| Title | : | The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone: The Secret Ingredient of Unforgettable Food Is Suffering |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1476730431 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781476730431 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published March 1, 2013 |
Killian Lone comes from a long line of gifted cooks stretching back to the 17th century, and he yearns to become a famous chef himself. When he starts an apprenticeship under Max Mann, the most famous chef in London, he looks set to continue the family tradition. But the reality of kitchen life is brutal. Even his fellow apprentice, Kathryn, who shows Killian uncharacteristic kindness, can’t stop him being sucked into the vicious and debauched world of 1980s fine dining; and gradually he is forced to surrender his dream.
Then he discovers a dark family secret – the legacy of an ancestor who was burnt as a witch for creating food so delicious it was said to turn all who tasted it mad. Killian knows he can use this secret to achieve his ambitions and maybe, finally, to win Kathryn's affections. But is he willing to pay the price?
The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone: The Secret Ingredient of Unforgettable Food Is Suffering Reviews
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That is an amazing book title! It is an excellent book too. It tells the story of a talented young cook who is determined to become a successful and famous chef.
As a cookery student, he is given a work-placement in the restaurant of a celebrity chef who is his idol. It is not what he expected and he moves into a world of bullying and real cruelty.
It does not dim his ambition though and the boy has access to a special ingredient that can make a meal very special indeed. I think I should mention here that he comes from a family who may have had witches amongst their ancestors!
A great narrative with convincing characters full of humour and horror. Also prepare to be disgusted! Next time you sit down for a meal in a restaurant, just hope that Killian Lone isn’t in the kitchen! -
A tale of abuse, obsession and witchcraft.
This is a story about Killian Lone and his obsession with becoming a chef, but also intertwined with that is his abusive mother, loving aunt and then some supernatural elements that are never fully explained.
Well written, with the kitchen scenes especially inducing feelings of claustrophobia and almost panic in the reader.
Gripping, tense and incredibly sad. -
Wow that was a dark, horrifying read. Very interesting story and I enjoyed the style but really hard to read certain parts.
If bullying, physical and mental abuse, self mutilation, or rape, are triggers for you avoid this book like the plague. -
I dithered over this book for a long, long time. It looked very dark, very masculine, and yet the prospect of a story of food and witchcraft set in the nineteen eighties was enticing. So I said yes.
Killian Lone grew up in a troubled home, he was bullied at school, but he had a wonderful talent. He could cook. And he was fortunate to have an aunt who nurtured that talent, who encouraged him to pursue his dreams, and who left him her home so that he could get away from his.
It was then that Killian learned that he came from a line of gifted cooks stretching back to the 16th century. And that the first cook in that line had been burnt as a witch …
Killian’s idol was Max Martin. He was the superstar chef, the public face of the oh so fashionable London Restaurant, King. And he was loved, known to the word as the gentleman chef.
But when Killian secured in a coveted apprenticeship at King he found that things were rather different behind the scenes. That his hero was a despot who would sacrifice anything, anybody in his quest for perfection.
Some would crumble under the pressure. Many did. But Killian had uncovered the family secret and it gave him the means to fight back.
But the family secret had been buried for very good reasons, and there were strange and unexpected consequences to Killian’s actions.
At first Killian’s story felt like a game of snakes and ladders. He would move steadily forward, but every time something went his way there would be something. or more often someone, to push him back down.
It was very readable, it was clearly very well researched, and it had much to say about ambition, power and the darker side of human nature. There was much that was uncomfortable to read, but the kitchen scenes had a horrible ring of truth.
The first half of the book worked well, and I willed Killian on. The second half less so. Killian changed. I know people do. I know that power corrupts. I know about cycles of abuse. But this seemed a little sudden, and I felt a little lost with no one to follow.
I would have liked a little more witchcraft – that side of the story was a little underplayed, almost just a device to make the plot work – but I was very taken with the portrayal of life in a high-end kitchen.
I was impressed too that The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone worked on two levels. You could read it simply as a great page-turner or you could read it as a bigger story about ambition, power and greed. A modern fable if you like.
