The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Prawn Cracker: A Selection of Real Meals by Will Self Review

This is a collection of Will Self’s Real Meals columns published originally in The New Statesman magazine where instead of reviewing posh and trendy restaurants he goes to places ordinary people frequent like KFC, Greggs, and McDonalds. 

The one on Kebab Shops had me laughing at his description of the guy who made his kebab. Self sees a transformation of the man from fast food chef to mountainside shepherd once he places his order of a shish kebab, despite the need for speed in the order as his train is about to leave. 

His article on Caffe Nero was excellent too and though I’m not a coffee drinker his description of its interior made me want to visit the place and sample some of their products anyway. 

Most of the articles are actually very entertaining and funny. He skewers places like McDonalds and Greggs while praising Pizza Express and Birdseye’s Chicken Dinners. There are only a few articles I was indifferent to but overall it’s a brilliantly written, clever and funny collection of columns. Great read, albeit short at just under 60 pages.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Prawn Cracker: A Selection of Real Meals