Ruth Reichl, the present editor of Gourmet magazine, has the ability to draw people with her easy and friendly writing style. In Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise she writes about the different personas she adopted when she was the New York Times food critic.
To avoid being recognised at top restaurants in New York, so that she wouldn’t get preferential treatment (which would render inaccurate reviews), she often donned different wigs and make-up to conjure different personas. She took inspiration from people she met or saw along the streets and this book about her experiences when she dined as these people.
Reichl must have had a penchant for acting, as she seemed to be able to construct very full and rounded characters. She slips into her roles like the way a chameleon changes its colour. One moment she’s her mother who’s loud and demanding at restaurants (very prima donna-ish), and the next she’s a meek old lady who squeaks and is utterly forgettable, then she’s the hot blonde who sweeps men off their feet with her beauty, or she could be the charming brunette who’s everybody’s darling just ‘cos she’s so nice.
It’s fascinating to read how she describes her transformation not only in outward appearance but also in psyche whenever she puts on a disguise. Reichl’s very personable writing makes the reader feel as if you know her as a friend. One feels she’s accessible and I think that’s an important thing to note when writing a memoir or autobiography.
A recommended read for easy reading. Definitely goes down well with the stomach!