A gorgeous shock to the senses

Politics, sex, food and total selfishness rule the book, as Ava finds herself in an apocalyptic rich man’s enclave as the rich seek to keep hold of the past while plotting a disturbing future.

Ava is hired as a chef tasked with seducing investors by feeding them on foods that are near or past extinction in the real world, but which are accessible for the highest prices. But she gets much more than she bargained for, in many ways.

The tone of the book is dreamlike and direct, masquerading as confession but revealing more about appetite and motivations as it goes on.

Beautiful compelling language and a lot of ground covered, it’s a book to luxuriate in but that will also turn your stomach.

I'm not a fan of what I'd describe as a "stream of consciousness" style of writing. It leads me to skip paragraphs waiting for the author to get to the point. But one can't deny this book is beautifully written. As plots go, it's the opposite of a page turner thriller, more of a slow burner about politics, greed, and sex set in a dystopian world, with a fair bit of food thrown in. The concluding chapters bring the book to a very rapid end, considering not much happens in some parts of the book.

In conclusion, I would say the book is more art than plain book, as it does evoke feelings at a base level. I didn't necessarily enjoy reading it, but in saying that, I remember everything from start to finish, which tells me it made an impression on me. I can also appreciate how cleverly it's written and I'd imagine the author will win awards galore.

What a gorgeous book this is. C Pam Zhang’s new novel is an absolutely extraordinary piece of work: so well-formed, so luxuriously detailed, such sensuously descriptive prose. On the surface this is post-apocalyptic speculative fiction at its best: this world’s life-changing event was the ‘smog’, a choking cloud of poison that emerged from the American midwest, wiping out crops, destroying ecosystems, closing the US’s borders and threatening the entire planet, completely reshaping humanity’s existence. Stuck in London, unable to get back to her home in America and fresh out of options, a young Chinese-American chef takes a new post in the Italian mountains, cooking for an inscrutable ultra-high-net-worth individual. His life’s work is the stronghold that he and his daughter have built, a high-tech fortress-like colony out of reach of the starving, increasingly desperate population who still exist far below. Upon arrival our chef relinquishes all contact with the outside world, but is given access to long-lost foodstuffs and exotic ingredients, courtesy of the mysterious daughter’s subterranean laboratories that honeycomb deep into the mountain, reviving extinct species and perfecting their genetics. Increasingly elaborate dinners are ordered by her employer to entertain his investors and other inhabitants of the colony, serving up the rarest of meats and money-can’t-buy tasting menu experiences to garner funds for research and safeguard the future of the community. Zhang’s food writing is exquisite: the descriptions of the courses served and the poetic way she conveys tastes and scents will linger on your palate, making you hunger for the impossible dishes that the chef creates. As the situation outside the stronghold becomes more desperate and the community becomes even more isolated, these evenings become more elaborate, the stakes get higher and the chef’s boundaries are tested to their limits – but can anyone put a price on survival? A bewilderingly brilliant and unforgettable novel about desire, pleasure, the subtle difference between hunger and want, and what one truly needs to survive.

Featured in the August issue of Cambridge Edition magazine

Whilst I started off really enjoying this novel, with its beautiful writing, gorgeous descriptions of food and interesting premise, unfortunately I soon started to lose interest. The writing became overly convoluted for me and slightly confusing, the story started to become slightly dull and the descriptions of food that I first loved started to become repetitive. Also the author was trying to explore so many serious themes that they started to conflict with each other, and ended up becoming lost and superficial. I think Zhang has the potential to be a great writer and I'm still intrigued to read How Much of These Hills is Gold, which I've had on my shelf for a while, but I'm hoping to enjoy it more than this read which ultimately unfortunately left me slightly disappointed.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC

This was an odd book, and not always in a good way. I enjoyed the beginning and the idea of escaping the smog and the decadence of those living in the land of milk and honey. After that though I found myself gradually losing interest in the characters and their world.
I also found the use of italics for speech quite off-putting, and still haven't worked out why there were so many spaces just filled with horizontal lines - waiting for a name or different language?
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

A beautifully written book about a climate crisis and what the world would become, told from the point of view of a chef that is hired to work for a rich man. You'll be drooling while you read. I really loved this book, and C Pam Zhang's "How much of these hills is gold" has been raised to the top of my TBR now.
A bit of a warning: highly unlikeable characters in this story. Still worth it to me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A haunting yet hopeful look at what might happen when the climate crisis overtakes us. I loved How Much Of These Hills Is Gold but this is something else. Absolutely stunning.

