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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This month’s book club pick was Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun, which natch made me want to go to Italy hasta pronto.
I was a tad skeptical, having seen bits and pieces of the movie and being severely underwhelmed. I wanted to like it; I enjoy Diane Lane as an actress, and how could I not also love a movie set in Italy, with all the food and scenery and handsome Italians in its favor?! However … it was not meant to be.
Thankfully, my initial inclinations about the book were unfounded. I honestly found the book to be … enchanting. The descriptions of the house restoration process; the foods; the wines – everything was drool-worthy.
The only aspect of the book I struggled with was Mayes’ description of a tour she and her husband Ed took through small-town Italy. I was overwhelmed with names! dates! wine they bought cases of to take home! It’s a blur – still.
But that didn’t hinder me from highlighting away and dreaming of recipes to try, from the simple pears and Gorgonzola cheese to the high-brow cherries steeped in Chianti. (Can’t wait to try that when cherries are in season here – only a couple months to go! I even bought a cherry pitter from Williams-Sonoma just for that recipe.)
Read it; enjoy; skip over the small-town Italy road trip; and start planning your next European Adventure. I know I am.
I was a tad skeptical, having seen bits and pieces of the movie and being severely underwhelmed. I wanted to like it; I enjoy Diane Lane as an actress, and how could I not also love a movie set in Italy, with all the food and scenery and handsome Italians in its favor?! However … it was not meant to be.
Thankfully, my initial inclinations about the book were unfounded. I honestly found the book to be … enchanting. The descriptions of the house restoration process; the foods; the wines – everything was drool-worthy.
The only aspect of the book I struggled with was Mayes’ description of a tour she and her husband Ed took through small-town Italy. I was overwhelmed with names! dates! wine they bought cases of to take home! It’s a blur – still.
But that didn’t hinder me from highlighting away and dreaming of recipes to try, from the simple pears and Gorgonzola cheese to the high-brow cherries steeped in Chianti. (Can’t wait to try that when cherries are in season here – only a couple months to go! I even bought a cherry pitter from Williams-Sonoma just for that recipe.)
Read it; enjoy; skip over the small-town Italy road trip; and start planning your next European Adventure. I know I am.
The perfect read for our trip to Italy & Greece! She does a wonderful job of bringing you along each of the turns and intricacies of having a home in Tuscany. Her descriptive language and comedic relief combined truly make this book a must read!
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. She is a beautiful writer but I just couldn't get into it.
She writes beautifully but it was definitely drawn out. Enjoyed reading before my trip to Italy. Made me hungry more than once! But there’s really not much of a plot other than the renovations they do to their house.
I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but nothing ever did. Beautiful descriptions of the Tuscan countryside, but not much else.
reflective
slow-paced