Anthony Bourdain has a rich personality that is mirrored in
his writing and TV show. His spirit is captured so well in the show, and his
honesty in the book reinforces my respect for the guy. I absolutely adore how
Bourdain is so well received by the cultures he immerses himself into. Of
course, the camera crew, publicity, and celebrity of the situation add to his
reception, still the guy is damn charming. I really enjoyed his piece on Tokyo,
and watched the subsequent episode to be able to compare the two.
As I began to watch, I couldn’t help but smile at the
parallels between the book and show. It was almost if the words were put into
animation, and my imagination and reality collided. I usually find that the
opposite often happens to me with books turned movies. Your expectations
challenge those of another’s vision, with often a poor outcome. (“The book was
soooo much better.” “OhMyGawd, they left out all the good details.”) To be
honest, my expectations were on the same plane as what was actually shown. I
enjoyed Bourdain in the book, and the show only enhanced that.
There is no doubt that the translation from experience to
print is masterful. However, I could make one distinction that would be quite
impossible for him to describe in his book. One of the main differences I did
notice from the two was the spectrum of emotion and uncertainty I saw from him.
In print, he can describe his hesitations, yet it can’t compare to the raw
footage. For example, at the fish market Bourdain’s words flow with certainty.
He has had the time to reflect on his experience, and therefore has more
confidence in his words.
“All that unbelievable bounty, spread across acres and acres
of concrete, wriggling and spitting from tanks, laid out in brightly colored
rows, carefully arranged like dominoes in boxes, skittering and clawing from
under piles of crushed ice, jockeyed around on fast-moving carts, the smell of
limitless possibilities, countless sensual pleasures – I am inadequate to the
task of saying more” (140).
His feelings are sure footed; he can give exact descriptions
of the setting and the happenings that are playing out before him. Watching the
footage, I see a slightly different man. One in awe, questioning things and
absorbing all that is happening around him. That isn’t to say he doesn’t have a
grip on things. He does mention that the chef gave him a lot of self-assurance
in the market. Yet, watching the man I see a kid in a candy store.
As much as I enjoy Bourdain for his badass approach to life and
his competence as a chef, I his passion for cooking was more attractive. He is
so eager to learn and enjoy experiences that might make others uncomfortable. I
used to be really uneasy at these situations as well, preferring a vanilla
life. However, I’ve come to appreciate the value of exploration outside of the
daily norms. In my opinion, I believe Bourdain captures a different kind of
American spirit, one of expectance and drive.
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteI so agree! I was a pretty "negative Nancy" in my post about Bourdain, but you're right. The show does seem to enhance the book! There were a few parts of the episode in France that weren't in the book, and I loved all of the additions. His narrations were especially lovely. Bourdain's passion for cooking, I agree, is the most attractive part of his personality.
Hey Katherine,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your last paragraph. I agree. The American spirit is one of drive; of ambition and willingness to dare. We're a country that was built by colonists, explorers, and pioneers who only had themselves to depend on the frontier.
I also like how his funny, sarcastic tone is both captured on TV as well as on print. That reading his book was as vivid and revealing as a camera's lens. But we get more of thoughts on print, about his thoughts on having a TV crew, and of course when he disses TV chefs and the Food Network.
Thanks for sharing.