Unusual, original, poetic, haunting commentary on the future of the world. I wont forget this one. As the end of the world appears to be approaching, a young chef is hired to cook for an exclusive colony high up in the Italian alps. Her role is to delight the palate, with access to the most prized, elusive ingredients remaining in the world. But there is so much hidden beneath the shiny surface.

The style is quite poetic and lyrical. Its beautifully written. But this also sometimes makes the story unclear, as if this was translated from another language. I loved the inventiveness of both the story and the world it is set in, a world that is suffering under the climate change. And I loved how we see the impact on different people, their responses, their attitudes. Its a great reflection of the privileged. The story is as much about the world, as the journey of the chef, and the author captures this really well. Rich characters, rich setting, sumptuous platters of food and an unpredictable plot. I found this quite fascinating on so many levels.

A strange story line, based on what could happen in society to protect some during the effects of climate change..I can’t say that I completely engaged with the story line and I skimmed over some of the writing as it became a little fanciful.

I had high hopes for this read but just wasn't impress. Maybe it went over my head. I would still recommend for fans of that authors to make their own opinions.

Amidst a shroud of smog that engulfs the world, a dire fate befalls food crops, plunging humanity into a crisis of sustenance. Escaping the stifling gloom of London, a talented chef embarks on a journey of reinvention, seeking solace in a luxurious mountaintop enclave that appears to stand apart from the world's woes. Here, an enigmatic proprietor and his visionary daughter have orchestrated an oasis for the global elite, a paradise that rekindles the chef's dormant senses, awakening her to the exquisite realms of taste, touch, and self-discovery.

Within this realm of enigmatic marvels and alluring danger, the chef's boundaries begin to dissolve, undergoing an electrifying erosion that propels her to the centre of a daring endeavour aimed at reshaping the very fabric of the world, extending far beyond the confines of a mere plate.

Exuding sensuous allure and punctuated with unexpected revelations, Land of Milk and Honey navigates the terrain of pleasure and passion, skillfully exploring the complex dance of desire and yearning. Infused with captivating prose and a sharp narrative edge, the novel delves into the intricate interplay of food, intimacy, and human nature.

Amid the backdrop of a world veering toward dystopian horizons, the novel's resonance feels apt given the present state of affairs. Its well-crafted prose and enthralling plotline held me captive, and I found myself fully engaged with its compelling characters.

However, there is room for improvement in the eBook's user-friendliness. The inclusion of navigational links to the chapters, a refinement of word spacing to ensure seamless readability and an appealing cover design would undoubtedly elevate the eBook's presentation from its current document-like appearance to a more immersive and inviting form, befitting the essence of a true literary work. In light of these considerations, a minor deduction from my assessment is warranted.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Sorry to say I found this book challenging to read in multiple ways. The storyline intrigued me to begin with but I found it so slow in the beginning and the use of italics throughout I found it difficult to know when it was supposed to be talk chat or thoughts of people that they belonged to. I think it could become a good book if it was revamped.

Great story in theory but in practice it was not a book for me.

Thank you for letting me read something different Netgalley.

