Join Aimee Bender to talk about THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE, our October Book of the Month, TONIGHT, from 9pm

[TillyBookClub]

October's Book of the Month is THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE by Aimee Bender, a New York Times bestseller and a recent Richard and Judy pick. Rose Edelstein lives in Los Angeles with her seemingly happy family. When she bites into a birthday cake on her ninth birthday, she suddenly tastes her mother's loneliness and unhappiness. After that, she can taste emotion in every morsel: anger in cookies made by a cross chef, distraction in her father's pudding, weariness in factory-processed butter. Worst of all, the blankness in her brother's toast. As Rose grows up, she finds her gift reveals all sorts of secrets she'd rather not confront, but that it cannot tell her everything...

Find out more about Lemon Cake on our book of the month page.

The lovely people at Random House have 50 copies to give away to Mumsnetters -just email your name and address to [email protected] and put Lemon Cake/Mumsnet in the subject box (THE BOOKS HAVE NOW ALL GONE)


Otherwise, you can get your paperback or Kindle version now.

We are thrilled that Aimee will be chatting to us about The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and all her other books on Wednesday 2 November 9-10 pm. Look forward to seeing you there.

[TheMonster]

Thanks for your answer. I think it did show the meshing of the external and internal worlds of the narrator, and it was something that I thought about a lot when I first started reading it.
I'm not sure I could read a book with no paragraphs though!

[AimeeBender]

@oldenglishspangles

What was the emotion that tasted in her own food that she didnt recognise?

Ah, so I think the one you mean is the factory taste. Which relates a little to the previous question, about getting a break from a skill. The way I imagined it, Rose tasted some factory in herself, something machine-like and detached in herself, because she HAD withdrawn from people somewhat to cope with all the info she was getting from people. She needed to, but it had a cost. And she sees this bigtime in her brother, which is why, in my mind, she is so disturbed by seeing his total exit from the world into the inanimate. She has this in her too-- just to a much smaller degree. And possibly it's the reason she can start to go out and find people who do nourish her.

[AimeeBender]

@mymuchness

How long did it take to write..?

Took about 3.5 years? It takes me awhile to figure out what I'm writing about-- there's a lot of wandering/cutting.

[AimeeBender]

@gailforce1

Thanks for coming to talk to us Aimee!
As someone up-thread mentioned why did the grandmother not visit/was not visited?

Let's see I did write a scene where they went to visit, and it was fun to write, but in the end it seemed to make more sense to me that she was kind of a non-presence. Maybe she's the lineage of Joseph in a way, in that she seems more connected to the family via these objects than in person. (By the way since the book is now done please don't take my answers as the 'right' answers-- they're just my opinions/thoughts and may or may not fit with your reading, of course!). It did feel important to me that he picked her chair. And that the mother might not have been adequately mothered by this grandmother.

[NYmomma]

I'd love to know if Aimee scripted the entire book before writing it. Did you have a road map, or did the direction change at any point? Also, I'd love to hear more about Joseph. He's never labelledwhich I lovedand this seems intentional. What informed this decision?

[AimeeBender]

@NYmomma

I should add: Was it concrete? For example, did you taste something that allowed you to feel the cook's emotions? (And I loved that about the book & found it completely believable.)

Fun to consider. And glad it felt believable! Not food but I have felt at times that there's a feeling in the air, in a room, that is somehow not acknowledged, and it is a strange feeling I'm sure we've all felt that at various times. It can be so unsettling. And confusing! But I do have an aunt who, when I told her about the idea for the book, said she knew of a lady who served two salads at a party one full of happy feelings and one full of negativity. Her quote: "No one ate the negative salad." I told that story to a friend of mine who write poetry and she said, "now there's a good line."

[AimeeBender]

@purpleturtletoise

Spectrum of sensitivity - that's like a light-bulb moment for me in terms of understanding your story. Thanks! Seems completely obvious now, but I hadn't pulled it out of the novel for myself.

I'm very glad-- makes these kind of discussions so worthwhile!!

