More than 40,000 listeners have enjoyed this story on cassette. Now anyone who's ever dreamed of getting away from it all can enjoy the charms and challenges of A Year in Provence on CD!
Peter Mayle and his wife had been to Provence as tourists. They had dreamed of one day trading the long, gray winters and damp summers of England for the blue skies and sunshine of the coast of southern France. And then they made it happen.
They moved into an old farmhouse at the foot of the Luberon mountains and embarked on a wonderful, if at times bewildering, new life. Among their experiences that first year: being inundated with builders and visitors, grappling with the native accent, taking part in goat races and supervising the planting of a new vineyard.
Peter Mayle personally recounts the pleasures and frustrations of Provençal life—sharing in a way no one else can, the unique and endearing culture that is Provence.
A Year in Provence was a New York Times bestseller for three years and won the British Book Awards' "Best Travel Book of the Year."
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 11, 2013 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781427208576
- File size: 82889 KB
- Duration: 02:52:41
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 1, 1990
The author describes his first 12 months in Provence, after he and his wife have abandoned England for an 18th-century farmhouse in the Luberon Mountains. Throwing themselves into the life of this rural region, they master the local customs, gain partial understanding of their neighbors' patois, overcome the frustrations of French bureaucracy, and learn to deal with workmen who operate on the idiosyncratic Provencal sense of time. In nimble prose, Mayle, columnist for GQ , captures the humorous aspects of visits to markets, vineyards and goat races, and hunting for mushrooms. Even donating blood is an occasion for fun. The Provencal cuisine is Mayle's leitmotif, however. He opens with an account of a memorable New Year's lunch, ends with an appreciation of an impromptu Christmas dinner, and describes just about every meal eaten during the months in between. His adventures, gastronomic and otherwise, are thoroughly entertaining. Illustrations not seen by PW. -
Mayle tells the story of his first year living in Provence, a time in which he and his wife come to know the place, the locals, and the wonderful food and wine, while having their house remodeled. With charm, skill, and amusement, Mayle narrates in a pleasant voice, calm and excited by turns. While he does speak some French herein, in the local accent, most of the French is rendered in accented English, a tactic that, for once, works. The production's sole annoying feature (besides making listeners hungry while listening to all the wonderful dining) is a lack of pauses to indicate changes in time frame, scene, or subject, an oversight that brings the listener up short again and again. This problem makes the slightly rushed abridgment seem jerkier than need be. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine -
Peter Mayle and his wife purchase a farmhouse in Provence and immerse themselves in their surroundings, presenting an entertaining view of life in the French countryside from a British perspective. The leisurely pace of David Case's reading parallels the pace of life in Provence and helps set the mood. Long, unhurried meals are described in detail, as well as the nuances of French speech combined with hand motions when negotiating with the local tradesmen. The dialogue is peppered with French words and phrases, so knowledge of the language would benefit the listener. An enjoyable book for the armchair traveler or anyone wishing to relive memories. C.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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June 3, 1991
An account of the author's first frustrating but enlightening year in Provence opens with a memorable New Year's lunch and closes with an impromptu Christmas dinner. ``In nimble prose, Mayle . . . captures the humorous aspects of visits to markets, vineyards and goat races, and hunting for mushrooms,'' said PW. Author tour. Illustrated.
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