But you shouldn’t so what I did. This is not a book to read in your lunch breaks; it’s very graphic in places. Not gratuitous, but there are thing that might happen in kitchens that I would really rather not think about.
Once I picked up The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone I was always going to read to the end. It wasn’t quite the right book for me, but I’m inclined to think that it would be a great book for the right reader. -
An unusual tale of ambition, greed and love.
Killian Lone kinda lives up to his name, in the sense that he is a loner. Bullied at school and home the only place of sanctuary is with his Aunt Dorothy in her beloved kitchen at Dor cottage, where throughout his childhood she has taught him to love the art of creating tantalising methods with all manner of ingredients. His Hero Max, a Michelin starred chef, can do no wrong and it's Killian's greatest wish to not only meet him but to work in his kitchen.
With the aid of his college lecturer, Killian's determination seems to be starting to pay off but then the world he has known of safety and strength dissolves around him. Truth becomes the future and Killian becomes The Best. Though at what cost?
Brilliantly observed notes from the culinary world bring this enticing mix of magic and commitment strumming into life. I was reminded of Laura esquivel's "Like Water for Chocolate" and lapped up every ounce of desire and desperation that exudes from the pages.
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I was really fascinated by the main character from the start. He's not a typical hero with physical greatness or generous kindness. He couldn't even relate to a human. He dealt with a lot of mental issues; he had a noble purpose but the way he achieved it, I guess, due to his mental issues, was almost like selling his soul to the devil. He had no 'sidekick' who he really trusted enough with his secrets. Therefore, his character development was inevitable.
Read the rest of the review on my blog
https://sidetrackedreview.wordpress.c... -
This was a weird but magical book
You follow Killian who wants to become a world famous chef. It deals with abuse, mental illness, selfharm and suicide
This all does make a real impact because of the lyrical and fairytale like writing style
You see the main character changing from innocent boy to a more mature and driven man
and in this story it looks at what you can loose when having such a powerful dream
and it really makes you question who was the actual villain in this story
This was definitely a surprise and I think more people need to read it
4.5 stars -
A tale of abuse, obsession and witchcraft.
This is a story about Killian Lone and his obsession with becoming a chef, but also intertwined with that is his abusive mother, loving aunt and then some supernatural elements that are never fully explained.
Well written, with the kitchen scenes especially inducing feelings of claustrophobia and almost panic in the reader.
Gripping, tense and incredibly sad.
Grace -
TW:
Bizarre, gruesome, and provocative. This cautionary tale toys relentlessly with a cast of mostly unlikeable characters, engaging and dismissing your sympathies at the drop of a chef's hat. For the most part, it's dark and ugly in all the right places. The trouble is that sometimes it's shocking for the sake of it—and when everything is extreme, nothing is. -
What an interesting story of an antihero whose hubris and narcissism lead a wild cautionary tale. Set in the world of 1980s London fine dining, "The Hunger" is disturbing, engaging, and sensual. There is a blunt physicality in the prose and in the story, set well within the body and all of its senses and functions. I love this book for its ambition, but I hate it for its ridiculous portrayal of its one female character, whose voice is overwhelmed by a male author's perception of how love apparently affects women's behavior.
Also, he writes "Dr Who" instead of "Doctor Who". Unfreakingbelievable. -
My true rating is 3 and 1/2 stars. I did quite enjoy this book. Extraordinarily infuriating and tough to read at times. I felt like the ending fell flat somehow, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Either way, a different novel from a lot of what I've read and one I think is worth checking out.
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3.5
Argh! This is so frustrating! Why didn't it go FURTHER. The whole book is about excess- why stop in the middle??? Why not take it all the way into the sumptuous and grotesque? What a missed opportunity. -
Killian is a compelling central character - at the centre of this novel that mixes the gritty real world with the fantastical.
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It makes you appreciate all the hard working chefs that miss family/home time to better their career.
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This review is from a free copy provided for an honest review.
When my dad was teaching me about literature back in high school, one of the questions that always came up was, "What did ____ symbolize?" And I never knew. For some reason, even when it's explained, symbolism is one of the least appealing things about reading.
I think the flies in The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone meant something. I won't embarrass myself or the author by guessing what it is.