Told in sensuous poetic language, the land of milk and honey, all encompasses you in a tale of a young chef leaving London to take employment in the mountains of the French Italian border. All at once the story weaves your imagination on a evocative journey of gastronomy in a future where driven out by smog the horizon looks bleak. Whereas in the mountains a business thriving and money no question for her employer, the strict rules of her stay on one side but unobjectable freedom of the theatre of her cooking, test her to her limits. Easily 5 stars for pure poetic language of this novel

I tried, but I just couldn't get into the book. The premise of the story was fascinating, but the meandering beginning left me struggling to read on. The author's stylistic choice about putting dialogue in italics didn't help with ease of reading. Perhaps I've been reading too many YA novels, but italics always imply thoughts to me, and I couldn't quite get my head around the fact that they were people talking to each other. Not enamoured of the writing—too "heavy".

(Review copy from NetGalley)

A beautifully written and thought provoking story. This author is fast becoming a favourite. If I'm honest I didn't enjoy it as much as I did her first book but maybe that was because I wasn't fully in the mood for a dystopian novel. I really enjoy the way she tells a story and the writing is almost poetic. One I will read again and likely get more out of it. A Booker longlist at least for sure

What an extraordinary book this is, it’s an accomplished feet of poetry and storytelling I loved it
The story is set in the world of Climate disaster where right at the start an American cook stuck in uk seeks a way out of her predicament. She Takes a job as a chef in a unextraordinary compound run by a man and his daughter who, through genetic engineering, are attempting to prevent animals from becoming extinct. The excesses of the world as seen through the eyes of the greedy consumerism of the people living in this mountain country. The comparison of the lovers of rich French cuisine, and of eating unusual Bush meat shows clear parallels between the way we miss treat our planet. The comparison is cleverly and subtly done. You start to really hate the inhabitants of this mountain kingdom.
The author has a very unique writing style, darkly, poetic and evocative .
The micro flashforwards are very clever hinting of a world after the end of the world scenario where the majority of the book is set
I love the end, I hadn’t really predicted that the story would end in this way. Particularly at the very end, the list of the joys in the old narrators life was so six synced and perfectly describes, they brought tears to my eyes
There has come the time that every literary author is writing his or her Climate Change novel, and this is quite remarkable one. Probably the best I’ve read so far.
I read an early copy of the book on NetGalley, UK. Published in the UK on the 20th of September 2023 by Random House UK Cornerstone.

This review will appear on on Goodreads, NetGalley, UK, and my book blog bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com

Land of Milk and Honey is a beautifully written dystopian short fiction story. This is interesting and engaging with a whole host of ethical concepts, concerns and blurred lines leading to a lot of thought and the book sticking with you. I did find this to be an incredibly difficult, uncomfortable and though-provoking read with it being set in the near-future and so much like reality and the extravagant excesses of the rich vs poor. Although at times I did struggle with the almost clinically code tone of the book I did enjoy this and would recommend to dystopian lovers.

I really enjoyed this book. Land of Milk and Honey is a dystopian story that feels uncomfortably realistic. I found it beautifully written and very engaging. I often find that there's a strong concept of good and evil in dystopian novels, but here the lines were blurred and stimulated some interesting thoughts about what is and isn't ethical. I think this book will be interesting to a whole host of readers, so would definitely recommend.

DNF at 50%.

Set in a near-future dystopia where the vast majority of crops and animals have died out, a chef is recruited to a mysterious mountain colony where scientific progress has made the most rare foodstuffs available once again.

This wasn’t really for me. It felt quite cold and emotionless, and I couldn’t find a way into the story. Characters lack depth or much personality, and the dystopian world was difficult to believe. So much of the prose is bogged down with descriptions of food, the excesses of the rich, and I found it really grating and dull to read through.

I think this will find its audience - fans of dystopian fiction will likely find more to enjoy in the premise and world-building here - and C Pam Zhang is clearly a talented author. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t become at all invested in the world, and didn’t feel any real intrigue in the plot, so decided not to continue past 50%.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 31%.

I was really excited about this as I love a sad woman at the end of the world novel, but this missed for me, and I think it was definitely me.

It’s clever and beautifully written but I just wasn’t clicking with it and I couldn’t find my curiosity about what was really going on on the mountain.

Not for me at this stage, but I’m not ruling it out forever and I may go back to it when I’m in a different headspace.