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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
After many years vacationing in Italy, Frances Mayes and her--husband? I don't think that's ever clarified--decide to buy a home in Tuscany. They search for a while, but nothing really calls to them. Then they stumble upon a home called Bramasole in the town of Cortona. It's a wreck, but they can't get it out of their heads. They go over and over all the reasons that they shouldn't buy it. And then they follow their hearts and move in and get to work.
First of all, I just need to say that this book has little in common with the movie except for the title. As she kept writing about "our house" and "our money," I kept looking back to see if I was missing something. She's buying the house with someone? And not just anyone, but a significant other? This was supposed to be about remodeling a house in Tuscany and romance with handsome Italians! What happened here?!?
Still, I enjoyed it, even more than the movie. So what if there aren't any romances with Italian men? I got to read beautiful descriptions that left me feeling as if I had just soaked in the heat of a Tuscan August, and left me feeling as if I really had been living life at a slower pace. Mayes is a very evocative writer and I was lost in the Tuscan countryside almost immediately. I didn't envy them the work they were doing, but I loved reading about the connection she was making with the house, the previous owners, and the roots she was growing. She refers often to the nonna that she imagines previously lived in the house, and wonders what she would think of the changes they are making and the food they are cooking. The nonna becomes something of a benevolent guardian, bestowing happiness and calm on all who enter.
The owners need that calm at times as they navigate the Italian method of renovating. Contractors they hire get sick, the replacement ones don't show up when they say they will, nothing is as easy as it seems, and fixing one problem seems to uncover ten more. Well, now that I think about it, that's probably a description of renovations the world over!
I enjoyed the pace of life that she fell into living in Tuscany. They strolled into town and loved to watch the evening passagietta, or stroll, when everyone who possibly can is out "meeting and greeting" in the dreamy twilights. I loved the way that life in Tuscany still seems to be so connected to the seasons. Your meals are actually planned around what's in season in your area and if you didn't grow the produce yourself, you probably just bought it from a farmer who picked it early that morning or the day before.
There's a tiny part of me that is tempted to place this on my Southern lit shelf, because Mayes is a Georgia girl and she frequently compares her life growing up in the South to the life she is living in Tuscany. Both cultures seem to be a little resistant to change, there's a strong sense of history and connection to the land, families have known families forever (well, maybe not quite as long in the South, but you know what I mean). "Southerners have a gene, as yet undetected in the DNA spirals, that causes them to believe that place is fate. Where you are is who you are." The Italians she meets seem to have that same bit of DNA.
One of my favorite chapters is entitled "Turning Italian." I love the first part when she writes about Ed and how she's watched him slowly change as they live in Italy. Starting as a tea drinker, he's learned to love syrupy-sweet espresso. He's learned to love the land and constantly nourishes it. But my favorite bit is how he's taken to Italian driving. "Most travellers here feel that driving in Rome qualifies as an experience that can be added to one's vita, that everyday autostrada trips are examinations in courage and that the Amalfi coast drive is a definition of hell." We spent two weeks in Italy in 2008 and I still have not gotten over the experience. Now, if we vacation somewhere that we can't drive to, we learn to navigate the public transportation or we walk. My husband has been grounded. He took a little too well to the utter chaos of Italian driving. I have a story that I love to tell, but let's just say that trying to find our way back to the rental car garage in Florence left me a quivering, screeching mass of nerves, cussing my husband for all he was worth. I don't cuss my husband. We barely even fight. That's how bad it was. So I laughed as I read the author's experiences and tried not to have flashbacks of driving the wrong way down a stretch of road in Rome with a barricade on one side of us and buildings on the other. *Shudder* Luckily for my husband, that was the taxi driver. I might have been driven to bloodshed if I had known the driver at all. But then again, bloodshed would have required letting go of the "chicken stick" I left my fingerprints in.
