A fun, sophisticated illustrated collection of essays that catalogs the simple and not so simple pleasures of the eclectic world of candy from the award-winning author of After the Eclipse. With illustrations by Forsyth Harmon.
A taxonomy of sweetness, a rhapsody of artificial flavors, and a multi-faceted theory of pleasure, Sweet Nothings is made up of one hundred illustrated micro essays organized by candy color, from the red of Pop Rocks to the purple Jelly Bonbon in the Whitmanâs Sampler. Each entry is a meditation on taste and texture, a memory unlocked. Everyoneâs favoritesâand least favoritesâare carefully considered, including Snickers and Trader Joeâs Peanut Butter Cups, as well as the beloved Good nâ Plenty and Wertherâs Originals.
An expert guide and exquisite writer, Sarah Perry asks such pressing questions as: Twizzlers or Red Vines? Why are Mentos eaters so maniacally happy? And in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, how could Edmund sell out his siblings for, of all things, Turkish delight? She rejects the dreaded âWhat is your favorite candy?â question and counters: Under what circumstances? F The question itself is flawedâfavorite under what circumstances? In what weather? On the road, or at home? In what mood? For candy is inextricably tied to the seasons of our lives. Sweet Nothings moves associatively, touching on pop culture, art, culinary history, philosophy, body image, and class-based food moralism. It challenges the very idea of âjunkâ food and posits taking pleasure seriously as a means of survival.
Sarah Perryâs pure love of candy weaves together elegiac glimpses of her 90s childhoodâand the loss at its centerâwith stories of love and desire. Surprisingly smart and frequently funny, Sweet Nothings is a tart and sweet ode to finding small joys where you can. Yes, even in black licorice.