The last 150 pages or so became a little repetitive: Julia was called up to do a tv series or special, then churned out a cookbook of recipes used on said series or special, then did a national book tour to shill said cookbook, and my! wouldn't that be exhausting for someone half her age. What kept it interesting in that home stretch was her personal life, especially how she handled growing older and her beloved Paul's declining health.

Overall, a fantastic book. ( )

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz is a 2012 Knopf publication.

Julia Child, maybe the first wildly successful ‘celebrity’ chefs, has never really gone out of style. Her popularity has waxed and waned, but somehow, over the years she has become a pop culture staple and her life is endlessly fascinating.

That said, despite how liked and respected Julia was, a book with over a thousand pages dedicated to one person, who isn’t a world leader, or something, is perhaps a wee bit overboard.

This book is incredibly comprehensive, but unnecessarily so, for the most part. The approach is one of effusive positivity, portraying Julia in the best possible light, but is obviously researched- though, as with any biography, especially those in which the author hasn’t included many of the subject’s less than flattering aspects, one should always be careful about taking everything at face value. I do believe some of Julia's politics caused backlash the book sort of glossed over.

Beyond those quibbles, Julia’s story is certainly an interesting one. She was a late bloomer in many ways, proving it is never too late to achieve success- as she didn’t hit her stride until she was over fifty. She began with writing cookbooks, which morphed into her wildly popular cooking show on PBS, and eventually became a household name, a celebrity, and even brand.

I enjoyed the new HBO series about her segue into becoming a television chef and understand there will be a second season of the show- If you haven’t seen it, it’s simply delightful and very well acted. This book fills in some of the blanks- such as Julia’s difficult relationship with her father- a right wing conservative who disliked Julia’s more liberal opinions and made no secret he disliked her husband, Paul.

This book also details Julia’s life beyond her days on PBS, her complicated relationship with Simca,(Simone Beck), the French chef who co-wrote many of Julia’s cookbooks, but didn’t enjoy the same celebrity, as well as offering further details of her work during the second world war, which has been slightly over exaggerated, but intriguing all the same.

It’s incredible that Julia is still a top draw, that she became an icon of sorts, and that her life has been the subject of so much scrutiny and imagination.

The people she influenced, the market she pretty much invented, has become a part of our everyday lives now. I think Julia showed everyone, not just women, who were the primary cooks in families during the early sixties, that cooking doesn’t necessarily have to be a chore. It can be a source of, or outlet for creativity, imagination, and pride. It can bring people together, be a source of joy and comfort and I also think Julia, not being afraid to make mistakes, to laugh off her goofs and missteps, gave everyone the confidence to get in the kitchen and try something new and different and to keep at it until you’ve mastered it. She also proved it could be a lucrative career choice as well.

Julia didn’t fit inside any mold and used that to her advantage. We owe a lot to Julia and it’s good to see that her legacy lives on


Overall, even with someone as charismatic as Julia Child- there can be too much of a good thing- and unfortunately, this book is a good example of that.

That said, I found Julia to be an inspiration- although, I didn’t always agree with her approach, her opinions, or decisions. She did indeed live quite a remarkable life, though, and there is no doubt she was a quite a character
. With butter and cream on top!! ( )

Just delightful. Informative, written in a very easy, appealing style. ( )

Thanks to this book, I was able to know more about Julia Child and now regard her as an idol and inspiration for me. Bob Spitz does a great job putting in context Julia's personal life and activities with what was happening in the world at the time. ( )

A comprehensive and entertaining biography of Julia Child, the grand dame of haute cuisine in the US. I learned a lot about her life, cooking, and the joy of an enormous appetite for adventure. It makes me want to try some of her French recipes now. Bon appetit! ( )