I wasn't quite as thrilled that she wrote so much about food. I'm not a foodie; I'm probably one of the pickiest adult eaters you will ever meet. So her loving descriptions of how to prepare rabbit or veal or wild boar were lost on me. I did still read every word, mostly for the small personal observations she worked in. So props to the author for getting me to read recipes that don't involve sugar!
I recommend this to armchair travelers, and those who enjoy thoughtful, beautifully written memoirs.
First of all, I just need to say that this book has little in common with the movie except for the title. As she kept writing about "our house" and "our money," I kept looking back to see if I was missing something. She's buying the house with someone? And not just anyone, but a significant other? This was supposed to be about remodeling a house in Tuscany and romance with handsome Italians! What happened here?!?
Still, I enjoyed it, even more than the movie. So what if there aren't any romances with Italian men? I got to read beautiful descriptions that left me feeling as if I had just soaked in the heat of a Tuscan August, and left me feeling as if I really had been living life at a slower pace. Mayes is a very evocative writer and I was lost in the Tuscan countryside almost immediately. I didn't envy them the work they were doing, but I loved reading about the connection she was making with the house, the previous owners, and the roots she was growing. She refers often to the nonna that she imagines previously lived in the house, and wonders what she would think of the changes they are making and the food they are cooking. The nonna becomes something of a benevolent guardian, bestowing happiness and calm on all who enter.
The owners need that calm at times as they navigate the Italian method of renovating. Contractors they hire get sick, the replacement ones don't show up when they say they will, nothing is as easy as it seems, and fixing one problem seems to uncover ten more. Well, now that I think about it, that's probably a description of renovations the world over!
I enjoyed the pace of life that she fell into living in Tuscany. They strolled into town and loved to watch the evening passagietta, or stroll, when everyone who possibly can is out "meeting and greeting" in the dreamy twilights. I loved the way that life in Tuscany still seems to be so connected to the seasons. Your meals are actually planned around what's in season in your area and if you didn't grow the produce yourself, you probably just bought it from a farmer who picked it early that morning or the day before.
There's a tiny part of me that is tempted to place this on my Southern lit shelf, because Mayes is a Georgia girl and she frequently compares her life growing up in the South to the life she is living in Tuscany. Both cultures seem to be a little resistant to change, there's a strong sense of history and connection to the land, families have known families forever (well, maybe not quite as long in the South, but you know what I mean). "Southerners have a gene, as yet undetected in the DNA spirals, that causes them to believe that place is fate. Where you are is who you are." The Italians she meets seem to have that same bit of DNA.
One of my favorite chapters is entitled "Turning Italian." I love the first part when she writes about Ed and how she's watched him slowly change as they live in Italy. Starting as a tea drinker, he's learned to love syrupy-sweet espresso. He's learned to love the land and constantly nourishes it. But my favorite bit is how he's taken to Italian driving. "Most travellers here feel that driving in Rome qualifies as an experience that can be added to one's vita, that everyday autostrada trips are examinations in courage and that the Amalfi coast drive is a definition of hell." We spent two weeks in Italy in 2008 and I still have not gotten over the experience. Now, if we vacation somewhere that we can't drive to, we learn to navigate the public transportation or we walk. My husband has been grounded. He took a little too well to the utter chaos of Italian driving. I have a story that I love to tell, but let's just say that trying to find our way back to the rental car garage in Florence left me a quivering, screeching mass of nerves, cussing my husband for all he was worth. I don't cuss my husband. We barely even fight. That's how bad it was. So I laughed as I read the author's experiences and tried not to have flashbacks of driving the wrong way down a stretch of road in Rome with a barricade on one side of us and buildings on the other. *Shudder* Luckily for my husband, that was the taxi driver. I might have been driven to bloodshed if I had known the driver at all. But then again, bloodshed would have required letting go of the "chicken stick" I left my fingerprints in.
I wasn't quite as thrilled that she wrote so much about food. I'm not a foodie; I'm probably one of the pickiest adult eaters you will ever meet. So her loving descriptions of how to prepare rabbit or veal or wild boar were lost on me. I did still read every word, mostly for the small personal observations she worked in. So props to the author for getting me to read recipes that don't involve sugar!
