Play Audiobook Sample
In the Kitchen Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(2.02) - 941 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Celebrated author Monica Ali was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and was named one of the 20 best young British novelists by Granta. In the Kitchen stars Gabe Lightfoot, an executive chef overseeing an eclectic kitchen staff-and dealing with a dead porter and an intriguing young lady from Belarus. "Fans and new readers alike are sure to embrace this talented novelist, who possesses a wise and original voice."-Booklist, starred review
Download and start listening now!
"Though this novel is less critically acclaimed than Brick Lane, I enjoyed it much more. Though it took me awhile to feel fully immersed in the protagonist's plight, I eventually felt that he was an incredibly round and rewarding character to follow through his highly diverse and complicated life in London. In the end, what troubled me about the book didn't emerge fully formed until I got to the final page and looked, quizzically, at the long list of acknowledged sources that informed Ali's writing. Looking at this list made me realize just how packed with detail that felt researched but not quite realistic this novel was. These research laden sections, ultimately, bogged down the more human elements of the plot, which were by far more compelling."
— Elizabeth (4 out of 5 stars)
In the Kitchen Listener Reviews
-
" This book was okay. Skipped ALOT of parts (cooking, menus, etc). Just okay. "
— Tess, 2/5/2014 -
" unsettling, depressing and ultimately pointless. "It was all a bad dream" "
— Miranda, 1/22/2014 -
" An uneasy mix of kitchen culture, mental health, class and race. I admired what she was trying to do without actually enjoying the book much. "
— Lauren, 1/8/2014 -
" Meh. Disappointing and weird and I hated the main character, though I was probably supposed to. There were nice little turns of phrase here and there in this novel, but they couldn't stand up to the muck that was the story. "
— Brenna, 12/19/2013 -
" starts well, deteriorates thereafter "
— Ben, 12/17/2013 -
" Not as good as Brick Lane, but still an interesting look at immigrant life in London. "
— Kelly, 12/15/2013 -
" I liked this book, although it took a while to like the characters enough to want to stay with it. I put it down a few times, but was ultimately really glad I finished it. I'm a sucker for tales of redemption. "
— Zignorp, 11/23/2013 -
" I want to see what happens in this book, but Ali goes off on too many tangents. This book just needed an aggressive editor to change it from okay to great. Great subject, but the protagonist's dreams and many of his stream of conciousness moments could have been edited out. "
— Diane, 11/18/2013 -
" I enjoyed Brick Lane much more than this book. Disappointed in it and can't recommend. Usually pass books on to others. This one going to the library book sale. Dragged on a bit and I never really cared about the characters. Ms. Ali writes well but there was something lacking in this. "
— Inga, 11/12/2013 -
" It was okay - but not a favorite of mine. Needed editing. I got bored with Gabe, his kitchen, his family, his problems, his self-absorption. "
— Trudi, 10/1/2013 -
" Disturbing, enthralling, aggravating, work of fiction. Gabe is one of the most complicated heroes that I've encountered in a long time. Monica Ali is an amazing storyteller. "
— Marlene, 1/8/2013 -
" A most painfully dull read. I see the point Ali is trying to make about undocumented workers etc, but she has chosen whiny, annoying unlikeable characters to tell her story. Another bomb! "
— Ruthie, 12/29/2012 -
" i don't know what i thought this book was going to be, but this definitely wasn't it. what it ended up being, however, was quite good, although the end left me a bit clammy. "
— kenny, 6/17/2012 -
" I liked this book best when it was focused on the protagonist's plans to open his own restaurant, and disliked how it got bogged down in other plotlines. Still, Ali is a talented writer, so even a meandering plot is stylishly rendered. "
— Landismom, 5/6/2012 -
" Can't think of much I liked about this novel. I did get an insight into illegal immigrants and restaurant kitchen work. But not one character was at all endearing, only dark. Not for me. "
— Terry, 11/14/2011 -
" I liked this book, although it took a while to like the characters enough to want to stay with it. I put it down a few times, but was ultimately really glad I finished it. I'm a sucker for tales of redemption. "
— Zignorp, 5/19/2011 -
" Can't think of much I liked about this novel. I did get an insight into illegal immigrants and restaurant kitchen work. But not one character was at all endearing, only dark. Not for me. "
— Terry, 5/12/2011 -
" Although there were some interesting ideas, the depression of the protagonist and his self-destructive behaviors were too tedious for me. "
— Jackie, 5/9/2011 -
" Bought this as I enjoyed Brick Lane. Fabulous read, was hooked right from the beginning. Read over the Easter holidays. "
— Anna, 5/4/2011 -
" Strange tale of chef having a breakdown, set against side plots of the death of his father, the end of an affair,and people trafficking. "
— Martin, 1/20/2011 -
" Enjoyed this book because it takes place in England in the cooking and immigrant world there. "
— Alex, 12/18/2010
About Monica Ali
Monica Ali was named one of the 20 best young British novelists under 40 by Granta. She is the author of five novels, including Brick Lane, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Guardian Book Prize, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was named a winner of the 2003 Discover Award for Fiction and a New York Times Editors’ Choice that same year. She was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and grew up in England. She lives in London with her husband and two children.
About Jill Tanner
Jill Tanner was a principal actress with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival for eight years and has appeared in many classical and new American plays. She has been in productions on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in most major theaters in the United States.