[Mrsoverreaction]

This is really interesting. I agree with many other posters' comments. I found parts of the book confusing, the section in the brother's flat was very eerie (so well written i guess as I presume that was the intention?) and NYmomma I also thought he had somehow inserted the chair into himself and like the narrator was worried that it was going to be gruesome and that he would be hurt and bleeding.

I enjoyed reading it but ultimately didn't find it totally satisfying (sorry Aimee!) as I felt, like others, that there were a few loose ends: the grandma's behaviour; the father's failure to share his knowledge (fear?); and the long term fate of the brother. I also found the overall tone of the book quite bleak because of the lack of friends and social life of the entire family; they seemed quite introverted and isolated and I often felt sorry for the narrator despite her lack of self pity.

Aimee, your comments have helped me to understand some of this already so thanks!

[mymuchness]

Did you have to edit this novel a lot? (Or was it hugely edited?) The reason I ask is because I felt frustrated at not knowing enough about some characters, the father, the Grandmother and Joseph.
Are there 'deleted scenes'..?! Or was this deliberate?

[AimeeBender]

@BodyOfEeyore

Thanks for your answer. I think it did show the meshing of the external and internal worlds of the narrator, and it was something that I thought about a lot when I first started reading it.
I'm not sure I could read a book with no paragraphs though!

Glad it comes through.
I do really recommend Blindness-- it's confusing for 3 pages and then you just fall into the rhythm of it. It's a gripping read.

[AimeeBender]

@NYmomma

I'd love to know if Aimee scripted the entire book before writing it. Did you have a road map, or did the direction change at any point? Also, I'd love to hear more about Joseph. He's never labelledwhich I lovedand this seems intentional. What informed this decision?

Totally road mapless. I have tried that and just can't do it. It's all intuitive-- I am following whatever seems to have a kind of charge to it, and seeing what happens. This means I am often totally frustrated! and then there are these surprises that keep me in it.

Yes very deliberate not to label Joseph. Some people say he seems autistic, and others say he's just like their schizophrenic brother. I think I wanted to describe behavior, to describe him, and let people see where he fit it's one of the advantages of any kind of magical storytelling is that the road into the character is a little different. He may be autistic or he may even appear autistic because he's so armored up against the world but is very soft inside.

[TheMonster]

I might give it a try.
I love the idea of the negative salad. Did she just think bad thoughts as she made it?

[MmeLindor.]

Thanks for answering my question.

It is interesting to hear the reasoning behind your characters actions. I like the fact that there is more to them than we have been told, like meeting someone new and thinking that you have them sussed then being told something that makes you reassess your opinion.

How do you decide what details go into the book and what is your personal knowledge (or feeling) about the character?

[AimeeBender]

@Mrsoverreaction

This is really interesting. I agree with many other posters' comments. I found parts of the book confusing, the section in the brother's flat was very eerie (so well written i guess as I presume that was the intention?) and NYmomma I also thought he had somehow inserted the chair into himself and like the narrator was worried that it was going to be gruesome and that he would be hurt and bleeding.

I enjoyed reading it but ultimately didn't find it totally satisfying (sorry Aimee!) as I felt, like others, that there were a few loose ends: the grandma's behaviour; the father's failure to share his knowledge (fear?); and the long term fate of the brother. I also found the overall tone of the book quite bleak because of the lack of friends and social life of the entire family; they seemed quite introverted and isolated and I often felt sorry for the narrator despite her lack of self pity.

Aimee, your comments have helped me to understand some of this already so thanks!

No problem I know it's not for everyone and that's ok with me. I think I am a fan of gaps and holes and finding pieces to fit together over time and I like bleak books, too! So there you go. But I appreciate what you say it makes sense. It is a very isolated family. And yes I'd say the father's not sharing is from fear. But don't you know people like that? I definitely do.

[OliviaMumsnet]

Hi Aimee
Thanks for this. What are your thoughts on E-books?
(I read this on the kindle which was a v non-sensual experience)

[TillyBookClub]

I didn't even notice the quotes weren't there until reading this thread! It all flowed naturally for me.

I thought the dialogue between the family was brilliantly done, so believable. I particularly loved the struggling-to-communicate scenes between Rose and her dad, in front of the telly or on the classic driving lesson.

