A Year in Provence

I'm not just French, I'm from Provence.

This book brought back so many great memories of my growing up in Provence. Mr Mayle has done a fantastic job describing the way of life, the passion we have for good food, the scenery, this book definitely makes me homesick for Provence, and also made me laugh so much because only Mr Mayle could explain hunting for truffles so well! I have the movie (4 tapes, one for each season) of a year in Provence, it's hilarious! I highly recommend them!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A Timeless Classic...

For those who dream of escaping the rat race and "getting away from it all", this is the quintessential experience writ large. In this classic story, author Peter Mayle captures both the uniqueness and quirkiness that is rural France and its people while spinning a tale the reader will quickly fall in love with. From the challenges presented on their arrival through their transition to acceptance, Mayle captures the warp and woof of real life on every page. For those who lovingly treasure their "joie de vivre", this unforgettable book will easily enjoy an honored place on the shelf. Enjoy!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

real, funny and outstanding...to be recommended

I come from a small village not too far from where the book takes place and that was the cheapest trip back home that I have taken in the past ten years that I have lived in the US. So real and also so simple, I read it on the subway going to work and tears would come to my eyes from the description of the market, the food, the people , their attitude and so many many other things..then two minutes after I would be laughing out loud and people around me would just stare at me. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a simple and genuine good read about Provence. It is written in a very funny, English-humor-tongue in cheek kindda way. Thank you for a great trip and good memories .I could smell and taste Provence from Brooklyn, New York.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

ENJOYED!

Written in journal form, an interesting presentation, the charm of France is evident, and the French culture in their lifestyle is of laid-back glamour. I really enjoyed this!
Another book I thoroughly enjoyed concerning Provence was EXPLOSION IN PARIS!! I could read that again and again!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Fun

This is to fun to read, I have just moved from Cailf to Ohio so for me this was a nice way to know I'm not alone on learning new ways of life.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What An Entertaining Read!

All I can say is 'just read it'. Mayle's tongue-in-cheek insights and observations are humorous and pithy - I loved every page of this book. My husband (non-bookworm-type) kept asking what was so funny.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Would you like to escape to Provence?

If so, this book is for you. A couple escape from the hustle and bustle of London to the country life of Provence. Very enjoyable light read.

Great book

Poop

POOOOOOOOOP

Ze French, zey are a funny race

This is without a doubt the most joyful and wonderful book I've read in several years. I'm not quite sure how to describe it - is it a travel book, a biography, or some weird combination of the two? Or is it something else entirely? Peter Mayle and his wife, a typical middle-class British couple, decide to follow their dreams upon retiring and buy a house in the Luberon area of France - otherwise known as Provence. "A Year in Provence" relates the results of that decision, and true to the title tells of their travails and adventures over the year subsequent to the purchase of said dwelling. Mayle guides us through both their work on the house and their travels through the region. You will chuckle, and at times laugh out loud, at the descriptions of the various characters that the Mayles meet up with. With typical dry British humor they describe their first year as emigres to what for them is another planet. They must become used to the way that their new neighbors work (and play, in some cases), and learn not to explode at what they at first perceive as the ultimate in sheer laziness. Mayle has written at least one sequel, and I look forward to reading it. If it is as funny as this book it will be well worth the price.

"... the baking and eating of breads and pastries had been elevated to the status of a minor religion"