I recommend this to armchair travelers, and those who enjoy thoughtful, beautifully written memoirs.
At times a deeply poetic recount of rustic Italian living. It made me feel nostalgic just reading about Tuscany.
I just couldn’t get into it. I’m going to try again later, because I did like it! It’s just moving slower than I wanted right now.
The descriptions of food go on and on. Actually, the descriptions of EVERYTHING go on and on. They're not interesting or enchanting they are just words on a page. The main problems:
Mayes' tone is condescending (and that's being kind). She acts as if she discovered Cortona, villa renovation and fresh produce. Please! I kept hoping a big Tuscan stone would hit her on the head so she could acquire a new attitude.
I can't even describe the plot because there isn't one. Travel logs are fun, exciting, amusing; I didn't even crack a smile as I read about food, stones, food, Frances Mayes and food. So, she's a good cook. I got it already, no need to talk about it for 200+ pages.
Characters besides Mayes and her high opinion of herself are nonexistent; 280 pages - is Ed her husband, her boyfriend, her servant? Whatever, I don't even care anymore. I'd feel sorry for him if I could figure out who he is.
I could go on and on, but I'm not Frances Mayes so I won't.
My advice to her is to get over herself. My advice to a potential reader is to get over your impulse to read this book.
Mayes' tone is condescending (and that's being kind). She acts as if she discovered Cortona, villa renovation and fresh produce. Please! I kept hoping a big Tuscan stone would hit her on the head so she could acquire a new attitude.
I can't even describe the plot because there isn't one. Travel logs are fun, exciting, amusing; I didn't even crack a smile as I read about food, stones, food, Frances Mayes and food. So, she's a good cook. I got it already, no need to talk about it for 200+ pages.
Characters besides Mayes and her high opinion of herself are nonexistent; 280 pages - is Ed her husband, her boyfriend, her servant? Whatever, I don't even care anymore. I'd feel sorry for him if I could figure out who he is.
I could go on and on, but I'm not Frances Mayes so I won't.
My advice to her is to get over herself. My advice to a potential reader is to get over your impulse to read this book.
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
This is such a great book about a house renovation in Italy. Life is sweet when you've got plenty of money and don't have to work, apparently. How would it be! I thought the movie stunk!
I have been selfish with this book. Not in the sense that I didn’t want to share it with you, but that I didn’t want it to end. With five to ten hours of overtime a week, I have had little time to indulge in idle moments. However, when I could sneak a little section or slip in a whole chapter … it was an amazing escape from reality.
I’m a bit embarrassed that it took me this long to read it. This is no fault of the book. This book is an experience. There’s no drama. This is a window looking in on the life of this house in Italy. I would spend my lunch break, reading little bits and imaging what it would be like to be whisked away and live somewhere else for a while. How I wished that I could implement the idea of a siesta and not have to return an hour later to the hectic chaos of the medical world.
I found myself wanting to live off the land. I want to eat foods that are fresh and local. The Uncle Bob’s Apple Cake was a product of this primal need for freshness. Mayes describes buying only the quantity of fresh food you need immediately from the market. The produce is allowed to ripen naturally and isn’t ‘embalmed’ so to speak with chemicals, like many of the fruits and veggies here in the United States. As I peeled those fresh apples for that cake, I felt a certain pride for my food.
For the avid cook, you will love how the book has amazing recipes … and how she describes every amazing food she encounters. Really, I’m pretty sure I gained a few pounds just from reading! I’m hoping to try her recipe for Basil and Lemon Chicken soon. For my Cake Of The Week lovers, I think I found my next recipe for that as well!
I adored how life outside of Italy almost didn’t exist. During the course of the book, she spends her time divided between Italy and California. Rarely is California discussed. You follow the timeline, so you know she’s been back to the states. However, she doesn’t really bother with it. Why, because obviously Italy kicks ass.
