Sweetbitter
 | |
| Author | Stephanie Danler |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | 24 May 2016 |
Sweetbitter is a novel by American author Stephanie Danler, published by Alfred A. Knopf.[1][2][3] It is Danler's first published book. It was written by the author over a seven-year period, and, despite receiving glowing press before its release, received mixed reviews.
The book is based in part on Danler's experience as a waitress in New York City.
History and background
The novel was written while Danler was a waitress at Union Square Cafe and an MFA student at nearby university The New School. Later, while a waitress at Buvette, another restaurant in New York City, she met Peter Gethers, a publisher, and informed him that she had recently finished a book. After Gethers recommended the manuscript to a friend, Danler received a six-figure contract for two novels at Alfred A. Knopf.[4] Danler is one of a cohort of authors to receive large contracts in exchange for multi-book deals.[5] Others include Emma Cline and Imbolo Mbue.
Danler has stated that although she has much in common with Tess, the novel's protagonist, that Tess "quickly became a character, and is in many ways much better and much worse at life than I was at that age" and is not entirely based on her.[1][6] She has also stated that the novel's other two central characters, Jake and Simone, are entirely fictional. Danler has compared writing her first novel to her experiences in the restaurant world.[7]
Plot summary
The novel concerns Tess, a woman who moves from the Ohio to New York City, where she becomes a backwaitress without any other career goals. During her time in the city, Tess enters into a love triangle with two other employees at the restaurant at which she works: Jake, a bartender, and Simone, an older waitress, and learns a great deal about food.
Reception
Several reviews noted the expectations that preceded the book's publication.[3][8] The novel was mostly well received, with some critics noting that the central characters (particularly Jake) were not fully fleshed out and the novel's overall lack of substance.[9] However, others, such as Gabrielle Hamilton, writing for the New York Times praised the novel, saying the "faults of the book are few".
Vanity Fair referred to the novel as a "love letter" to Union Square Cafe.[10]
References
- 1 2 Staff (29 May 2016). "'Sweetbitter' Is A Savory Saga Of Restaurant Life And Love". NPR. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Hamilton, Gabrielle (24 May 2016). "'Sweetbitter,' by Stephanie Danler". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- 1 2 Fallon, Claire (27 May 2016). "The Bottom Line: 'Sweetbitter' By Stephanie Danler". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Alter, Alexandra (31 October 2014). "And Our Fiction Special Tonight Is ... Waitress Is One of Many New Writers With Big Book Deals". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Biedenharn, Isabella (2 May 2016). "Why publishers are betting big on debut novelists". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Lee, Jonathan (24 May 2016). "Is That All There Is?: An Interview with Stephanie Danler". The Paris Review. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Mechling, Lauren (11 May 2016). "Stephanie Danler on Why Book Publishing Is Like Waitressing". Vogue. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Dean, Michelle (8 June 2016). "Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler review – New York City's bright lights dazzle". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Katsev, Libbie (3 July 2016). "'Sweetbitter': A tasty tale of restaurant life, but less than filling". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ↑ Vitale, Julia (23 May 2016). "11 Questions for Sweetbitter Author Stephanie Danler, Union Square Cafe's Most Successful Alumnus". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 17 July 2016.