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Margaret Visser

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The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners Kindle Edition

by Margaret Visser (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.9 150 ratings

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A New York Times Notable Book: A renowned scholar explores the way we eat across cultures and throughout history.

From the wild parties of ancient Greece to the strictures of an Upper East Side meal to the ritualistic feasts of cannibals, Margaret Visser takes us on a fascinating journey through the diverse practices, customs, and taboos that define how and why we prepare and consume food the way we do.

With keen insights into small details we take for granted, such as the origins of forks and chopsticks or why tablecloths exist, and examinations of broader issues like the economic implications of dining etiquette, Visser scrutinizes table manners across eras and oceans, offering an intimate new understanding of eating both as a biological necessity and a cultural phenomenon.

Witty and impeccably researched, The Rituals of Dinner is a captivating blend of folklore, sociology, history, and humor. In the words of the New York Times Book Review, “Read it, because you’ll never look at a table knife the same way again.”

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Many dining practices--when to start eating, whether to talk or be silent, seating arrangements, the sequence of dishes--vary enormously from one culture to another. Visser elucidates the differences in a continuously involving and surprising banquet of a book, a worthy successor to her Much Depends on Dinner. Table manners, she notes, impose order and regularity on a situation in which people sit in close proximity, armed (with eating utensils) and vulnerable. This observation leads to a discussion of cannibalism, sacrifices, feasts and teaching children etiquette. Visser then takes us through a meal, with sections on toasting, dinner parties, leftovers, bodily control and much else. A smorgasbord of cross-cultural insights, delectably served, this marvelous book instills a keen awareness of the complex social ritual of eating in the company of others.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A belief that food sharing is one characteristic that sets humans apart from animals guides Visser--a professor of classical literature and author of Much Depends on Dinner ( LJ 1/88)--on an exploration of table manners, food taboos, and eating rituals found in cultures throughout the world. Utilizing sources from literature, history, anthropology, and sociology, Visser offers a balanced explanation of how and why rules governing eating arose and why they persist. This explanation is followed by several chapters full of examples of the wide range of eating behaviors found in historical and contemporary cultures. Visser has collected a wealth of information from a varied list of sources, making her book a valuable document. The sheer volume of information and matter-of-fact tone may, however, discourage all but etiquette enthusiasts from reading the book for sheer pleasure.
- Eric Hinsdale, Simmons Coll. Graduate Sch. of Management, Boston
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00X4YMQJ2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (June 23, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 23, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1694 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 450 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #564,026 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #27 in Tablesetting Cooking
- #127 in Social Customs & Traditions
- #143 in Tablesetting & Cooking

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3.9 150 ratings

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3.9 out of 5

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Cissa

4.5 stars: Fascinating approach to food etiquette over the years and nations

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2019

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I found this a page-turner!

The examples given to make any individual point, or expand our ideas, are widely dispersed ethnically- while this does give one a more global context, it's also true that the references can seem superficial.

Still, it's more about breadth than depth, and as such, it is intriguing.

Eating is something we all do, daily, and reading about different practices, customs, and etiquette makes my experience richer.

It is mostly Euro-centric, although it brings in many other cultures for comparison and contrast, to help us get a wider perspective on our own culture (assuming European- especially English- and North American).

One thing that did not make sense to me was the way the author said that women traded cooking for sex, and men traded sex for cooking. I don't think that's accurate. Sex- and cooking- is conceptually what men trade for basic foodstuffs and basic living; it's not that us woman are so hot for their bods that we are happy to trade all our labor for sex. It's mostly that we have not been able to survive without male help, and we need to do what it takes to get that help. I think the author pretty much papers over this very important consideration, trying to make it seem more egalitarian.

Still- a fascinating book, and I learned a lot- and as an amateur food historian, I loved all the context- choppy though it was.

19 people found this helpful

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Amber M. Anderson

Very informative and entertaining - Eurocentric viewpoint

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2011

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I said it has a Eurocentric viewpoint, but it actually covers table manners from across the world...just viewed though a more European lens.

It was actually incredibly interesting. Visser does a great job of detailing both the traditions (ancient, obsolete, recent, and modern) and the reasons behind them. She also describes how a culture influences or is influenced by their food and rituals around it and provides explanation for how the rituals (and utensils) evolved. All in all, it's really very interesting. A little slow, but dense with good material, so it's alright.

