The Gourmet

From the author of the international bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes a mouth-watering tale delving into the life of a monstrous food critic

After a lifetime of presiding over cowering chefs and pursuing sensual delights, France's greatest food critic is dying. Given just forty-eight hours to live, Pierre Arthens has one last ambition - to recall the most delicious food to ever pass his lips, an elusive taste from his childhood. From his luxury penthouse at Number 7, Rue de Grenelle, Pierre casts his mind back over a lifetime of flavour: eating grilled sardines with his grandfather, the warm, crumbly pastry of an apple tart, his first taste of velvety sashimi.

But orbiting around him are a cast of family and acquaintances, each with their own story to tell about the greed and ruthlessness that has paved the way to Pierre's search for the perfect meal.

About the Author

Muriel Barbery is a French novelist and professor of philosophy. She is the author of four previous novels, including the IMPAC-shortlisted multimillion-copy bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog. She has lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam and Paris and now lives in the French countryside.

About the Translator

Alison Anderson worked as an English teacher in Switzerland, France, Greece and Croatia, before settling down as a consular agent and translator in the San Francisco Bay Area for a number of years. In 2008 she moved back to Europe and has since been working as a full-time literary translator. She has translated over 90 novels from French, including Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog and works by Nobel laureate JMG Le Clézio. She is currently living in a village in the French speaking part of Switzerland.

Dimensions: 13.97 x 2.54 x 21.59 cm