Before reading this book, I had never heard of Valomilk candy bars. Now I must have one, thanks to the description by author Steve Almond.But here, inside my mouth, it was finally dawning on me: the way in which the airy tones of vanilla infused the chocolate and lent the heavy tang of cocoa a sense of buoyancy. The chocolate in the Valomilk was transcendent; I would go so far as to call it velvety. The process to make the Valomilk is itself, antiquated. In a day and age when candy is mass pr...

Candyfreak by Steve Almond is all about Almond reliving his past through candy. He writes about candy like someone who truly knows what they're talking about, which I would say he does, considering the number of candy bars he eats and factories he visits throughout the book. Almond vividly describes the ingredients, texture, and flavor of candy bars vividly. Even if I had never seen or heard of the bar, I could picture the confectionery and imagine crunch of biting into the chocolate he describe...

My review, 3.0:First I would like to quote MC Pee Pants."I want candy, bubblegum and taffy. Skip to the sweet shop with my girlfriend, Sandy. Got my pennies saved. so I'm a sugar daddy. I'm her Hume Cronyn, she my Jessica Tandy.I want candy!I need candy, any kind will do Don't care if it's nutritious or FDA approved.It's gonna make me spaz like bobcats on booze..."etc, as the song stops being about candy.The cover blurb calls the author "the Dave Eggers of food writing" ... which seems not only

From the book, page sixteen:Every now and then, I’ll run into someone who claims not to like chocolate or other sweets, and while we live in a country where everyone has the right to eat what they want, I want to say for the record that I don’t trust these people, that I think something is wrong with them, and that they’re probably-this must be said-total duds in bed.Candyfreak provides way too much candy-metaphor fodder for the weak-hearted reviewer. I don’t know I can resist saying things like...

If Steve Almond is a candyfreak, then I'm a candywhore. I'll take it where I can get it and I'm not half as discriminating about its origins.That said, you can't help but laugh outright at the sugar-fanaticism of a man who gets faint with joy witnessing the birth of chocolate bunnies and is rendered speechless at the thoughtless waste of even one piece of chocolate, recalling, "I stood there in a cloud of disillusionment...I'm someone who has been known to eat the pieces of candy found underneat...

I'm not actually that big a candy fan, I prefer cake. But it's always interesting to read about someone's obsessions, and Almond is just a little obsessed. Good, sticky fun, and a lot of info about candybars you've never heard of before.

I finished this one a few days ago, and after serious contemplation, I'm still not sure what I just read. I thought I was getting a micro-history on regional candy companies. There are elements of that as the author, Steve Almond, travels to some small companies and tours their factories. Yet, that is just a small part of it. It leans more toward creative non-fiction/creative memoir as the author dissects his life-long love of candy, attaching feelings of love, commitment, and self-worth to the

A funny & informative look into the history & workings of the candy business. Very enjoyable, like a piece of candy.

There are definite five-star sections within this book. The author travels around the U.S. to visit a number independent candy manufacturers and tell their stories. These are great parts. It is a real eye-opener to hear that in the early 20th century there were over 6000 American candy companies and now there are only 150 or so. The rise of the "Big Three" of Nestle, Hershey and Mars has made it nearly impossible for any other manufacturers to get their products into stores. Reading these parts

Being a Candy Connoisseur myself, I had high expectations for this. Did it live up to my expectations? Not quite. I suppose I was wanting something less personal-diary-coming-of-age-story, more candy-chocolate-informational-enlightenment. Almond was extremely honest, writing this as an essential documentation of a personal cross-country road trip, inserting personal stories, anecdotes, and/or tangents that were sometimes funny, sometimes interesting, but always distracting.At the same time, he d...

Steve Almond is deep passion veiled as giddy enthusiasm. So much of his writing just makes you want to high five the world and sceam "F**** yeah!"If you're not careful you might lose your self in the enjoyment of it all and begin to take for granted his amazing ability to lift up the ordinary and point it out in a way that has you remembering your own forgotten sensations/images/relationships. As an educator I am always begging/pleading/admonishing my collegues to please give our students opport...

Candyfreak is the most delightful book about candy that also happens to record the author’s deteriorating mental health. What a combination: Goo-Goo Clusters, Snickers, Valomilks, and Big Hunk bars all alongside ample doses of liberal guilt, childhood neglect, failure to commit emotionally in relationships, and a dooming fear of failure! Steve Almond is a clever writer who decides to explore America’s dying Mom and Pop candy industry in order to distract himself from his own depressing life.So b...

Almond reports on his quest to tour small business candy factories and interview their owners while at the same time chronicling his own life-long obsession with candy. So it's part microhistory and part autobiography, as he narrates his childhood love of chocolate bars, his struggles with depression, and his reactions to the political happenings concurrent with his candy-tour travels.I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the history of candy in America and the descriptions of the factor...

I laughed SO HARD during the first half of this book. Super interesting story of the small guys in the candy biz and where they've (mostly) all gone, gobbled up by the big guys. I wanted to search out some of the old school candy bars, and did find some, though it wasn't easy. Made me think back to my tiny hometown and the local chocolate shop that was on Main Street, at the base of West Hill. Where did they go? I have a vague memory of going there on a class field trip at some point in elementa...

I had to read this one quickly because it was bad for me. Very bad. Is there anyone who has read this and didn't feel the overpowering NEED to eat chocolate while reading this book? If so, please post in the comments to this review because I want to know where you get your incredible willpower! And the problem was that if I wasn't eating chocolate, I just had to be eating something, anything, while reading this book! I defy anyone not to salivate at his descriptions of chocolate. Here's just one...

My dad's favorite candy was Necco Wafers. An acquired taste for sure, but one that he developed because they were the only candy his older sisters wouldn't steal. Me, I like Milky Ways although I will eat almost anything chocolate-covered. My wife is much pickier but does have her own Achilles' heel: Reese's (the original cups, not any of the holiday shapes which mess with the peanut butter to chocolate ratio. And don't even mention the Pieces that E.T. so adored—they're not even the same specie...

The back jacket describes Candyfreak as 'hilarious' - I think that's a bit of a stretch. Like Not That You Asked, I found Candyfreak a quick and enjoyable read - but not one that I expect to reread.Personally, I wish this book was more about the candy industry and the small producers Almond visited. The highlights for me were his descriptions of the candy-making processes and of the candymakers themselves - interesting, fanatical characters who were often involved in every detail of the process....

I applaud myself on having consumed only two candy bars during the process of reading this book. However, seeing as I read this book mostly over the course of a single day, that may not be something to brag about. I advise you to read this book while at a very safe distance from any candy sources, because I was sitting next to an enormous candy display in a bookstore and could not resist the purchase of a pack of turtles, which I had just read about, the 5th Avenue, which Almond mentions in pass...

Quote from the book: "Every now and then, I’ll run into someone who claims not to like chocolate or other sweets, and while we live in a country where everyone has the right to eat what they want, I want to say for the record that I don’t trust these people, that I think something is wrong with them, and that they’re probably--this must be said--total duds in bed." My father had it. My mom has it. And I have it. What is it? A sweet tooth. This book is really a glimpse into the life of anyone who...

2.5 stars, rounded up. I don't think this would get published today due to Almond's sense of humor, rambling narration and the (lack of) actual content here. By his own accord, Almond is too small of a fish to get interviews with any of the big candy industry titans, so instead he visited a whole bunch of obscure candy companies. I would honestly be shocked if any are still in business today, based on the struggles described in 2002. Most of this book involves Almond marveling at some machines,