Reviews
An artful and mostly beautifully poised indictment of the shameful role of India in the political and human-rights hell that is Kashmir now... The great strength of this brave book is its technique of indirection in imparting information to the reader. Singh comes at things aslant, seemingly casually; when their importance is revealed, it comes to the unsuspecting reader with the weight and shock of an unsuspected explosion., Like the people of India, the country's food varies from region to region, with no simple consensus on how to prepare anything. But in Jaspreet Singh's outstanding debut novel, as the characters learn to understand the origins of their food, they begin to understand each other... Quintessentially Indian, Chef is a book that eschews complex prose in favor of authenticity. Touching in its deft handling of Kip's journey into maturity, Chef helps its readers realize that true understanding comes when you recognize not only how people are alike, but also how they are different., The Most Mesmerizing Novel I've Read this Spring., This is courageous writing that asks, and faces the impossibility of one-way answers to, questions of loyalty, love, ownership, and death., [Singh] writes lyrically... The rippling effects of religious and cultural prejudice infuse this whole, complex story, leaving no character in Singh's poetic, thought-provoking tale untouched., [A] luminous novel... Jaspreet Singh creates a swirl of sensual allusions, from the herbs and spices of Indian cooking, to the silken allure of women Kip dares not touch, to the withering heat of the subcontinent and the unearthly cold of the Kashmiri peaks. The sensuality adorns without obscuring the solemn core of the story., Thought-provoking...Throughout, Singh's writing is lean and muscular, pithy and precise. Observations carry the ring of truth and linger in the mind., "[Singh] writes lyrically about that majestic, impossibly beautiful, and quixotic place, wedged between India and Pakistan, and doomed, it seems, to be forever caught up in their ongoing conflict, fueled by centuries-old sectarian violence...The rippling effects of religious and cultural prejudice infuse this whole, complex story, leaving no character in Singh's poetic, thought-provoking tale untouched." -Booklist"The novel serves up the memories both delicious and bitter... Singh adroitly blends lyrical accounts of Kip's past with sensual renderings of the cold climate and piquant cuisine... Recommended alongside other recent powerhouse titles from younger Indian-born writers, such as Manil Suri'sThe Death of Vishnuor Kiran Desai'sThe Inheritance of Loss." -Library Journal, "[Singh] writes lyrically about that majestic, impossibly beautiful, and quixotic place, wedged between India and Pakistan, and doomed, it seems, to be forever caught up in their ongoing conflict, fueled by centuries-old sectarian violence...The rippling effects of religious and cultural prejudice infuse this whole, complex story, leaving no character in Singh's poetic, thought-provoking tale untouched." -Booklist"The novel serves up the memories both delicious and bitter... Singh adroitly blends lyrical accounts of Kip's past with sensual renderings of the cold climate and piquant cuisine... Recommended alongside other recent powerhouse titles from younger Indian-born writers, such as Manil Suri'sThe Death of Vishnuor Kiran Desai'sThe Inheritance of Loss." -Library Journal, "Serves up the memories both delicious and bitter... Singh adroitly blends lyrical accounts of Kip's past with sensual renderings of the cold climate and piquant cuisine." Library Journal "[Singh] writes lyrically... The rippling effects of religious and cultural prejudice infuse this whole, complex story, leaving no character in Singh's poetic, thought-provoking tale untouched." Booklist "A kaleidoscopic journey through one of the most beautiful yet besieged areas in the world Jaspreet Singh brings out the full poetry and heartbreak of Kashmir." Manil Suri, author of The Age of Shiva and The Death of Vishnu " Chef is a haunting evocation of the emotional and physical landscapes of war-torn Kashmir. Jaspreet Singh is a very learned, gifted, and sensitive writer." Basharat Peer, author of Curfewed Night "Jaspreet Singh's Chef carries the scents of cardamom, ice, and sweat; is written with such a keen sense of rhythm that you can hear the book as you read it; and is placed not only between India and Pakistan but intriguingly between delicate cuisines and crude politics. The novel is transportingan experience that is not easily laid to rest." Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod and Salt "Jaspreet Singh has the soul of a poet and the pen of a novelist. Chef is an intricate, subtle, and beautiful book." P. K. Page, author of Cosmologies "This is courageous writing that asks, and faces the impossibility of one-way answers to, questions of loyalty, love, ownership, and death." Daphne Marlatt, author of The Given " Chef is easily one of the best first novels I've read in the past ten years. Singh takes on life as it is, with its lust, its mindless rivalry, its brutality and its redemptive epiphanies that never quite pan out, with an attention to detail that ... is magnified rather than lessened by Singh's exact and tender prose." Alberta Views " Chef is an accomplished debut novel that portends even greater things from Singh." Montreal Gazette "The forlorn beauty of Kashmir ... has never been portrayed so elegantly as in this novel." Montreal Serai "Like the people of India, the country's food varies from region to region, with no simple consensus on how to prepare