If art imitates life, it's a wonder that the bulk of book scenes aren't set at diners or dinner tables. Still, a number of classics tie the sensuousness of eating in with their themes of memory (Proust's famous madeleine), anxiety (Holden's birdlike diet in The Catcher in the Rye) and tradition (the family business in Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides).
Paying homage to the role of food in fiction, Dinah Fried began a project for which she photographed meals from classic novels. The result, Fictitious Dishes [Harper Design, $19.99], is a photo album of memorable meals and the text from their accompanying scenes. Fried's photos recreate the mood of the books -- carelessly strewn orange peels and cigarette butts adorn her depiction of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and cucumbers arranged on a dainty plate make up her image for The Bell Jar.
Check out these five meals from classic books, and click here for more fictitious dishes:
Paying homage to the role of food in fiction, Dinah Fried began a project for which she photographed meals from classic novels. The result, Fictitious Dishes [Harper Design, $19.99], is a photo album of memorable meals and the text from their accompanying scenes. Fried's photos recreate the mood of the books -- carelessly strewn orange peels and cigarette butts adorn her depiction of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and cucumbers arranged on a dainty plate make up her image for The Bell Jar.
Check out these five meals from classic books, and click here for more fictitious dishes: