*Confess Your Unpopular Opinion Time*
The Fault in Our Stars was one of those books. The bestseller that was supposedly "just the. greatest. thing. ever." Yes, "EVER." I read it. It wasn't. Disappointment ensued. :(
The bestseller I read was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
A reprint of the book.
Here's a recap for those under rocks: Death. Germany. WWII. Curius young girl. Foster parents. Book thievery (no prizes for connecting those dots). Literacy. War. Death. Sadness. Bittersweet happiness. Crushing wave of sadness. Death.
I heard about it through a forum on Mamamia. I picked it up while abroad. Oh man, having an English book in my hands after a few months engulfed by Chinese symbols. Sweet nectar of the gods.
But, then I reverted to super-daggy-tourist mode and left the book for later. I got major tsundoku, which here means, that excitement of getting a new book, then leaving it lying around. Cool word, hey?
Months later, I did jump that tsundoku hurdle and finished the Zusak stunner.
Okay, this wonderful arrangement of poetry and words, pressed and bound, loved and laboured, DESERVED to be a bestseller. Like Alice and the rabbit-hole, I fell in and was encapsulated by Zusak's characters the most. This book was abstract in many ways; noticeably, it lacked a personified 'antagonist'. Not even Death the narrator, typically portrayed as frigid and vacuous, was defined by his life-reaping ways. There were characters with a nasty streak, sure. Some of the Nazi league children, the sidelined soldiers, their actions were malicious. Although, these characters were just puppets to the ever-present, yet surreptitious, antagonist - the Nazi Germany theme.
It perforated every page, and it sculpted and defined the characters in the book. It was the forceful current which Liesel, Hans, Rosa, Rudy, Max were truly facing. Unlike a tangible character, this theme didn't regress; the school yard bully goes home, the Nazi ideology is unshakeable.
I believe this enabled we, the readers, to puncture each character's psyche. They were all wading in adversity, and this made them raw. Their refusal of the Nazi ideology, rare in their time, elucidates immense courage and strength. Arguably, this prods readers into sympathy, and that deeper literary connection. Zusak has painted the characters to life, and it's exceptional.
As it eventuated though, strength in the mind, but nay in body for the creatures of Himmel Street.
Rudy Steiner, Liesel Meminger and Rosa Hubermann in the film depiction.
I could go on, but I've got sticky date to bake and demolish. I can't stop forcing this book down anyone and everyone's, er, throat (?) Perhaps in front of their eyes is more apt.
The Book Thief also set me up for major disappointment!! Everything I've read this year seems comparatively bland ... like poorly kneaded scone dough! Man, oh, man.
I think I have a book hangover. What about you?
I did manage to sorta-kinda cure it with a dee-lect-able Pear and Almond cake, coated with Passionfruit Glaze. Noms! It's on 134 page of AWW's Bake under 'Fruit Cakes'.
A few things I learned this week:
- Corn syrup is quite a mission to find. A mission I didn't fulfil. I used glucose syrup, which has the same gelatinous-inducing properties. Apparently 'Karo' works well, too. You'll possibly find it in IGAs or the Asian foods section.
- How to make everyone quiet for five minutes. This cake + ice cream.
- Almond meal is bloody extortionate! I'm a student.
Alas, here goes! You'll need:
The Cake
- 4 passionfruit
- 185g butter, chopped (room temperature!!)
- ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups (185g) almond meal
- ¼ cup (35g) plain flour
- 420g pears, halved (it's fate, 420g is the exact weight of tinned pears!)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) passionfruit pulp
- 1/3 cup (80ml) light corn syrup (I used glucose syrup)
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
1. Preheat your oven to around 160C conventional, 140C fan-forced. Line a 22cm springform pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Not fairy-floss-fluffy, more like cake frosting fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time - or you'll end up with a cottage-cheesy looking mixture. See my failure below.
I warned you I had questionable baking skills.
3. Sift the flour in the mixture, then stir in almond meal. PUT AWAY THE BEATERS. You want cake, not rock. Pour it into the prepared springform pan.
PRAISE ME! I lined this springform pan with baking paper to per-fec-tion. I have accomplished such mediocre dreams.
Mix and mess.
4. Top with the pear halves.
The mixture has 1/4 cup flour, relying 1 1/2 cups almond meal for the bulk of the cake. One word: dense. Despite the mixture's high viscosity, the pears (canned!) sunk while in the oven. I think I revealed a bit of primary school creative flair here - look at that stunning flower pattern. Reow.
5. The glaze was a sinch! Stir the ingredients in a saucepan until the caster sugar dissolves, bring it the boil, then turn it down to a simmer 'til it thickens.
Mine took ~ 4mins to get to a winter-sweater consistency ... yes, that's a recognised grade of consistency! Ahem.
I recommend pouring all of the glaze over the cake (once they're both cooled!) if you're going to eat it within two days. The glucose syrup is so thick it doesn't turn the cake soggy. Pinky promise. Plus, it makes for ultra-cool photos with gloss - photoshop free. ;)
Moist. Does that moistness creep you out?! Ha!
Serves one ... Okay, it serves 10-12 if you're feeling generous. Don't skimp on the ice cream.That sugar-free-paleo-fruiteo-weirdo "health plan" can start next Monday...
You can find a slighty-altered similar recipe from Australian Women's Weekly here.
It turned out wonderfully, this dessert. Although, the book-hangover-rebounds I've been reading, not so much.
So, have you read The Book Thief, and what did you think of it?! I think I'll have to give the film a go, and cross my fingers tightly it does the poised and articulated wordsmith-ing justice!
