The Mystery Roast

Peter Gadol wrote The Mystery Roast in 1993 - actually, I take that back, it was published in 1993 - and I cannot believe that I haven't heard of this book at anytime during its 15 year mainstream existence until really recently (thanks to Books on the Nightstand again!). The Mystery Roast is the name of a coffee shop in the West Village that begins its life as an eclectic hole in the wall. Too bad it couldn't stay that way - I actually prefer coffee shops like this (kind of like what The Curious Liquids Cafe in Boston used to be like before it closed - gosh how i miss those days, but that's another post for another time) - but it ends up hitting its stride when Eric Audin appears. Eric has become estranged from his ambitious wife, Margot, and, in the weeks following their estrangement, he opts to go to the New York Museum of Art (I think it's a facade for the Met) and, while there, walks away with a piece of art. He lifts a Cycladic statue called the Goddess of Desire. As his relationship with the Goddess grows, so, seemingly, does his success. Eric begins a successful business marketing and selling knockoffs of the idol (which become an insanely popular fad as the theft from the museum hits the news), he moves into a beautiful flat in the West Village and meets and falls in love with a beautiful, older woman who loves him back (and of course, they have insanely good sex!). He becomes obsessed with the idol and it becomes almost like crack or heroin - he'll do anything to keep the real idol in his life (even though it's illegal to be in possession of it and the means that he gets it is illegal) at the expense of his own life and the relationships that he has. This was my first book by Peter Gadol and I loved it. The writing engages the reader immediately and it's as if you can smell the whiffs of coffee and taste the foods offered by the cafe. The characters are astoundingly well-developed and they developed immensely throughout the book. The plot line moved along wonderfully. It was a book that I took my time reading because I wanted to savor every single word and every single plot device and moment. I didn't want to miss anything by missing a single word, which, to me, means that Gadol thought out every single word. Every single word was selected with care and with a purpose. This is a book that I will definitely pick up again, just to make sure that I can peel back another level.

I liked the Long Rain and so I bought The Mystery Roast. In the years between the writing of the two books, Mr. Gadol has, happily, grown and improved as a writer. The Mystery Roast is clever, possibly a bit too much so--the characters' names being one example. There's Eric and Marek. Then there's the art impressario named Maldemer--not too suble for anyone with even a slight knowledge of French--mal de mer meaning seasick. Hmmn.I loved the creation of The Mystery Roast cafe; the food and the beverages are appetite-provoking. Interesting, too, is the depiction of fad marketing. This is a New York novel in the way that Manhattan is a quintessential New York movie. The author scores big points for capturing the feel and smell of the city, even its pulse. But Eric's "visions" --the images of the past he keeps seeing throughout the first two thirds of the book, and the idol's italicized "comments" quickly become irritating, even detrimental to the flow of the narrative.Gadol is a good writer, an imaginative one, and the book is worth reading, even if it does drag in parts and even if Eric is boringly self-indulgent at times. The secondary characters more than compensate for the lack of sympathy one feels for the hero.

I picked "THE MYSTERY ROAST" off the library shelf on a whim... I enjoy coffee, so the cover & title intrigued me. The 'blurbs" intrigued me even more, so down I sat to read. Hours later, at 1am, I could NOT put it down! The writing is so engaging - I especially love the historic 'flashbacks' engendered by the Goddess, and almost wish that Gadol had spent more time on fleshing those out. I am looking forward to reading some of Gadol's other work, and am so tempted to wander around the old Meat District in the west village during my next visit to NYC to find the "Mystery Roast Cafe".

This book caught my eye one evening when I was really craving a cup of coffee. Gadol's work took me to a place so clear and real, so much that I could almost feel the snow crunch under Eric's feet. Years later, every time it snows, or I wander throgh an almost empty museum, I long for that place and time that this amazing writer created.

I was looking for something to read that didn't make me think but wasn't for retards, either. I just wanted to be entertained. I know you can't judge a book by its cover, but I'm a sucker for nice design (a paper coffee cup with the title ... uh, it looks more interesting than I can describe it). So, I picked it up and read the back. At first, I thought it would be only funny and madcap, but it turned out to be a little "deeper" (only a little), which is good if you read for pleasure. The premise was very entertaining -- down-on-his-luck gen-x'er steals valuable art piece, and it changes his life. This may sound schmaltzy, but it's not. Mr. Gadol never resorts to manipulation in his writing. I like that. The same can't be said for most of the trash/movies Hollywood sends us. Which is why everyone should read more!!!! I did feel the tug to get home from work and read some more. I guess it was the Goddess's doing (read the book). So, order this book. It may not change YOUR life, but it will pick you up! (I know that's pukey, but it's true.