The Cook
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Check link for latest rating. ( 431 ratings, 97 reviews)Read More
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
The Cook feeds our hunger to know what goes on in the kitchen, while skewering our culture of food worship.
Power through service, says Head Chef. It's one of the first lessons taught at Cook School, where troubled youths learn to be master chefs by bowing to decadence and whim, by offering up a part of themselves on every plate. It's a motto Zac takes to heart.
A teenage boy with a difficult past, he throws himself into the world and work of haute cuisine. He has dreams of a future, of escaping the dead-end, no-hope lot of his fellow cooks. He wants to be the greatest chef the world has seen.
He thinks he's taken his first steps when he becomes House Cook for a wealthy family. Never mind that the family may seem less than appreciative. Or refined. Or deserving. Power through service.
But as the facade crumbles and his promised future looks unlikely to eventuate, Zac the Cook is forced to reassess everything. Sweet turns sour and ends in bitter revenge.
Blackly funny and deliciously satirical, The Cook feeds our hunger to know what goes on in the kitchen, while skewering our culture of food worship.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Reviews of The Cook by Wayne Macauley celebrate its originality and gripping nature, often highlighting the novel's black humour and satire. The book cleverly critiques the culture of food obsession and reality TV while exploring deeper themes of class, aspiration, and societal decay through the eyes of its protagonist, Zac. Critics appreciate Macauley's distinct narrative voice, which brilliantly blends comedy and tension, creating a potent and memorable reading experience.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781921758690
Publisher: Text Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 03 October 2011
Country: Australia
Imprint: The Text Publishing Company
Edition: New edition
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 230.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Wayne Macauley is the author of the novels Blueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe and Caravan Story, and a short-fiction collection, Other Stories.
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