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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Леле, толкова харесвам филма, чак не знам как е направен по тази суха, скучна и фактологично изброяваща събития книга. Скука е точната дума - 2 звезди само заради филма.
When an author can truly make you think you are exactly where they are is amazing. Wonderful and I can't wait to try some of the recipes that are in the book.
Usually the movie is disappointing compared to the book, but in this case the book was disappointing compared to the movie. I haven't seen the movie in a long time, but I think it's quite different than the book. The book didn't really have much of a story to it. The relationships in the book, were not developed at all. It was really just about the remodeling of the house and the food they ate. If you're looking for recipes, the ones in the book sound really good and authentic.
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Dolce far niente
This was an easy, pleasant read. There's no real story here, just observations of Italy and home renovation and food and gardening and Etruscan culture and friends and life. But they are beautifully written, wondrously descriptive observations that made me feel like I was there. I have to say I envy Frances Mayes. Everyone should be so lucky to do what she did.
Maybe if I had read some of her other books and felt like I knew her a bit, I would be more interested in reading about her adventure restoring an Italian villa. The book was written well enough but I just couldn't get through it. After picking it up and putting it back down for over a year now, I'm going to pull out the bookmark and shelve it for another time.
I had seen the movie long before I ever read this book and had loved it. So I when I got an opportunity to buy the book, I took it. And I've read it several times and always enjoyed it even if it does have some flaws.
Frances Mayes, after a divorce and a lot of indecision, decides to buy a fixer upper in Tuscany with her boyfriend. The house needs a lot of work, but there's plenty of people to hire and they aren't afraid of a little hard work themselves. This book chronicles that restoration along with the rest of their visits and travels in Italy, the marvelous food that they eat there, and the guests who pop in for a visit from time to time. They harvest the bounty of food and olives that grow on their land and learn to remodel old walls and enjoy Etruscan history.
The book is mostly a self-narrative by Frances and while I don't find her a most compelling character, I'd have to say that this book really isn't so much about the people in it, but rather the land and the food and the house. Sure people are mentioned, but they don't really take a main focus and Frances doesn't really even seem to care if they are there or not half the time. She does describe herself sometimes but even that is an afterthought.
The main focus of the book is food. There are pages and pages of marvelous food descriptions and even a couple large sections of recipes for all kinds of Italian food. There is also a lot of description of the remodel of the house that while interesting, sometimes lasts too long and gets somewhat boring. While I was interested in how they restored the house, I didn't need pages and pages of them cleaning up debris. I could have gotten the idea of the hard work just by a simple sentence or two. But the food more than makes up for it. My mouth waters every time I read this book.
Definitely a more food memoir than travel memoir. I eagerly look forward to reading the next book of her Tuscan journey.
Under the Tuscan Sun
Copyright 1996
280 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Frances Mayes, after a divorce and a lot of indecision, decides to buy a fixer upper in Tuscany with her boyfriend. The house needs a lot of work, but there's plenty of people to hire and they aren't afraid of a little hard work themselves. This book chronicles that restoration along with the rest of their visits and travels in Italy, the marvelous food that they eat there, and the guests who pop in for a visit from time to time. They harvest the bounty of food and olives that grow on their land and learn to remodel old walls and enjoy Etruscan history.
The book is mostly a self-narrative by Frances and while I don't find her a most compelling character, I'd have to say that this book really isn't so much about the people in it, but rather the land and the food and the house. Sure people are mentioned, but they don't really take a main focus and Frances doesn't really even seem to care if they are there or not half the time. She does describe herself sometimes but even that is an afterthought.
The main focus of the book is food. There are pages and pages of marvelous food descriptions and even a couple large sections of recipes for all kinds of Italian food. There is also a lot of description of the remodel of the house that while interesting, sometimes lasts too long and gets somewhat boring. While I was interested in how they restored the house, I didn't need pages and pages of them cleaning up debris. I could have gotten the idea of the hard work just by a simple sentence or two. But the food more than makes up for it. My mouth waters every time I read this book.
Definitely a more food memoir than travel memoir. I eagerly look forward to reading the next book of her Tuscan journey.
Under the Tuscan Sun
Copyright 1996
280 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Tedious and condescending. I liked the very beginning because I could dream about a fantasy life but quickly got annoyed. Her criticism of San Francisco because her round-round herb garden doesn't thrive as well as it would in Tuscany in the summertime ... and repeated references to her childhood cook pushed me over the edge. This review sums it up perfectly:
http://tonguesophistries.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/review-under-the-tuscan-sun-by-frances-mayes/
http://tonguesophistries.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/review-under-the-tuscan-sun-by-frances-mayes/
If you are a fan of the movie, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! I kid you not, i started this book in 2017 and as of today i have gotten 57% of the way through the book! I tried to find the spark that inspired the movie, but let me tell you they did one hell of a job finding a story in this dry piece. Why keep reading you ask? Because i was young and naive with the "I'm not a quitter" attitude. But I think it is safe to say that i have received not the slightest bit of joy or knowledge in reading this book and have officially called it quits with the utmost confidence that i would have no regrets. Do not waste your time as i have. It is safe to say that we have officially found a movie that is WAY better than the book.
This is very different from the movie - consider yourself warned. Not that it should discourage you from reading it. Mayes' illuminating language, recipes, and renovation journey will resonate with many. It doesn't hurt that I read this during the coronavirus pandemic and right after a big snowstorm - it inspired lovely daydreaming of places to visit and kept me warm on frigid days.