INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLERNow a series on Starz“Brilliantly written. . . . Outstanding.”—The New York Times Book ReviewNewly arrived in New York City, twenty-two-year-old Tess lands a job working front of house at a celebrated downtown restaurant. What follows is her education: in champagne and cocaine, love and lust, dive bars and fine dining rooms, as she learns to navigate the chaotic, … rooms, as she learns to navigate the chaotic, enchanting, punishing life she has chosen. The story of a young woman’s coming-of-age, set against the glitzy, grimy backdrop of New York’s most elite restaurants, in Sweetbitter Stephanie Danler deftly conjures the nonstop and high-adrenaline world of the food industry and evokes the infinite possibilities, the unbearable beauty, and the fragility and brutality of being young and adrift.
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After hearing lots of buzz about this book, I finally picked it up and I’m really glad I did. It’s a coming-of-age story about 22-year-old who moves to NYC and learns about the upscale restaurant industry while simultaneously learning a lot about herself.
My favorite thing about it is Danler’s prose. It’s really efficient and punchy, but beautiful, too. This is especially true of the way she describes food and wine. And while she often uses these descriptions as a metaphor for the character’s own personal development, it’s never heavy-handed. I don’t think you need to be a foody to appreciate this book (I’m not in the slightest), but I imagine if you were, you’d get even more enjoyment out of it.
Separate of that, it’s partially an love letter to NYC and an exposé of the high-end restaurant industry, which I found really fun.
This book is about a 22 year old girl who moves to NYC from the Midwest and takes a job in fancy restaurant as a back waiter. The girl (whose name you don’t find out until about midway through) becomes friends with many of her coworkers, falling for one in the process. The whole staff works hard and parties harder. I really enjoyed the book and will look for more from this author.
‘Sweetbitter’ is a witty, funny, entertaining page-turner of a woman’s fiction.
I picked up a paperback copy of Sweetbitter last week while wandering through one of the few remaining giant B&N stores left in Manhattan. Flipping through the pages, I couldn’t resist, seeing as this coming of age tale is set at a high profile restaurant right on the corner of Union Square, not twenty yards from where I was standing. I’ve been there. I’ve sat at the bar and watched as hostesses size up tourists and then patently ignore them. Uppity to the point of being ridiculous, it’s a total scene. Admittedly, the food is as good as the people watching, so I could see the place as a backdrop for a great coming of age story.
Back to the book…
The writing is exceptional. I often found myself creasing pages to mark sentences and paragraphs that moved me. The author does an excellent job of putting us in Tess’s shoes, of fleshing out some unlikeable characters in a way that makes them relatable, and of depicting the hectic and competitive New York restaurant scene. You’ll cringe (and maybe see a bit of your younger self) as Tess makes decisions that stem from loneliness as she strives for acceptance and connection.
I devoured this in one day!
Lisa Shea reviews Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter: “Danler, once a server at Manhattan’s Union Square Cafe, quickly draws you into the sparkling surfaces and the shadowy underbelly of the city via one of its most famous restaurants over a span of four appetite-delirious seasons.”
http://www.elle.com/culture/books/news/a36504/sweetbitter-stephanie-danler-book-review/
One of the best books I have read in years. Searing, realistic, this character stays with you.
So boring. I couldn’t read another sentence about stacking bottles
A character you both cheer for and hate at the same time always makes for a good book. I wish it had gone into a bit more detail about her life, but a good book!
Reminded me of my youth. Great read for anyone who has been a server
I loved the emotion in this book.
It was a book club selection which I did not enjoy. Don’t remember that much about it other than I wouldn’t recommend. Too many better books to read.
If you have ever worked in a restaurant for any amount of time, you will appreciate this book and its characters.
I enjoyed the backdrop of NYC and I’ve eaten in the restaurant it takes place in though they changed the name. It was fasinating to read about the inner workings of a restaurant and the relationships between the staff. The reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that I got tired of all the drinking.
I enjoyed the story, well-built and flowed beautifly. A goo look into the restaurant world with believable characters.
Fun fictional account of behind the scenes at Union Sq Cafe.
Poor excuse for a novel. Merely a day-by-day accounting of a young girls experiences, sordid as they are.
Didnt like main character. I did enjoy the restaurant information.
I like a good coming-of-age story, and this one resonated with me for several reasons. I am not a reader who requires a driving plot with action. I like books where not much happens—like most of life. I was completely engrossed by the descriptions of wine, cheese, truffles, oysters. I loved the palpable descriptions of New York and Union Square Café—a setting I am very familiar with and why I may have deeply enjoyed this book. The author has a way with description and similes that I admire. The writing was as delicious as the food. Here is a quote that moved me,
“The ambrosial twilight tumbled off the cliff-sides of buildings, pooling on sidewalks. Every face I met, hypnotized, facing west. When I got to the park I found a bench and held my figs. Each one with a firm density that reminded me of flesh, of my own breasts. There was a teardrop at one end and I put it on my tongue. I felt undressed. I tore them apart. They were soft, the pink interior lazily revealing itself. I ate them too quickly, rapaciously.”
Initially, I would have liked to know Tess’s backstory. Upon reflection, I surmise it was the author’s editor that had her remove it, because essentially it didn’t matter and would have weighed the reader down. Tess is compelled by Simone and Jake. These well-developed characters are codependent, and Tess learns as much about narcissism and codependency as she does about wine. Some may think the book ends abruptly and lacks a driving plot structure, but like life, this is a moment in time about a young woman who finds exactly what she needs and moves to the next chapter of her life.
I read this book for book club. There were many gems of truth throughout the story. The author has a good feel for New York City. There were several quotes that I found well-written. The characters were boldly developed. But, I also found it at times confusing to read and hard to follow. Maybe that was intentional to show how messed up the main character was becoming. I also found it disturbing at times with so many toxic people in Tess’s life and the continuously dangerous choices she made. She chose the hard way to “grow up” and when she does let reality become clear to her, she does make a final good choice. Only time will tell if she will let that choice lead her to a more healthy life. I do appreciate that she realizes that her life was filled with both sweet and bitter things that helped define her and that she embraces it to move forward. So, I’ve got things I liked and things I didn’t care for about this book – thus, my middle of the road rating.