Sex & Sadness in Switzerland and Sri lanka

• Book: The Chef
• Location: St Moritz, Zurich
• Author: Martin Suter

I loved this book.

While on the face of it dealing with the fall out of the financial crisis and the rarified world of haute cuisine restaurants and fine dining, in Zurich, in fact it opens a window onto the world of the displaced, immigrants from countries torn apart by war struggling to find their places in a new world that treats them badly. Andrea encourages Maravan to use his culinary skills, learnt at his grandmother’s knee in Sri Lanka to create a business cooking aphrodisiac food for wealthy Zurich business men. While Maravan struggles with his conscience with what he is doing, he must watch from afar as his beloved country is torn apart by civil war, yet at the same time finds it difficult to gain acceptance from the Tamil community in Zurich.

The book makes you feel Maravan’s isolation, despite the friendships he does have, and the distress he feels being far away from home. I felt less interest in the ‘Zurich’ story of corruption and greed, and to be honest got a little lost with what was going on, but what did keep me in Zurich was the careful way that Suter, the author, managed to describe so brilliantly a city of 2 halves, one wealthy, privileged and in part corrupt, one impoverished and brutal. The other wonderful aspect of this novel is the food. The author describes the meals Maravan prepares in beautiful, sensuous detail. I could practically taste it!

A great book for foodies and for anyone with an interest in the human condition.

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