Book Details

* Racily picaresque, energetic and clever Guardian * An astonishing, sensual feast which will appeal to those who enjoyed Patrick Susskind's Perfume -- David Barnett Independent on Sunday * A true feast for the senses Scotsman * Intriguing, fanciful, philosophical and told with an admirable lightness of touch Daily Mail * The Last Banquet is a feast for the senses; dark, sensual and unexpected. I loved it -- JOJO MOYES * Wonderfully enjoyable. Grimwood captures the colour, the decadence and tawdry glamour of Versailles beautifully. I loved the complexity of the relationships, and sensual quality reminded me at times of Angela Carter. Masterful -- CAROL BIRCH author of JAMRACH'S MENAGERIE * A delicious sensory overload -- Marina O'Loughlin * Jonathan Grimwood's intelligent story of lost innocence... follows convincingly in the traditions established by Patrick Suskind's Perfume and Andrew Miller's Pure Times Literary Supplement * As a piece of historical fiction, there is not an ounce of fat on it - a compliment, even for a work so concerned with the food of France The Times * A tantalising tale, be prepared for some dark mystery and decadent recipes. A must for lovers of Suskind's Perfume and Miller's Pure The Bookseller * Grimwood takes us on a journey that is both fantastic and fascinating ... A delightful read Curious Book Fans * Mr. Grimwood has written a truly exceptional book. This will come as no surprise to those who have been reading him for years, and I'm delighted to say that one of the books I was most anticipating not only met my inflated expectations, but exceeded them. The Last Banquet is like a cake, an onion, a feast, a clock, a ... it is your metaphor of choice: something both simple and complex, instantly comprehensible and infinitely layered. Filthy and beautiful, provocative and sensitive, this is one for the ages Pornokitsch * By the end of the book you can't help but feel that if France had been peopled by a few more eccentrics like D'Aumont it may have never torn itself apart We Love This Book * A piece of fiction with a superb central premise Daily Telegraph * Vibrantly original, filled with vividly descriptive passages and with a brilliantly playful cover, The Last Banquet rivals The President's Hat as my best read of 2013 so far A Life in Books * From A Tale of Two Cities to Les Miserables, the French Revolution has it all in terms of sweeping adventure stories - and The Last Banquet is a worthy addition -- Tinna Jackson Metro * As delicious and as full of surprises as one of the young Jean-Marie's rabbit stews Sunday Express * I will never look at tigers, or candles, or cheese in the same way. A sensuous ride through eighteenth century France -- JESSIE BURTON, author of The Miniaturist