Do you find dialogue hard to do? Was it a particular challenge with this book, given the extraordinary occurences that the characters are dealing with? And did you always plan to do it as first person narrative, or did you try other styles?

[AimeeBender]

@mymuchness

Did you have to edit this novel a lot? (Or was it hugely edited?) The reason I ask is because I felt frustrated at not knowing enough about some characters, the father, the Grandmother and Joseph.
Are there 'deleted scenes'..?! Or was this deliberate?

I did edit a lot, but usually not info-- basically, since it was first person, I was in Rose's POV and could only access what she could. And she, via the food, can access a lot! But not all. And the father doesn't want to know himself so he just can't possibly share that. What did you want to know about Joseph? He is also an enigma to her to some extent, but I know people often have questions about him.

[AimeeBender]

@BodyOfEeyore

I might give it a try.
I love the idea of the negative salad. Did she just think bad thoughts as she made it?

Ha! I think so. Which sounds actually a little fun, on the right kind of day...

[AimeeBender]

@MmeLindor

Thanks for answering my question.

It is interesting to hear the reasoning behind your characters actions. I like the fact that there is more to them than we have been told, like meeting someone new and thinking that you have them sussed then being told something that makes you reassess your opinion.

How do you decide what details go into the book and what is your personal knowledge (or feeling) about the character?

To be honest, a lot of what I've just said about the characters came once the book was done and I was doing readings and having to articulate it. So while writing, it's more about feeling out the story, and reading it, and groping along, and feeling what gaps feel ok to me and what feels like it's off. And having friends read it, editor, and all that. So while in the book it's much more physical-- like the scene with the dad revealing his skill was just me really trying hard to imagine how that conversation would play out, and what it was like for Rose, and what he knew about and was willing to know about and was closed off to, too. Not sure if that really answers your question!

[MmeLindor.]

By "road mapless" do you mean you had no idea while writing how it would progress/end?

I am trying to write a book at the moment and find that I make it up as I go along, without having a plan of what is going to happen. I had the impression that this was somehow doing it wrong. That I should have index cards and a proper plot all planned.

[AimeeBender]

@OliviaMumsnet

Hi Aimee
Thanks for this. What are your thoughts on E-books?
(I read this on the kindle which was a v non-sensual experience)

I guess they're here to stay, or for awhile, right? I am a fan of the pages still but it seems like people are still reading, which is good. I feel slightly panicked about E-books but am comforted when I hear that people are reading away.

[southlondonlady]

Hi Aimee, I really enjoyed the book. George is a lovely character, we're you tempted to have him and Rose get together? It was more realistic I think that they didn't!

[AimeeBender]

@TillyBookClub

I didn't even notice the quotes weren't there until reading this thread! It all flowed naturally for me.

I thought the dialogue between the family was brilliantly done, so believable. I particularly loved the struggling-to-communicate scenes between Rose and her dad, in front of the telly or on the classic driving lesson.

Do you find dialogue hard to do? Was it a particular challenge with this book, given the extraordinary occurences that the characters are dealing with? And did you always plan to do it as first person narrative, or did you try other styles?

It really started as first person that scene with the cake at the start was my starting point too and so it felt really solidly in first person, in her voice. The dialogue mostly it felt okay, but I think there was more dialogue in this book than any other book I've written. Lots of talking! And that took awhile to pace-- dialogue is so much about getting the pace of the scene right so the information slips in in a way that a reader can, well, digest it.
Thanks for the nice compliment, too.

[Mrsoverreaction]

BodyofEeyore and Aimee:
Yes I love the line about the negative salad. This has also really made me think about projecting feelings, such as when I say to DH, "DD has been a bit grumbly today" and then, reflecting on that, I've realised that I've been the grumbly one and wondering how much my emotions affect her behaviour. A lot I think!

[NYmomma]

Thanks for answering all of my questions, Aimee. I'm a fan of the understated, so I enjoyed having to fill in the blanks with Joseph and whatever Rose didn't know. I liked the room that the narrator gives to the reader, and I think that must be hard as a writer. You want to tell the reader everything to make sure they're getting what you're trying to express, so you must have had to be quite restrained. You say a lot by not saying too much--if that makes sense. I enjoyed that power as a reader.