Toast - Nigel Slater

[BikeRunSki]

What a sad childhood, but how well he writes. Simple and self effacing. Very more-ish. Love the way it was written as anecdotes about food.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

I was a bit disappointed by it. I got the impression that he was very bitter and quite repressed and uncomfortable in his own skin. He's all sort of coy and evasive whilst trying to be shocking too. It irritated me tbh. I enjoyed the TV version of it though.

[KurriKurri]

I really enjoyed it too, he's about the same age as me and it brought back lots of nostalgic memories (although I didn't have a sad childhood as he did).

I understand what you mean about being uncomfortable in his own skin Colonel, but I rather liked that about him, I thought he was quite honest even when it didn't make him look particularly good. He seems a complex mixture of a person, a bit spiky but he had such a strange upbringing it's not surprising.

I thought it was well written too, he's got a very readable style IMO.
(plus I use one of his recipes for peach and blueberry cake and it's fabulous, - that alone is enough to make me on his side )

[valiumredhead]

I got the impression that he was very bitter and quite repressed and uncomfortable in his own skin

Think I would be too if I'd had his upbringing!


Loved the book much much more than the film. The book shows his dad's tender side (even if it wasn't shown very often!)

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

I read that years ago. Valium, do you think that the programme makers thought that the Dad was a bit too cold so softened him up a bit?
I think the daughters of his step mum were upset about the way she was portrayed.

[valiumredhead]

kreecher I thought the dad was portrayed much worse in the film than the book!

[franke]

I read this quite recently after seeing the TV adaptation last year. I get the impression that he was quite ungenerous to his stepmother, but tacitly acknowledges that. eg although he makes a great deal about how he felt like a spare part, or that she was overtly mean to him, there were passages which betrayed a certain after-school companionship between the two of them. He also came across as a frightful snob.

The death of his mother was heart-breaking though and must explain much of his later messed-up-ness.

[valiumredhead]

He also came across as a frightful snob

I don't think he did, he certainly laughed at his family's snobby way of doing things though.

[franke]

I thought he was a snob about his step-mother and where she came from.

[DoraJarr]

hes an old woman himself imo

[franke]

But I suppose he was trying to convey that she was the antithesis of his adored mother.

[valiumredhead]

Yes, I understood it as that as well franke

[MmeBlueberry]

I enjoyed this nostalgic book, but also felt quite sad for Nigel.

[TapselteerieO]

I liked him until I read the self-indulgent Toast, I stopped buying the Observer afterwards too. I avoid anything with him in the programme/magazine.

[valiumredhead]

Isn't all writing self indulgent? What did you particularly hate - and don't hold back?

[Miggsie]

I thought it was sad, he really really never came to terms with the loss of his mum, and although his father moved on and got a new wife, he didn't think of the new wife as a substitute mother and I felt a bit sorry for him as the loss of a mother when young is a huge blow, and I don't think he ever recovered from it, and he certainly never got any help in doing so.

I admired the fact he left home and made his own way at such a young age and that he fought against the prejudice of a boy doing cooking to follow what he loved.