Friday Book Whimsy: The Supreme Macaroni Company

I have always enjoyed the romantic novels written by Adriana Trigiani. She has a couple of series and some novels that stand alone. One of the series takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia – Big Stone Gap. Many of her novels involve characters drawn from the author’s own Italian background. She even wrote a nonfiction book called Don’t Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from My Grandmothers. That book is part memoir/part cook book. I liked it very much.

The Supreme Macaroni Company is the third of a trilogy (or at least a trilogy to date; don’t know if she has plans on more in the series). Very Valentine; Brava, Valentine; and The Supreme Macaroni Company all take us through the adult life of Valentine Roncolli, daughter number three of a wild, unpredictable Italian family in New York/New Jersey, whose ancestors were shoemakers. Through the series, Valentine tries to continue shoemaking, following in the footsteps (no pun intended) of her beloved grandfather and grandmother. She runs into troubles along the way, and also runs through a series of boyfriends. I have enjoyed every book…..

….until this one. I won’t say I disliked The Supreme Macaroni Company. In fact, in many ways I enjoyed it very much. But I found it so inferior to Trigiani’s other novels that it almost seemed like her heart wasn’t in it.

I have read many good books lately, so perhaps I’m spoiled. What struck me most (and not in a particularly good way) was the unrealistic dialogue. Don’t get me wrong. The interactions between Valentine and her kooky but loveable (and loving) family were very funny. I frequently laughed at the exchanges. However, they were totally false. No one talks the way they talked, like one stand-up comedy act to another. Funny, but not realistic.I found it very distracting.

I also found myself annoyed with Valentine, whom I have LOVED throughout the series. Now married to her beloved Gianlucca, her self-centeredness was distracting and mean. I understand that Trigiani was trying to help us see the difficulties faced by independent women who find themselves in marriage and are afraid they will lose themselves instead. Perhaps it was just the contrast to the totally self-giving Gianlucca that was so annoying. Had this been my introduction to Valentine, I would have assumed I was supposed to dislike her.

I might think the family dynamics were phony except that I have been around Italian/American families and I believe Trigiani has this right. Lots of yelling, lots of food, lots of emotion.

The ending, which I won’t give away (though the author broadcasts so many clues along the way that you would have to be pretty stupid to miss them) was disappointing. I can’t help but think there must be another novel planned in the future so that the story can be completed.

And if so, I hope I like it better than The Supreme Macaroni Company.

Please give Trigiani's books a chance if you haven't already done so. Just don't start with this one.