Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession Audiobook

" I rarely read non-fiction, but it seems that I can handle it when it has to do with food. I liked Cleaving. I liked Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously. The cover of the book says that it's about obsession, so you shouldn't be surprised. Having such a brutally honest record of an unhealthy relationship is fascinating and instructive, and the bits about butchery are fascinating. And I have to like someone who's so fond of Buffy. I will be interested in Julie Powell's next book. "

" While I appreciate Ms. Powell's willingness to share the intimate details of her life and marriage, I found myself hating her self-deprecating manner. Several times throughout the book I felt that all she needed was to get over herself, find a good therapist and a couples therapist and get her life back on track. However, I think she is the type of person that thrives on that kind of drama in her life. I like her writing style and the way she approaches the material, but hope that her next book is more informative and less "self-discovery". "

" sooooo dark and icky. "

" I just couldn't get past how much she whined in this book. "

" Dreary, self-absorbed and drawn out. This book did not appeal to me at all. I could not fathom the character and how she thought, found all the meat references dry, tasteless and overdone (pun intended). I did not read her other book about cooking with Juliet and believe me, I won't now. "

" Shamefully addicting, as if you've been a given a fly on the wall pass to a witness marriage hanging by a thread. Yet, strangely meaningful as you see that marriage, love, and commitment are broad concepts that color outside of the boundaries that society draws. "

" As I was reading, I said something like "She needs an editor and an AA meeting, in that order." I'm standing by that. The parts about learning butchery were interesting, but the drama was ridiculous, and the writing was so bad I almost gave up a couple of chapters in. I'm not quite sorry I read it, but it did leave me feeling grateful I'm not Julie Powell. "

" Disgusting, pathetic excuse of a novel that unabashedly makes a mockery of marriage. I could not wait for this book to come out, as I absolutely LOVED "Julie & Julia", but I HATED this book...it is a disgrace to the publishing world. "

" a bit more TMI than i expected. but i enjoyed the bits about butchery! "

" I was so excited when Julie Powell published another book. I did not like Cleaving very much. It was mean spirited and ugly. TMI and things that she shared with readers would have been best shared with a close friend or therapist. "

" I wish I could give a zero rating. I effing hated this book. "

" The parts about learning to be a butcher were really interesting but I found the narrator to be whiny and I didn't like her very much. "

" I would have given it 1.5 if I could. The parts I liked (butchery, knowing how food gets from farm to table), I REALLY liked. The parts I hated (Julie & Julia meets Eat, Pray, Love with too many Buffy the Vampire Slayer references), I super duper hated. "

" Too horrible to continue reading! "

" Blah. That's really all I got from this book, besides the fact that I now think all butchers are snobby. "

" TMI. Who needs to know what parts of her body her lover (not her husband) prefers? "

" I'd give it 0 if I could. "

" Wow - a much different book than Julie and Julia. I still liked it very much and hope she continues to write. "

" Hated this book. She is so brazen with her adultery and seems unwilling to give up on her lover regardless of how badly she hurts others. Plus, the whole exceptionally descriptive butchering process gave me the willies. "

" What a train wreck! And yet I couldn't put it down "

" glad I wasn't the only one who found the author to be a self-centered jerk. I kept thinking that if she was such a foodie, she couldn't possibly be all bad. But alas, she is. "

" Infidelity disaster porn. I can't believe this book got written, and that I read it. "

" I had to force myself to finish it. "

" Absolutely painful to read -- she is so into herself as a person / author / butcher / cook. I could go on and on about how horrible of a person she is and how poorly she treats other people in her life - but it is not worth my time. "

" Not at all like her 1st book. Dark and moody and I didn't expect that. More of her sex life instead of being a butcher. . . well, I guess she butchered her sex life, marriage and relationships. So, yes, she cleaved. "

" glad I wasn't the only one who found the author to be a self-centered jerk. I kept thinking that if she was such a foodie, she couldn't possibly be all bad. But alas, she is. "

" I have not put down a book halfway through in a long time. In fact, I try to finish whatever I start reading out of principle but this book was so bad, I will not. Awful writing, horrid woman. Blech. "

" I don't usually write any comments on goodreads but this book was so awful that I just had to have it noted. "

" The curse of the second book strikes again. I wish Julie had hied herself to a therapist rather than foisting all her personal issues on the reader. There was way too much information on that front. I did enjoy the meat/food/travel bits. "

" Butchery, adultery, travel, recipes .... an unfocused and self-indulgent book. I couldn't read more than a chapter or two. "