The Dining Car Kindle Edition

The Dining Car” is definitely one of those novels that you’ll remember for a long time and which you’ll keep re-reading; I for one got to know and came to love main characters of this highly compelling novel so much that I felt like I knew them personally and witnessed the events unfold firsthand. Not too many novels do this to you, pull you right in from the very first page and don’t let go even after the last one is turned.“The Dining Car” is a very unusual story told by a young bartender Jack, who, after a renowned food critic and an eccentric journalist, Horace Button, offers him a position on board his personal train car, The Pioneer Mother. And that’s where Jack gets introduced not only to the world of fine dining and quirky whims of his truly extraordinary boss, but also to the kill-or-be-killed world of magazine publishing, intrigues, corrupt politicians and profiteering editors.I absolutely love reading these kinds of “insider” books, which show the reader the world that they’d normally never see and reveal true faces of certain public figures. What I also enjoyed immensely was how the small Pioneer Mother crew – Horace, Jack and Wanda, Horace’s personal chief, – grew on each other and became basically a family by the end of the novel.Horace’s character was absolutely fascinating and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at certain times; despite all his flaws you’ll come to love him, I promise! And as for Jack, I won’t give away any spoilers here, but the way he handled the matters by the end of the novel earned my utmost respect for him.An amazing novel which you certainly don’t want to miss. Beautifully written, interlaced with humor and sarcasm in all the right places, discussing all the sensitive subjects that we’re still facing daily – “The Dining Car” is definitely a must-read. Five huge stars!

I ended up loving this book. The characters,even the minor ones, were very well-rounded , dynamic personalities. The plot was believable and kept my interest. I would recommend it to a friend.

Captivating tale full of great humor and sincere emotional thoughts.An excellent read.A story full of food and wine along with heartfelt warmth

We chose this book to read for our latest offering and all of us were totally delighted with this read. We all agreed that the wines, foods and liquors offered and intricately detailed in the chapters were amazingly spectacular! This is fine dining at its grandest. We all also learned so much about what it takes to ride in a train car and the opulence provided in this venue was a delight to read about. The ending was a happy one that left us all elated and happy we spent the time reading this selection. Well done!

I adored the characters and the insane but charming well scripted lifestyle of each! The political aspect was right on the mark and hilarious at times and emotional at others. It dove deep into the diversified personalities so you feel you know them well, you either loved or disliked them , cheered them on, sympathized with them or rolled on the floor with laughter with their escapades. Horace is a complex, insightful and lovable fellow with a huge colorful personality. I think the story line is for one and all who enjoys stepping out of one's day to day into an enchanting journey!

An interesting premise which held my interest for the duration of the story despite disliking several of the main characters. A wealthy bon vivant (loosely inspired by Lucius Beebe) crisscrosses the States from California to the East Coast in a vintage, luxuriously furnished railway carriage, which allows him to travel in style without having to mingle with the common riff-raff. To cater to his elaborate, self-indulgent whims are a personal chef and a young bartender.I found Horace Button, legendary food and wine writer, to be a disgusting character, whose obscene behaviour is only partly moderated at the very end. Apart from his lamentable world views, he is a horrible human being, treating a talented chef and a broken-down ex star footballer like modern-day slaves. In glaring contrast to his own lavish and capricious lifestyle, these two are forced to work around the clock in their appointed roles, but also in demeaning janitorial cleaning and stocking capacities. And he has the gall to refer to them as “a family” when trying to garner their sympathy! On top of his many character flaws, Horace is an unrepentant alcoholic and pathetic drunk who does not deserve a fraction of the good fortune he enjoys. By a genetic miracle, he manages to stay alive eating for four and taking no exercise.The main themes of gastronomic excellence and luxurious living are little more than painted on. I expected a bit more passion, given the author’s credentials. The salient merit of the story is how thoroughly the experience of travelling by train is described. In my case, it wasn’t all good since it made me feel claustrophobic, and I found the grimy backdrop of railway service areas less than inspiring.At twenty-five Jack Marshall, the narrator, is recovering from a devastating career-ending accident while desperately trying to find a new direction for his life. Pushed by events, he summons hidden talents and an admirable moral core, however, his personality is sacrificed in order to make Horace Button the focus of the book. Wanda, the ultra-loyal chef, is a strong and underused player, but she seems to go bonkers in the last chapter. Jane, the almost-twelve-year-old niece Horace never knew existed, is a very likeable character. Her interactions with her Uncle Horace turn him into a much nicer person in the end.The writing is very good, but there is a lamentable lack of depth in people’s emotions. Even the tangential love story feels gratuitous, and the final resolution is utterly ridiculous. The promising subplot of two broken people with the potential to make each other better is inadequately suggested and ultimately wasted in an off-stage wrapping up that does not square with their previous behaviour. Despite all the positives, the overarching political preaching ruined the story for me. I felt it was unnecessary to the plot and only added a level of irritation and the sense of having been hijacked by a zealot.

I really enjoyed this book and it’s wonderful characters. I can’t wait to start the second book. As a vegetarian, I thought it was fun to read about all the meat courses the characters continually eat. I’d write more, but I have to get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The book awakens your appetite for good stuff... that’s why I always have wine with my sandwich!

I wasn’t sure when I decided to read this, it’s a very different kind of story, but I loved it!