anything. But in Jaspreet Singh's outstanding debut novel, as the characters learn to understand the origins of their food, they begin to understand each other... Quintessentially Indian, Chef is a book that eschews complex prose in favor of authenticity. Touching in its deft handling of Kip's journey into maturity, Chef helps its readers realize that true understanding comes when you recognize not only how people are alike, but also how they are different." Bookpage "An artful and mostly beautifully poised indictment of the shameful role of India in the political and human-rights hell that is Kashmir now... The great strength of this brave book is its technique of indirection in imparting information to the reader. Singh comes at things aslant, seemingly casually; when their importance is revealed, it comes to the unsuspecting reader with the weight and shock of an unsuspected explosion."N eelMukherjee.com "[A] luminous novel... Jaspreet Singh creates a swirl of sensual allusions, from the herbs and spices of Indian cooking, to the silken allure of women Kip dares not touch, to the withering heat of the subcontinent and the unearthly cold of the Kashmiri peaks. The sensuality adorns without obscuring the solemn core of the story." Boston Globe "Jaspreet Singh's sense of rhythm and his lyricism move the novel fluidly through time. Kirpal's journey is complex and layered like any flavorful dish. Sit back and delight in this delectable story." Sacramento Book Review "Unfortunately, I''ve already finishedChef by Jaspreet Singh...an ideal summer read for anyone who loves to eat and loves to cook, too." Hungry for Paris "The most mesmerizing novel I've read this spring." James Mustich, Barnes & Noble Review "Thought-provoking..., The Forlorn Beauty of Kashmir ... Has Never Been Portrayed So Elegantly ASIN this Novel., Serves up the memories both delicious and bitter... Singh adroitly blends lyrical accounts of Kip's past with sensual renderings of the cold climate and piquant cuisine., Chef Is an Accomplished Début Novel That Portends Even Greater Things from Singh., "The Siachen exists... in a no man's land where India, Pakistan, and China each claim primacy... This is the world in which Kip finds himself in the two interwoven narratives ofChef...[But] he finds his true calling amid the redolent spices of the kitchen... [An] exotic locale and savory backdrop." -New York Times Book Review"[Singh] writes lyrically about that majestic, impossibly beautiful, and quixotic place, wedged between India and Pakistan, and doomed, it seems, to be forever caught up in their ongoing conflict, fueled by centuries-old sectarian violence...The rippling effects of religious and cultural prejudice infuse this whole, complex story, leaving no character in Singh's poetic, thought-provoking tale untouched." -Booklist"The novel serves up the memories both delicious and bitter... Singh adroitly blends lyrical accounts of Kip's past with sensual renderings of the cold climate and piquant cuisine... Recommended alongside other recent powerhouse titles from younger Indian-born writers, such as Manil Suri'sThe Death of Vishnuor Kiran Desai'sThe Inheritance of Loss." -Library Journal"Like the people of India, the country's food varies from region to region, with no simple consensus on how to prepare anything. But in Jaspreet Singh's outstanding debut novel, as the characters learn to understand the origins of their good, they begin to understand each other... Quintessentially Indian,Chefis a book that eschews complex prose in favor of authenticity. Touching in its deft handling of Kip's journey into maturity,Chefhelps its readers realize that true understanding comes when you recognize not only how people are alike, but also how they are different." -Bookpage.com"An artful and mostly beautifully poised indictment of the shameful role of India in the political and human-rights hell that is Kashmir now... The great strength of this brave book is its technique of indirection in imparting information to the reader. Singh comes at things aslant, seemingly casually; when their importance is revealed, it comes to the unsuspecting reader with the weight and shock of an unsuspected explosion." -Neel Mukherjee, Chef is a haunting evocation of the emotional and physical landscapes of war-torn Kashmir. Jaspreet Singh is a very learned, gifted, and sensitive writer., Jaspreet Singh has the soul of a poet and the pen of a novelist. Chef is an intricate, subtle, and beautiful book., Jaspreet Singh's sense of rhythm and his lyricism move the novel fluidly through time. Kirpal's journey is complex and layered like any flavorful dish. Sit back and delight in this delectable story., Unfortunately, I've already finished Chef by Jaspreet Singh...an ideal summer read for anyone who loves to eat and loves to cook, too., Jaspreet Singh's Chef carries the scents of cardamom, ice, and sweat; is written with such a keen sense of rhythm that you can hear the book as you read it; and is placed not only between India and Pakistan but intriguingly between delicate cuisines and crude politics. The novel is transporting--an experience that is not easily laid to rest., Chef is easily one of the best first novels I've read in the past ten years. Singh takes on life as it is, with its lust, its mindless rivalry, its brutality and its redemptive epiphanies that never quite pan out, with an attention to detail that ... is magnified rather than lessened by Singh's exact and tender prose., A kaleidoscopic journey through one of the most beautiful yet besieged areas in the world -- Jaspreet Singh brings out the full poetry and heartbreak of Kashmir.
