CLEAVING A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession

Listeners looking for some continuation of Powell's hugely successful JULIE & JULIA may not find it in this memoir. The subtitle of “Marriage, Meat and Obsession” sums up the book well, and with her audio presentation the obsession part seems to dominate. To distract herself from her disintegrating marriage, Powell learns the art of butchery, which she takes up with compulsive energy. In turn, much of her hard-edged manic focus is conveyed in the audio. She definitely TELLS listeners her story, with a demanding, self-centered tone. Listeners can learn a good deal about butchery but may get more than TMI about her marriage and adultery. The people and culture of Fleischer's butcher shop are interesting, but Powell's narration creates a barrier to real understanding. It all has to be about Julie. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]