Book 69: Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, by Julie Powell. It's funny, mean, ironic, sarcastic, filled with cussing, and a lot of fun to read.

When Julie was approaching age 30, she was realizing that she had a dead-end job with no good prospects for changing that, a crappy apartment, and a condition that might make child-bearing impossible (though, ironically, she had sold her eggs so other people could have children). She decided that what she really needed was ... A Project.

This is a strategy quite familiar to myself. Sometimes working through a challenge gives me a break from whatever I'm supposed to be thinking about, but my subconscious mind will figure out some shit while I'm not paying attention. A project also creates a sense of accomplishment, even though what you've done might be silly or nearly useless or whatever. It can give you a sense of Purpose and Direction and Focus. It can keep you from giving up.

Julie's Project, to cook all the recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year, and write a blog about it, led to her going on TV and getting a book deal! And she has another book coming out later this year, about becoming a butcher. Success! (Though based on the excerpt from her new book, Cleaving, she's still kind of flailing around trying to figure out what to do -- but getting paid to flounder).

The copy I got has photos of Amy Adams and Meryl Streep on it (from the movie). I would have preferred NOT to picture Julie as Amy Adams, so I should have found an older edition. But I DO like picturing Meryl Streep as Julia Child, so that worked out okay. As a caution, if you read this book, you will be severely tempted to speak in Julia's grating, up and down voice. I think I've only been doing it in my head, and not at the grocery store or anything. I assume it will soon pass for me, but I bet Julie Powell will hear that voice in her head forever.