I will admit, this is probably the only time in my life I have seen the movie before reading the book. There is a world of difference. Hollywood likes to muck with things. I loved the movie, I loved the book, and I respect them both as two different works.
I truly admire Frances Mayes. Her writing is amazing and her life is inspiring. You know what really did it for me? She seems to still be a real person. I posted a tweet a bit ago about reading her book. I had included her Twitter ‘handle’ so others could connect with her. I almost pee'd myself when she responded to me! She now follows me (me! little teeny tiny self-published me!) and has even retweeted me. How frickin’ amazing is that?
I strongly urge anyone needing an adventure from their living room to invest in this book. I would offer to loan you mine, but this one is a keeper for the shelves!
I’m a bit embarrassed that it took me this long to read it. This is no fault of the book. This book is an experience. There’s no drama. This is a window looking in on the life of this house in Italy. I would spend my lunch break, reading little bits and imaging what it would be like to be whisked away and live somewhere else for a while. How I wished that I could implement the idea of a siesta and not have to return an hour later to the hectic chaos of the medical world.
I found myself wanting to live off the land. I want to eat foods that are fresh and local. The Uncle Bob’s Apple Cake was a product of this primal need for freshness. Mayes describes buying only the quantity of fresh food you need immediately from the market. The produce is allowed to ripen naturally and isn’t ‘embalmed’ so to speak with chemicals, like many of the fruits and veggies here in the United States. As I peeled those fresh apples for that cake, I felt a certain pride for my food.
For the avid cook, you will love how the book has amazing recipes … and how she describes every amazing food she encounters. Really, I’m pretty sure I gained a few pounds just from reading! I’m hoping to try her recipe for Basil and Lemon Chicken soon. For my Cake Of The Week lovers, I think I found my next recipe for that as well!
I adored how life outside of Italy almost didn’t exist. During the course of the book, she spends her time divided between Italy and California. Rarely is California discussed. You follow the timeline, so you know she’s been back to the states. However, she doesn’t really bother with it. Why, because obviously Italy kicks ass.
I will admit, this is probably the only time in my life I have seen the movie before reading the book. There is a world of difference. Hollywood likes to muck with things. I loved the movie, I loved the book, and I respect them both as two different works.
I truly admire Frances Mayes. Her writing is amazing and her life is inspiring. You know what really did it for me? She seems to still be a real person. I posted a tweet a bit ago about reading her book. I had included her Twitter ‘handle’ so others could connect with her. I almost pee'd myself when she responded to me! She now follows me (me! little teeny tiny self-published me!) and has even retweeted me. How frickin’ amazing is that?
I strongly urge anyone needing an adventure from their living room to invest in this book. I would offer to loan you mine, but this one is a keeper for the shelves!
Sensual descriptions of landscapes and food in Italy, along with musings about life and travel, were an enjoyable read. There aren't major revelations, just a pleasant narrative of renovations along with their triumphs and pitfalls.
The one part I didn't enjoy was the utter impossibility of this lifestyle for me or others without a lot of means. The author grew up with privilege of a sort, and that follows her through the book. Mention of a childhood cook, and other tidbits, served as a jarring reminder of the fact that this is out of my reach for the most part. I'm not sure how this is all affordable to live in two places at once, including one of the most affluent cities in the US, San Francisco. I'm glad the author makes it work beautifully, and am definitely a touch envious!
The one part I didn't enjoy was the utter impossibility of this lifestyle for me or others without a lot of means. The author grew up with privilege of a sort, and that follows her through the book. Mention of a childhood cook, and other tidbits, served as a jarring reminder of the fact that this is out of my reach for the most part. I'm not sure how this is all affordable to live in two places at once, including one of the most affluent cities in the US, San Francisco. I'm glad the author makes it work beautifully, and am definitely a touch envious!
Skip the movie and go for the book - they bear very little resemblance, but the movie is just mediocre fluff. The book is a treasure!
slow-paced