The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a great novel, but it is not an easy read. The story is dark, and although it is billed as a romance, there are absolutely no light moments, no flirting or canoodling or banter. Rather, this is a moody, heavy, and fascinating look at human nature and the lengths to which we will go in order to achieve our goals. It is also a reminder that we seldom are able to escape a difficult childhood—at least not without therapy.
Elliot is the narrator, and the book is told in first-person through his point of view. He is brutally honest about his own psyche, and we understand this is a slanted version of the events that happened.
Lara is a retired movie star, widowed by Otto, her older first husband and father to her son Leo. Otto put on a good show, but behind closed doors he was mean, nasty, and abusive. Lara kept this to herself and suffered through an unhappy marriage; one can only imagine her secret relief when he died suddenly.
Lara drifts for a while, moving from LA to London to start over. She meets suave, handsome Jason, a businessman whose business, unknown to Lara, is faltering. They are introduced by Lara’s best friend, Kate, and when they marry, Kate tries to hide her despair that she has lost the love of a man to another woman.
Elliot is a playwright who befriends Lara. They are kindred souls who develop a complicated relationship. Elliot has loved Lara since he first saw her in movies as a child; he is thrilled to come to know her when they are adults. Lara begins to slowly fall in love with Elliot, although she is still married to Jason.
Most of the novel revolves around a trip to Lara’s private Greek island. All the key players are invited, and when a murder brings the fun to a quick end, the reader is left to follow the clues and try to figure out ‘who done it’ which is no easy task. However, Elliot guides us along, and we are led to a shocking ending, one that even the best sleuths won’t see coming.
I’m not a fan of this genre; however, I could not put this down. It is a quick read, and it provides a fascinating look at a dark side of human nature. I highly recommend this book and give it 4 stars.
Greek Moussaka (eggplant and potato pie)
This traditional Greek dish is easy, but there are a few steps involved. Don’t let that turn you off; the effort is well worth the reward!
Ingredients
Potatoes and Eggplants:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 4-6 potatoes
- Olive oil
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup wine
- Salt and pepper
White Sauce
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ stick butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup hard cheese (parmigiano-reggiano works well)
First, peel and slice your eggplant. I like to peel every other strip (the long way) so the slices have some peel to hold them together. Slices should be about ½ inch thick. Then, salt the slices and let them drain on paper towels for about a half hour. This will remove any bitterness.
Next, peel and slice the potatoes, ½ inch thick. Put a little olive oil on a baking sheet and place the potato and eggplant slices on it. Drizzle with more oil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Now, prepare the meat sauce. Brown the beef with the onion and garlic. Add the tomato sauce, cinnamon, and sugar, and simmer ten minutes. Add the wine and simmer until thick. You don’t want the meat sauce to be runny.
Separately, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and whisk. Slowly add the milk until the sauce thickens, then quickly remove from the heat. Whisk in the other ingredients.
Assemble your dish: Oil a large baking dish. Layer half the potatoes, half the eggplant, and half the meat sauce. Repeat. Pour the white sauce over all. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove from oven. Enjoy!
Did you like the book? The recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment.
Thank you.
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