Gourmet

Author: Lu Wen Fu Publisher: Dar Kalimat for Publishing and Distribution Number of pages: 200 Genre: Short stories and novels *** After reading the novel "The Gourmet," you may view food differently, because above all else, it presents food not just as "eating," but as a hero among three in the novel, they: the gluttonous lover of food, the revolutionary who sees greed as shameful in socialist society, and the food that forms the stage of the events of the novel, and at the same time reveals the transformations of modern times in Chinese society, starting from the famous city of Suzhou with its foods and restaurants where the events of the novel take place. The novel "The Gourmet" is considered the most important work of the Chinese writer Lu Wen Fu, and it was first published in 1983 in the first issue of the magazine "Al-Hasad." The author, who worked as a journalist for several years, opened the old Suzhou Daraga restaurant to serve traditional Suzhou dishes, taking the restaurant as a means to realize his ideal idea of good food. He was known in the Chinese literary circles for his work in restaurant businesses. The novel — although it revolves around food — provides a comprehensive picture of the transformations China experienced in the twentieth century. This book is an updated version of the Arabic translation of the novel "Al-Dhawafa," which was first published in 2016 as part of the series of awards issued by the General Authority for Books in Egypt. Although this novel is literary, it is deep and rich with foods and relationships connected to culture, society, humans, life, and taste.