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A Year in Provence Peter Mayle 9780679731146 Books

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A Year in Provence Peter Mayle 9780679731146 Books

I enjoyed reading "A Year in Provence" years ago when it was first published, and since it was on the recommended reading list for our upcoming 3 week tour of France, I decided to re-read it. We will be spending some time in Provence, though not mingling with the locals to the extent that Mayle did when he and his wife moved from England and bought an old farm house to remodel and live year around. Mayle's adventures in hiring contractors and getting any work done on a reliable timetable are told humorously, thought with no disrespect to the French workers. They learn that in France, time is marked by seasons rather than days. They finally devise an ingenious method to get all the contractors to come back and complete the various unfinished projects around the house before Christmas - they send out invitations to a champagne reception to which the spouses are also invited. They know that none of the contractors will want their partners to be embarrassed by incomplete work !

Mayle also writes of their journeys to visit fabulous restaurants and the French love of food and wine. He cultivates vines on his own property, and also learns to appreciate a perfect olive oil.

The tales of the endless string of visitors, some mere casual acquaintances, and some of whom invite themselves to stay, are also told with humour and restraint, though you definitely get the impression that they felt put upon from time to time. I also discovered that it can be brutally hot during the summer months in Provence, so I'm glad we're going in early spring !

"A Year in Provence" is not at all a travelogue, or even a guide book, but is a terrifically entertaining series of essays about living among the French in every season, being accepted (at least to a certain extent) into their culture, and enjoying all that this beautiful country has to offer.


Tags : A Year in Provence [Peter Mayle] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>National Bestseller </b> In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron with his wife and two large dogs. He endures January's frosty mistral as it comes howling down the Rhône Valley,Peter Mayle,A Year in Provence,Vintage,0679731148,Essays & Travelogues,Mayle, Peter - Homes and haunts - France - Provence,Provence (France) - Social life and customs,Reading Group Guide,Essays,Europe - France,France,General Adult,HUMOR Topic Travel,HistoryEurope - France,Homes and haunts,Mayle, Peter,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Modern fiction,Non-Fiction,Provence,Provence (France),Provence (France);Social life and customs.,Social life and customs,TRAVEL,TRAVEL Essays & Travelogues,TRAVEL Europe France,Travel - General,TravelEurope - France,travel gift;road trip;road trip essentials;travel gifts;books in french;books on italy;europe;food writing;travel memoir;living in france;travel essays;travel diary;travel journal;paris;travel guides;travel books;travel;autobiography;beach reads;book club recommendations;france travel;south of france;biography;biographies;french culture;travel writing;funny books;french food;french cuisine;provence travel guide;france travel guide;provence;peter mayle books;memoirs;france;peter mayle;french,HISTORY Europe France,france; travel; provence; autobiography; biography; travel writing; peter mayle; food writing; travel memoir; living in france; travel essays; travel diary; travel journal; comedy; paris; travel guides; travel books; beach reads; book club recommendations; france travel; south of france; biographies; french culture; funny books; french food; french cuisine; provence travel guide; france travel guide; peter mayle books; memoirs; books on italy; europe; travel gift; road trip; road trip essentials; travel gifts; books in french,Homes and haunts,Mayle, Peter,Provence,Provence (France),Social life and customs,Travel,General & Literary Fiction,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Modern fiction

A Year in Provence Peter Mayle 9780679731146 Books Reviews

I had to read this book as I was headed to Provençe for 2 weeks. I found the book very interesting. The author starts out with life in January and then each month there after. As the book progresses it gets more and more interesting how life is really like for an expat (from England). After we got settled in our apartment, I figured out we were staying within a few miles of where this author lives, though he never discloses exactly. I fell in love with the area from the first drive along narrow N900. At night, the sky is so crystal clear that you can see every star. We left just as the winds of the Fall were starting up. It was great place to visit and even better since I read this book. I don't think I could live here. The author set me straight on that one!
Being a neophyte to the “travel literature” genre, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But in Peter Mayle’s book “A Year in Provence”, I was surprised how absorbing the reading experience was, without the need for a distinctive narrative plot thrust. After a career on Madison Avenue, Mayle uproots his life and takes residence in the quaint and quirky region of Provence, located in Southeast France. Mayle and his wife realize they have much to learn in navigating their new surroundings. The novel’s structure is quite simple—each chapter is a month in the year—but Mayle’s observations cut into the essence of Provencal life, not just the hidden gems and signature qualities of the region, but reaches for the underlying motivations of the people, the way they move and think, and why no one seems to leave. Part of the enchantment is meeting all these characters—the plumber, the reclusive neighbor, the butcher, the unwanted guests. The prose is simplistic but thoroughly engaging, particularly when Mayle reveals small tidbits in timely places that echo latent cultural rivalries. One word of caution don’t read on an empty stomach! (You’ll quickly realize what I mean)
The book is so well written that It makes you dream of living in Provence. I will be travelling soon to the places in Provence to enjoy the amazing food, beautiful places and friendly people in France. It is sad that Peter Mayle passed recently and I'm very grateful that he wrote this marvellous book.
Too many French language descriptions. I have a problem with English speaking authors using French language to describe people or things, especially when English will do just fine. I have a cursory knowledge of French but I had to keep my dictionary nearby when I read this. Other than that, this was an enjoyable read, especially since my wife and I visited the area a month before I read the book.
We are traveling in Provence this summer, and a friend recommended that I find and read this book to get a feel for the area. Although it is an older book and times surely have changed somewhat in the almost twenty-five years since it was written, I found it to be highly entertaining as I read about his experiences living in the area. His style is conversational, as if he were sitting in your living room for a chat. His descriptions of the local people, and semi-quoting their conversations is, at times, hilarious. Mayle also does a credible job depicting the countryside, food, travel, and slower lifestyle of the natives of the area. I found this book so entertaining that I also read two others Toujours Provence, and Encore ProvenceNew Adventures in the South of France. If you're looking for an insight into the area of Provence France from someone other than a factual travel guide, I highly recommend Peter Mayle's books.
I enjoyed reading "A Year in Provence" years ago when it was first published, and since it was on the recommended reading list for our upcoming 3 week tour of France, I decided to re-read it. We will be spending some time in Provence, though not mingling with the locals to the extent that Mayle did when he and his wife moved from England and bought an old farm house to remodel and live year around. Mayle's adventures in hiring contractors and getting any work done on a reliable timetable are told humorously, thought with no disrespect to the French workers. They learn that in France, time is marked by seasons rather than days. They finally devise an ingenious method to get all the contractors to come back and complete the various unfinished projects around the house before Christmas - they send out invitations to a champagne reception to which the spouses are also invited. They know that none of the contractors will want their partners to be embarrassed by incomplete work !

Mayle also writes of their journeys to visit fabulous restaurants and the French love of food and wine. He cultivates vines on his own property, and also learns to appreciate a perfect olive oil.

The tales of the endless string of visitors, some mere casual acquaintances, and some of whom invite themselves to stay, are also told with humour and restraint, though you definitely get the impression that they felt put upon from time to time. I also discovered that it can be brutally hot during the summer months in Provence, so I'm glad we're going in early spring !

"A Year in Provence" is not at all a travelogue, or even a guide book, but is a terrifically entertaining series of essays about living among the French in every season, being accepted (at least to a certain extent) into their culture, and enjoying all that this beautiful country has to offer.