The author, Will Storr, certainly does a good job painting a vivid picture with words. Unfortunately, the subject fluctuated between masochism (specifically self-harm) and ... uh... descriptions of bodily fluids (so realistic, it'll make you taste... anyway...)
The story begins with the birth of our so-called protagonist. He grows up in an abusive home, but his aunt teaches him to cook. Cooking becomes Killian's passion. Goes to school, idolizes the famous chefs, all that stuff. He's edgy, learns how to stand up for himself. Brilliant at what he does. So far, so good.
Killian gets the opportunity to apprentice under his ultimate chef idol. Now, I've never worked in a kitchen (or anywhere in the food industry -- although being a haircut apprentice has made me a FANTASTIC BARISTA), and after reading this book, I don't even want to eat in a restaurant again, let alone work in one. Physical and emotional abuse is common in this story (including, but not limited to the literal eating of shit).
Killian is finally recognized for the genius he is and gets a job in a new restaurant, where he soars (with the help of some magical herbs he finds on his property, which makes people go totally nuts and want to have sex when they eat it). Instead of having the least bit of humility or even common sense, he becomes an entitled little shit, yet still somehow manages to keep a girlfriend.
Without giving away the ending, let's just say all this backfires.
The author is a good writer. This story mostly kept me interested, too. But the title character was just too much of an asshole for me to want to root for or spend my subway rides with him. -
Storr is a spectacular writer, and I was riveted, but there were a few disgusting details that stayed with me and marred my enjoyment of this novel a bit.
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Enjoyed it - an interesting portrayal of a career in restaurant kitchens. There are number of character/plotlines that are left unattended as the novel progresses, which is a shame as I think some of those would have added to it overall (his mother, for example.)
3 1/2 stars. -
Suffering-that's mainly what comprises the main course of The Hunger and the Howling...but the characters were such vivid creatures that one doesn't mind the pains that they endure so much as one wishes to learn more about what makes them react the way they do. Will Storr does an amazing job of pulling the reader into the story-the descriptions of the ancient books in the Dor cottage attic are superb. The book is also rife with symbolism-whether it's Killian as comparing himself to a spitdog, or the flies-which play off of the other arachnid, insectoid like characters. Then there's Max Mann-the villain at the epicenter of the story-a sort of metaphysical play on words-Mann-and Killian is a dog-fighting to achieve equality against the backdrop of an ancient evil-which manifests itself in the form of ominous flies. When Killian swallows the fly, he is embracing that evil and making it his own. The Devil plays a side role in this story, one which Killian is always butting heads with-he cannot seem to succeed by his own culinary talent alone and attempts to "sell his soul" to the Devil. The main fascination about the story lies in the fact of the shock value, some of the most vulgar scenes are described, however in the end, all that matters rests in the ultimate tragic outcome. A modern-day fairy tale of food, and above all, redemption. Highly recommended.
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Excellent book - very well written, quirky and a real page-turner. From the first page I was drawn deeply into the story with it's multi-sensory descriptions, the contrasting story worlds of Dor and King and the amazing cast of characters, so well created. I desperately wanted Killian Lone to succeed in ambition and love and it felt like I was on his journey with him every step of the way as he faced his external enemies and internal demons. His character arc was fascinating to witness.
The plot is also muti-dimensional. I'm a real foodie so I could immerse myself in Killian's world as he cooked in the heat and the chaos of the restaurant kitchens. Yet I could also imagine his cottage in Dor and the feelings it stirred within him of his ancestral past and of his beloved Aunty. The two worlds colliding with the magical element was fun and creative and made the story.
There were a couple of scenes which I felt pushed the story a little bit too far into the 'far-fetched' realm where I lost sympathy for Killian but the author swiftly pulled me back into empathy mode and I was once again routing for Kill to succeed. I also didn't really get the 'flies' element but they served a purpose to repulse me which again was a nice contrast to the delicious food being described.
Overall, a very enjoyable read. -
"The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone" is a book I strolled past at the public library recently. I picked it up to read the jacket, and thought, "OK, the premise is a bit corny." But, there was something about it that interested me.