For anyone interested in sociology or food history, or anything tangential, this is a pretty good read.

Only complaint was that I already read "The Gift of Thanks". There was a lot of repetition between the anecdotes shared in the two books. It would have been nice to have all new material.

I actually read this on a trip to Japan and left it at a hostel over there. Hope someone else enjoys it!

10 people found this helpful

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A M

After reading a few chapters the book becomes quite boring.

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2018

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The book reviews various behaviors related to food and explains the etymology of their names. But after reading a few chapters it becomes quite boring.

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2017

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I purchased this book to replace the one I have been reading once a year, since it's been published! I'm a trivia buff but that is not the only reason. The excellent writing and depth of subject is spellbinding. A few more years of this and I'll have it memorized. The original volume was snatched up by a good friend who knows how much I love it.

The product and the timely service are great!

11 people found this helpful

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Yvonne Salas

Excelente

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023

Perhaps good research but too dry a read.

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2017

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Not what I expected. Without taking anything away from the scholarship behind this book, it was much too dry for my taste.

One person found this helpful

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Kathryn Bevis

This book shows us our place in the why we are so special and not JUST another animal.

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2019

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This is a very interesting book. It is not a book that just talks about table manners although some are mentioned and their origens.
This book is about why we eat the way we do, and why we have rituals of eating in different societies. Very educational and reinforces our standing In heirarchy over all other animals. We are special on this earth, like nothing else in the world. Meant to be an image of God.

4 people found this helpful

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JLawson

Longwinded, inaccurate, pedantic.

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2010

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Look, I'm all for getting paid by the word - but this takes it to an extreme. In her book "Much Depends on Dinner" I rather enjoyed the long-winded descriptions and found her take on how various things fit together fascinating. Not so much this one, unfortunately.

I started reading a few paragraphs in the introduction to my family on a road trip, and it took about two miles to wade through one. Admittedly, we were on the freeway... but the writing was nowhere near as clear as the previous book I read.

As others have noted, this book is chock full of trivia... which may or may not be accurate. The research is referenced, to be sure - close to 80 pages of references in the back.

What struck me, though, was the chaotic writing style of this book. It was stream of consciousness taken to an extreme. Constant digressions were the norm, you'd be talking about table manners of an African tribe in one paragraph (and wanting to read more) and the next you were reading about something completely disconnected, yet she was attempting to show how they were related... usually failing in the attempt. Whoever edited this, if it WAS edited and this IS the result, must have had one heck of a job getting it as coherent as it is. (Which is really not saying terribly much...)

I can't recommend this book, sorry. The two stars is because it really IS very diligently (if not carefully) researched. It is full of interesting material and factoids, but it's so badly presented and poorly organized that it's one of those books you keep in the bathroom. You can dip into it for a few minutes when you're otherwise preoccupied - and by the time the author changes the subject, you're done until next time.

And somehow, I don't think it was her intent to create a specialized book like that...

41 people found this helpful

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Rosemary Wood

The Rituals of Dinner

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2016

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The book arrived quickly. It is in perfect condition. There is no writing on the pages and the pages are not dog eared. I am happy with this book and look forward to many hours of reading and enjoyment.

roberta situlin

Molto interessante

Reviewed in Italy on March 6, 2013

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Mi piace perchè mi occupo di storia e di costume del cibo e il testo offre molte informazioni e spunti originali. Lo stile è un pò didattico.

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eu-presso2594

よりよい食事をするために・・・

Reviewed in Japan on December 9, 2005

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世界的に西洋化が進展し文化が均質化している現代、「食べる」という行為に洋食器を使用することはさほど珍しくないが、
それらがなぜ発明され、どのように進化し、普及してきたのかについて知っている人は少ない。
食事中の会話の内容や、子供に対して教え込む食事のしつけについても同じである。
つまり、それだけ現代人は食事に関して無知であり、無作法に食事をしているのである。
この本は、表紙に描かれてあるフォークやナイフ（西洋）だけではなく、箸や手（西洋以外）を使って食事をすることも丁寧に研究されている。
食事に関する様々な国の様々な時代の研究を通して、「世界中」の現代人への警鐘となるだろう。

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