A fun, sophisticated collection of essays that catalogs the simple and not-so-simple pleasures of the eclectic world of candy, with illustrations by Forsyth Harmon.
A taxonomy of sweetness, a rhapsody of artificial flavors, and a multifaceted theory of pleasure, Sweet Nothings is made up of 100 illustrated microessays organized by candy color, from the red of Pop Rocks to the purple of the jelly bonbon in the Whitman’s Sampler. Each entry is a meditation on taste and texture, a memory unlocked.
An expert guide and exquisite writer, Sarah Perry asks such pressing questions as: Twizzlers or Red Vines? Why are Mentos eaters so maniacally happy? And in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, how could Edmund sell out his siblings for, of all things, Turkish delight?
She rejects the dreaded “What is your favorite candy?” question and counters: Under what circumstances? For candy is inextricably tied to the seasons of our lives. Sweet Nothings moves associatively, touching on pop culture, art, culinary history, philosophy, body image, and class-based food moralism. It challenges the very idea of “junk” food and posits taking pleasure seriously as a means of survival.
Sarah Perry’s pure love of candy weaves together elegiac glimpses of her ’90s childhood—and the loss at its center—with stories of love and desire. Surprisingly smart and frequently funny, Sweet Nothings is a tart and sweet ode to finding small joys where you can. Yes, even in black licorice.
EARLY PRAISE
“Skillfully uniting strands of memory, culture, and sensory data, Sarah Perry creates a delectable confection of thought and feeling, making the topic of candy as utterly irresistible to the mind as it is to the mouth.”
—Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun
“Sweet Nothings is something very special: an astoundingly smart and meticulously researched book that is as much about longing and desire as it is about the magic of candy. Perry’s prose is exuberant, lush, and full of delicious surprises; I want to tattoo Forsyth’s adorable drawings all over my body. This book lit up bittersweet parts of childhood I’d long forgotten—I can’t wait to press it into the hands of friends with strong opinions about their favorite treats (i.e., everyone!). Perry is an astonishing talent and the world is a sweeter, more beautiful place because of her work.”
— Kimberly King Parsons, author of Black Light and We Were the Universe
“I was halfway through the simultaneously delightful and moving Sweet Nothings when I did something I'd never done before: I went to the store, bought a chocolate bar — a Twix — and handed it to my son when I picked him up from school. "What's the catch?" he said, suspiciously. But there was no catch, just as, in this book, there is no catch. This isn't a book in which candy serves as some lofty metaphor for something greater and more boring than itself; it is a book in which candy is celebrated as candy on its own terms. Life is short and, sometimes, sweet. Let's savor it while we can. Let's gift this book to everyone we love, along with their favorite candies. They can take their first bite while reading Perry's matching ode.”
—Vauhini Vara, author of Searches and The Immortal King Rao
“Though I would read Sarah Perry write about doorknobs, how lucky for us that she turns her precise, searching and funny voice to the subject of candy. What Perry has created here is nothing less than a wholly original exploration of how we eat, love, and experience pleasure now”
—Emma Eisenberg, nationally bestselling author of Housemates
A confection, a barrel of delights, a feast of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth brilliance. Sarah Perry will make you want to run to the store and stock up on treats, but she also knows the truth: the store closed years ago. This is a book of gummy, twisty toothaches and heartbreaks, a thrilling take on memory and nostalgia, where the real candy is Perry's unfailingly wise and tender prose. Sweet Nothings is actually really something.
—Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary and Terrace Story
Sarah Perry's Sweet Nothings is a catalogue of candy that encourages us to see everything from Pop Rocks to Lemonheads with joy and complexity, pleasure and depth. Weaving together memoir and a robust cultural critique of all things sweet, Perry shows the reader how the smallest parts of the world can offer us a profound lens for reflection and wonder.
— Heather Radke, author of Butts: A Backstory