The gist is this: Killian Lone is a victim, both of crazy, weird, disgusting child abuse by his social worker of a mother and bullying by classmates and coworkers. He develops into a self-hurting machine. His only solace is cooking with his sweet aunt. His aunt tells him these stories about a family history that is disturbing. He only half listens, but always, in the back of everything is a heaviness over the aunt's house and bits of images of one ancestor in particular who was burned at the stake as a witch when people rumored that she cooked dishes that would drive men insane.
Killian sets about trying to prove that he can succeed at becoming a well-known chef, but the road to success is brutal. It seems that using his ancestors to finally give himself an advantage has some unexpected side effects.
At times disgusting, and at times intriguing, this tale is one of heartbreaking ambition, and the dark side of cooking world. -
This was a really creepy book, but I'm giving it 3 stars because it was an interesting book and not easily typed. The main character, Killian, is unloved by his parents and abused by his mother, a social worker. He has one mentor in his life, his aunt Dorothy, who is an amazing cook, so for him, food means love. He is only fit to become a chef. Unfortunately, the synonym for "chef," at least in this book, is apparently "sadist." Much of the book consists of descriptions of various kinds of torture Killian endures, first at the hands of schoolyard bullies, and second at the hands of the chefs in his prestigious cooking school. Emotional torture and physical torture abound. I don't know how anybody could get good cooking done really in that atmosphere. Whereas Like Water for Chocolate equated preparing food with love, this book equates learning how to prepare food with hate and sadistic abuse. Killian reacts to the torture in his own unique way, turning the tables on his former bosses. Then he is faced with his own moral turpitude and must choose between success and conscience.
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I enjoyed some parts of it but I wouldn't recommend this book nor would I read it again. It is the story of a young aspiring chef who suffers abuse at his mother's hands and later at the famous kitchen his idol works in, putting up with the most horrid of treatments imaginable, but then grabs himself a good managerial type position in another, newly opened restaurant.
He can only manage to move from his mother's clutch via his late aunt's generous inheritance which involves a garden concealing strange, magical herbs which will help send Killian towards a dark place.
I didn't read the end as I'd had enough of this story but I don't regret reading it so I guess it's okay. -
I absolutely loved this book. I have worked in Kitchens. I enjoy a Mystical or Gothic feel in a narrative. I adore full and rich language. The whole thing was just perfect for me.
A couple of people have very negatively rated this book which is odd as they claim to have not even finished reading it. I always finish a book, I feel I owe the author that much. I wouldn't look at only half a painting and then review it or half of a film or tv. show. That is not my way. I didn't need to press on with this book though as it was a page turner. I am not normally one to re:read books but I could definitely see my self re:reading this one. -
It started fantastically. It felt it would enthral you with a tale of humble beginnings, a path of redemption with a sordid criminal twist.
It delivered a heavy, clumsy badly ended tale of a teenager crying it's not fair. The characters became cruel and one dimensional. And I was really having to work to get through to the end as I felt I would have been perfect happy to walk away half way through and never meet the character of Killian Lone again nor care what happened to him.
Disappointed -
Take a damaged young man, simmer him in a Michelin starred restaurant kitchen, add a celebrity chef and a woman worth fighting for and season with a touch of magic.
These are the ingredients of this fantastic novel. If I was to compare it to anything, I'd say it was like a darker Neil Gaiman. Try it, and see if you agree (the last time I looked it was pence on kindle - a veritable bargain).
Without a doubt this will be one of my books of the year. -
The acknowledgements at the end of this book says the kitchen scenes are based on actual chefs and apprentices. It must have been a brutal business in London in the 80's. An aspiring chef, Killian begins working for famous chef Max. This story of greed, ambition, and love has its moments. Secrets and rare herbs are main ingredients to this cooks tale.
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It starts off brilliantly and I wanted to like it more, but then an almost fantastical element comes into play that undercut the story more than anything else.
Has some real merit but left me a bit cold. Everything through the apprenticeship at the world's cruelest restaurant was aces. -
This was not a horror book in the traditional sense--more a man caught in a situation where he thought he only had one path and that was not a good one. Overall, an interesting read. I'll probably look for more from the author in the future.