Peter Mayle and his wife are shown doing a few things besides eating in Peter's 1989 book A YEAR IN PROVENCE. But of course eating is something that they and we do several times a day. And so a leisurely stroll with the Mayles down memory lane between January and December in a fairly remote rural area of ancient Provence, France does not move many paragraphs without a loving encounter with food and drink. *** Thus a lengthy meditation on searches in the forest for edible mushrooms, with a keen eye out for les serpents, is succeeded by reflections on baked goods: "Living in France had turned us into bakery addicts, and the business of choosing and buying our daily bread was a recurring pleasure." Visiting village after village in search of bread was an eye-opener. "After years of taking bread for granted, more or less as a standard commodity, it was like discovering a new food." There were "dense, chewy loaves." Some loaves "went stale in three hours" and on and on. No two bakeries produced quite the same products. Of the 17 bakeries in Cavaillon, outstanding was Chez Auzet. "At Chez Auzet, so they said, the baking and eating of breads and pastries had been elevated to the status of a minor religion" (Chapter - "October"). *** This passage is typical Mayle: calm, succinct, measured, concrete, loving. It the same voice that you hear describing local feasts, quirks of the search for truffles, blasting away with a variety of weapons in hunting season, harvesting grapes, getting building permits from and inspections done by French bureaucrats. This is a smoothly written book, as nourishing and refreshing as a fine red wine served with rabbit. -OOO-

A Delicious & Inspiring Year in Provence.

Spend a delicious year in Provence in a matter of days! Every stereotype of the Parisians (apparently and resoundingly true after reading this book) will be proven accurate through the light-hearted insights and (mis)adventures of a Brit ex-pat who moved to France on a whim. This charming and cleverly written read authentically relives each month/season though the eyes of a transplant in search of just simply living life. Who of all people knows better than the French? You'll be envious/inspired through his ingenious storytelling/observances. Maybe even find yourself in a love/hate (more love, come to think of it) relationship of somebody who one day left everything behind in the safe zone and threw themselves precariously in the middle of joie de vie.*

A charmed life in an ancient land.

This is a charming and whimsical account of a British couple who decide to live their dream and buy and move into a 200 year-old farmhouse in Provence. You get their first-hand account of the process of buying the home, moving into it, renovating the house and starting a vineyard. You also learn about life in a small village in Provence: How the villagers view life, what they think about politics, running their businesses, tourists and their neighbors. They live their lives according to the seasons, not the clock. They take pride in their craftsmanship and enjoy a job well done. Food is relished and meals are gastronomical feasts for the soul and the senses. They live life with gusto.

Brought alive the culture found in Provence.

Found a delightful book written in a witty manner that encouraged more travel.To vacation from a villa and absorb the local culture. Couldn't put the book down as it read so easily. So impressed by the style and humor that I bought three more of Mayle's books: "A Good Year", "Anything Considered", and "Chasing Cezanne". Will be able to curl up with one of them, chuckle and enjoy the very presence of the characters involved. This is a new venue that gives history a different perspective.

"A Year in Provence" will leave you hungry for more!

I loved this book and all of Peter Mayle's books about France. This book completely takes you to Provence with his stories of his life and the experience of food and relationships. After reeading this book, I'm hungry for more. I can't wait to go!!

A quick, easy, read

This was a fun read. A couple from Great Britian bought a farm house in Provence, France and they chronicled each month of the first year they were there. It gives a great picture of what it would be like to immerse yourself in a completely new environment. It makes me want to go to Provence one day. This is just a nice, light read.

Not for me

Our book club is reading this book. To be honest, I cannot get past the third chapter. I find it so very boring. I don't know where the author is going. Kind of like reading someone's journal. May be interesting to that person, but not to everyone. Maybe after our book club discusses it I will be able to finish the book.

Ho Hum

This book looked enticing, but fell short. Mayle gave lots of information about Provence in terms of its people and landscape, but he failed to go beyond that to really sell his adventures in becoming a resident of the area. Many of the situations could have better reflected the humor, frustration, and other emotions that Mayle and his wife must have felt. He rarely brought his wife or dogs into the story even though they were undoubtedly present throughout year. I had hoped for more. It is unlikely that I will reach for another offering from Peter Mayle. He just isn't the kind of storyteller I enjoy.

Quick, fun read

Very entertaining! Great gift for someone who loves food and wine. Good insight into the French culture.

Great reading!

Entertaining! Great insight into how the French think and live, and their values!!