Toast
Slater, NigelMost of food columnist Nigel Slater's childhood memories seem to be connected to food. Rice pudding, Sunday roasts, mince pies and toast all played different roles in his life growing up in 1960s England, but not all of those memories were happy ones. His memoir relates his formative years through individual anecdotes with a focus on food as he grew from a shy little boy, to a novice cook, to an eager disciple of a student at a culinary school with French pretensions.
Comments from Groups
A great read. Tragic comedy - mouth slathering food. Evocative of hotels of the day. Great characterisation. Page turning so easy. Understatement begged many questions. Christchurch 064 Really interesting range of views on the book and how people thought Nigel Slater depicted his family. Some thought it was great, others that NIgel was too self- absorbed, so a great book for discussion. Nelson 055 Generally enjoyed but most found it a bit bleak with reference to his childhood. But enjoyed his relationship with food... Waihi 002 We had lots of discussion surrounding childhood memories of food! [Most] loved it but thought it was rather sad. A good light read. Oamaru 004
Pages
247
247
Year
2004
2004
Reviews
21-08-2024
Mixed reaction. Some appreciated the writing style.
08-03-2024
Polarising. Read by all but enjoyed by half. Not sure how to feel about the author. Some felt a degree of exaggeration in many of the claims and recalls.
17-07-2023
An overall lukewarm reception to the book. Some found it sad, others "bearable" or "readable".
17-07-2023
Everyone enjoyed it - food is a great subject that everyone seems to enjoy talking about.
17-07-2023
Very good book for discussion. An English member recalled many of the food items he wrote of. It could have been a book of sadness but he managed his lonely childhood without bitterness. We all enjoyed this, but saddened he had a 'cold' upbringing.
17-07-2023
Divided - some absolutely loved this book and the issues it raised about his childhood. Foodies loved it too, but a few didn't enjoy it.
17-07-2023
Most enjoyed the easy read interwoven with amazing memories and food! Sad. I didn't enjoy it but was in the minority.
17-07-2023
We were divided on whether we thought he had a particularly harsh childhood or not. It was easy reading, and our age group could identify with things in it.
17-07-2023
Our group described this book as an "average" read. Most found the author's story a bit too depressing!
22-05-2023
Sad ending. Good discussion from the questions.
09-02-2023
Very interesting, liked the connection with memories of childhood reflected through food.
09-02-2023
Interesting life story combined with food memories.
01-11-2021
The whole group loved it; some of us focused on food nostalgia and some on the story of Nigel's life - both of which he writes about so well.
09-08-2019
Members generally enjoyed this book. Lots of discussion and the notes were good.
09-08-2019
A very understated story tinged with pathos. The group decided on reflection that there was a lot more depth than seen at first glance. A lively discussion - lots of memories.
09-08-2019
Interesting and very cleverly written. A candid report of growing from childhood to adulthood.
09-08-2019
We all really enjoyed reading the book and were impressed by the writing style - the interweaving of the author's life story and food!
09-08-2019
A pleasant light read.
09-08-2019
We all loved it - very nostalgic.
09-08-2019
All members decided this was an excellent 'discussion' book - skilfully written and many issues raised.