I thought it was funny and real and interesting. Don't expect Powell to go into details about the recipes (although there are times when she's all about "deglazing the pan and reducing the sauce while peeling and boiling the artichoke leaves..."). She's a kind of snarky writer, which I appreciate, and (let's be real here....) inordinately obsessed with a crazy idea to begin with. That's what makes the book good in my opinion. I see other reviews that criticize her use of vulgarity and seeming lack-of-focus on making the food. But I think we are getting a real life look at someone who embarked on a crazy idea during a low point in her life. And that's the POINT of the book....to share her experience, as it happens. I'm not sure it's 5 stars, but close. And, I enjoyed the movie before I read the book, but I think the movie is a fine representation of the tone of the book. ( )

I finished Julie & Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen by Julie Powellin a record setting THREE DAYS.

I haven't read a book that quickly in ages. Consider that it took me more than three weeks to finish the ghastly On the Road. But, of course, Julie & Julia isn't on my list of THE great modern books of our time. Hence, I actually enjoyed it.

Julie Powell was a blogger before she was an author, and it really shows. I can actually tell which parts of the book derive from her blog. The very best bits.

Her voice is incomparable and fabulous. Her sense of humor is divine. Her organizational skills . . .well, those could be refined a bit, but frankly if you like reading blogs you won't be bothered in the least by the quick changes of topic and the stream of consciousness writing.

Julie is essentially cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogging it. In a year. And the result of that process is that she finds true joy.

My favorite chapter was when Julie tackles cooking aspic. Frankly, I didn't really know what aspic was before this book, but it is essentially gelatin. Not as in Jello. More as in calves hoof gelatin. It sounds absolutely disgusting and inedible and funny as hell.

Julie is also blissfully human. She obviously has cooking skills, but she makes lots of mistakes. When I make a cooking error, I order take out. Julie actually tries again. And again. Earning my utmost admiration. She also sucks as a housekeeper thereby managing to make me feel good about my own very minimal housecleaning skills.

All in all, if you like reading blogs, I'm quite sure you'll like reading this book. And, if you like food, you'll LOVE this book.

Tension/Engaging: 4 star
Language: 2 stars
Emotion: 4 star
Character Development: 3 star
Dialogue: 4 stars
Worth the Effort: 5 star
Social commentary/theme: 3 stars
Originality: 4 stars ( )

Unlike many of the other reviewers here, I really enjoyed Ms. Powell's sense of humor which today is rare with new authors. I also felt the book had MUCH more to offer with respect to the reality of her negligible cooking skills as compared to Julia Child. However, for those of us that have read Julia Child's book, we're quite aware her cooking skill took years to develop. Since I'm a big Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci fan I own the DVD of the movie and have to say it would have been far better were they to have shown Julie Powell as the incompetent cook she really was; it would have been MUCH funnier too. To me writing is art and like any art, the appeal varies from person to person. ( )

I am not a person who feels compelled to finish every book I start to read, and I almost gave up on this one at various times. I did not really like the character of Julie and the book seemed to be going nowhere. But this book was saved by the ending. I don't want to spoil it by saying more. It's worth reading. However it is also one of those rare instances where the movie is better than the book, largely because Julia Child is almost absent from the book and Meryl Streep is so good as Julia Child in the movie. ( )

Originally published in 2005.

I have to say the movie does not capture the character of Julie very well at all as written in the book. But, what a fantastic read! Julie writes like she talks, and it's the raw truth complete with "f" words throughout and lots of humor. Some parts had me cracking up, and some parts of it reminded me of myself like her over sensitivity to her blog and her out bursts and crying...my gosh if that's not me made over...lol. I do understand her purpose in creating this challenge for herself. I wish I would have thought of it first.

Now the movie portrayed a cluttered home, when in reality it was plum filthy and disgusting with maggots in the sink drain, globs of butter on the fridge, meat grease splattered across the walls and at one point they were inundated with a million flies in the kitchen. I guess they didn't always have time to clean up with them both working and her cooking up those difficult and time consuming French meals. Most of the time they weren't eating dinner until around 10 or 11:00 pm at night. If you enjoyed the movie, then you've got to read the book. It's so much better!!! ( )