, the book I won in a giveaway from Sweet Tea Diaries. To start with back when I saw the movie a lot of you asked if it made more sense to see the movie first and then read the book or to do the opposite. At the time, I couldn't really give a good answer. But now I can say, I'm glad I saw the movie first and then read the book.

What the movie seemed to do is book a only few key plot scenes and turn them into the core of the movie. For example the main to big cooking projects that stick out in the movie are boeuf bourguignon and cooking live lobster. While both are in the book as well, they are two small adventures no more important than say making mayonnaise. Something that seemed to happen a lot in the book, but was no where in the movie. I guess watching people make mayonnaise isn't very exciting. I do think if I had read the book first and then seen the movie I would have been disappointed as to some of the details they chose to cut.

Of course a lot of this is due to the fact the movie focused a lot more on Julia Child's story. While most chapters do start with an imagined scene of Julia Child's life, one of which contains one unforgettable Julia Child line from the movie, it doesn't tell Julia Child's story. But then its not supposed to.

As a blogger one thing I liked about the book was the blog talk. I've read books by bloggers before (books by Christine Coppa of Glamour's Storked and Jen Lancaster of Jennsylvania) And while both Christine and Jen talk about the blogging itself, its nowhere near to the point that Julie talks about if. For example, she talks about the type of discussions that break out in her comment's after she writes a post, or when she actually writes her posts. Little things them almost seem unimportant but somehow make it all feel more real.

I also liked the ending of the book quite a bit more than the movie. I do apologize if I'm spoiling the ending, but the movie ends with, "Julie's blog got made into a movie." Why yes, I just so happened to sit through that movie now didn't I? Not to big of a surprise. The ending of the book seems to be a much more he artful piece from Julie Powell that actually feels meaningful, and not "well, duh."

I am glad I both read the book and saw the movie. And I'm pretty sure I'll read her next book Cleaving after in comes out in December. I'd say if you enjoy reading blogs (which you must if you're reading this, right?), then I'd definitely say you'd enjoy it. And if you enjoyed the movie, you'd probably like this too. I guess there's only one thing left to say. Bon Appetit!

~Shoshanah