It sounds incredible, but
the appearance of food in a novel really can portray personality, plot,
setting, culture and emotion. I really like this quote from Gale Encyclopedia
of Food & Culture: Food in Literature:
“Because food customs call forth such a labyrinth of associations on
the part of individual writers, and because the inherent sensuality of food
involves not only the senses of smell and taste, but also the other senses,
food is capable of evoking an avalanche of memories and feelings.” *
In
my first four novels, which are part of a series, I noticed that my protagonist
drinks a lot of red wine. However, the
imbibing is often accompanied by food.
In
The Bridgeman, Emily Taylor is introduced as a small-town principal who
discovers the body of the caretaker in the basement of her school. Who can
blame her for indulging in a stress-relieving lunch?
"Let me tell you our specials to get our minds off all this
tragedy." And he [Bill Percival, the Inn’s owner] recited, with something
close to passion, the tempting list of dishes that [chef] Theodore Lavalle had
created for the day.
Once
May and I had chosen—she a creamy pasta dish with shrimp and crab and I a small
pepper steak with roasted vegetables—Bill went away and left us sipping our
drinks and nibbling on bread. Nick returned to the table right next to us. I
tried very hard to ignore the fact that he appeared to be listening over my
shoulder.”
In the scene above, I employ
the meal as a vehicle to introduce a host of suspects to the plot, as a classic
mystery must. The passage also reveals something of May and Emily’s
personalities; the latter is always watching her weight, while her friend is
far more easy-going.
In
Legacy, I used two very different perceptions about food to juxtapose
evil and good.
“That evening, the little group partied and celebrated, putting the
serious issues behind them for a while, focusing on the positive, the energy,
the possibilities and their friendships. Two long tables had been placed from
the dining room clear through to the living room. Their faces lit by
candlelight, the smiles reflected in the huge picture window.
From
the outside, their faces were smudged by the glow of the candles, their mouths
opened and closed without sound. The person watching them was incensed by the
flagrant display of decadence. The food was drenched in oily sauces, the meat
red and dripping, their mouths twisted and churned as they masticated.
Sometimes they even laughed, showing lumps of fetid ground-up fodder. Now red
faced with a repulsive alcoholic glow, they lifted the glasses of iniquity.
They were irreverent, self-indulgent and gluttonous. The watcher’s fists clenched,
mouth grimaced in anger.”
Amazing how the simple act
of “breaking bread” can lead to such insight into the novel’s plot, characters
and setting!
Thanks for stopping by to share
your food for thought, Catherine!
your food for thought, Catherine!
You can find Catherine
Astolfo,
all her links, and all of her 5 novels here:
all her links, and all of her 5 novels here:
