This first novel by the acclaimed French author of THE ELEGANCE
OF THE HEDGEHOG arrives in American hands after the success of that
sublime blend of philosophy and social satire, and it shares
several common characters.
Pierre Arthens, the imperious food critic who lives (and dies)
at 17 Rue Grenelle, is the focal point of GOURMET RHAPSODY, and
most of the story comes to us in his fussy, elegiac voice. On being
informed that he has only days to live, he is gripped by the
overwhelming desire to remember a particular taste that both haunts
and eludes him. This prompts a series of fev