The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry
| Author | Kathleen Flinn |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Autobiography |
| Publisher | Viking Press, paperback Penguin Books |
Publication date | October 4, 2007 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 327 |
| ISBN | 0-670-01822-8 |
| Followed by | The Kitchen Counter Cooking School (2011) |
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School is a New York Times best-selling memoir with recipes by American writer Kathleen Flinn. It was first published by the Viking Press on October 4, 2007, ISBN 0-670-01822-8.[1]
In this non-fiction narrative, the 36-year-old author loses her corporate job, cashes in her savings and heads to Paris to study at the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.[2] It is notable in being the first book-length account of the experience of attending the famous school.[3] Throughout the book, Flinn intersperses dozens of recipes, accounts of her "wretchedly inadequate" French, stories of competitive classmates and the love story of her emerging relationship with her husband. Early in the book, she shares that she began dreaming of attending the famous cooking school while writing obituaries at The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.[4] The Seattle Times referred to the book "a very personal memoir of transformation, as well as an insider's look at Le Cordon Bleu, the first of its kind."[5] The book earned generally positive reviews on its debut and earned a spot on The New York Times bestseller list as well as being included on numerous "best of" lists for 2007.
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry was a Finalist for the Washington State Book Award in General Nonfiction in 2008.[6]
TV Series
In December 2025, it was announced that The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry was in development as a TV series by Fox Entertainment Studios as the first scripted series to be produced by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.[7], with Rachel Bilson set to star as Flinn, best-selling author Stephanie Danler as the series writer, and Flinn named as an executive producer.[8]
References
- ^ Penguin author page
- ^ NPR's Talk of the Nation: The Sharper Your Knife
- ^ Reviews - The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry
- ^ NPR: A talk with author Kathleen Flinn
- ^ Sullivan, CeCe (2007-10-03). "Seattleite's transformative journey begins at Le Cordon Bleu". seattletimes.com. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ^ Gwinn, Mary Ann (2008-09-26). "Washington State Book Award winners". seattletimes.com. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ^ DEADLINE: Gordon Ramsay Entering Scripted TV Game With Cutthroat Cooking School Drama Starring Rachel Bilson For Fox Entertainment Studios
- ^ The Wrap: Rachel Bilson to Star in Gordon Ramsay-Produced Cooking School Drama for Fox