"After reading this book, I fell in love with my wife, my children, my friends, my enemies and the beauty of living
was revealed to me again. Authentic literature enriches us by unveiling dimensions of our experience that we have
never thought of before. I discovered the alchemically magical world of cocoa."
"Enid Futterman has done a rare and wondrous thing. She has written an adult fable, as perfect as The Little
Prince."
"The photography, the story, the knowledge of chocolate, altogether Enid Futterman's Bittersweet Journey is a
delight for all the senses. Perhaps the first of its kind, it is a visual novel. And it is just beautiful. The photography
is, in fact, every bit as evocative as the narrative in this deliciously rich and psychologically profound piece of
work."
"It is the story of Charlotte, who, sprung loose from her marriage, begins an obsessive journey to find the right man
via a world tour of the great capitals of chocolate. Sampling love the way she samples truffles, Charlotte scours
Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Brussels, London, Paris, Hawaii, New York, and Walpole, New Hampshire, where the
most delicious ganache is housed in the unlikely bodies of chocolate mice."
"But most siginificantly, Bittersweet Journey is the story of a journey into the interior of a woman, a dark tour of the
female psyche where longing and love are indistinguishable. Ms. Futterman writes in a sharp, spare, deeply poetic
wway that is reminiscent of Jean Rhys and Marguerite Duras, and comes up with something that will resonate in the
heart, mind and palate for a long time to come."
"Losing track of time, I read this book in one sitting, finding myself quietly pulled into a peculiarly emotional
landscape. Something to be slowly savored like the delicious chocolates that sparked this wonderful novel."
"Reading this book is as sensual an experience as eating the chocolates the author so lovingly (and knowledgeably)
describes. As if that were not enough, you can almost taste the luscious photographs."
"Enticing, exciting, and sensual. It moved me in ways I never expected. I highly recommend it to anyone who truly
loves chocolate, and if you don't, watch out; you may just become a believer. I give it 10 stars.!!"
"A lovely and poetic tribute to the dark yearning that is chocolate."
--A reader from Laguna Beach, California
--Michael Jay Cohen, New York City
"This book is an elegantly minimalist novel about romantic delusion and its consequences. Heroine Charlotte's
journey to enlightenment is told with wit, compassion and style. Futterman's imagistic prose is particularly resonant,
while the story is cleanly shaped by a fine dramatic eye. The beautiful, seductive photographs (also by the author)
which accompany and comment on Charlotte's experiences are a treat and the recipes at journey's end are all
terribly tempting. Bittersweet Journey should speak to anyone who has ever experienced romantic confusion or
loved chocolate (or both). I highly recommend it. It is a rich and rewarding literary and gustatory delight."
--Erik Haagensen (Ehaagendaz@aol.com), New York City
--A reader from San Francisco
--A reader from New York City
--Bichonmama@aol.com, San Bernardino, California
--John Thomas, (hierodule@aol.com)
| The Journey in Brief |